Medical Equipment Production: Manufacturing Processes Report

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Introduction

The activity of medical institutions is impossible without appropriate equipment with special tools. Insurance of the functioning of the presented organizations requires various types of medical facilities. Some kinds of durable material are used for diagnostic procedures, therapeutic needs, and for many small daily activities in the hospital or patient’s accommodation. The production of high-tech equipment requires highly qualified specialists, free access to resources and medical databases, as well as guaranteed financing since this industry is considerably expensive.

Main body

Medical equipment is intended for different purposes and according to this criterion is divided as follows:

  • Diagnostic equipment includes devices such as x-rays, tomographs, ultrasound machines, and electrocardiographs. These facilities are used to identify symptoms of the disease and take various signs from the patient;
  • Therapeutic equipment is phonendoscopes, tonometers, and other instruments that are designed for initial examination and diagnosis;
  • Surgical equipment is the entire extensive set of tools for surgical intervention, as well as machines for maintaining vital functions during operations;
  • Laboratory facilities are all sorts of analyzers and consumables for them, dishes and other laboratory supplies;
  • Transport equipment includes stretchers, wheelchairs, and incubators for newborns.

Since the production of complex electronic machines can be difficult for a start-up factory, the creation of transport equipment (wheelchairs), non-electronic therapeutic (phonendoscopes, enemas, etc.) or surgical (sterile needles, droppers, catheters, etc.) devices and laboratory glassware (test tubes, syringes, Petri dishes) will be most profitable and rational. The therapeutic stage is one of the most valuable in the process of examination and diagnosis. Different equipment is used for various diseases, for example, a phonendoscope and a stethoscope are applied during the primary analysis or in the diagnosis of diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Non-electronic blood pressure monitor is utilized in the investigation of cardiovascular diseases or pressure problems associated with stress. Enemas are medical instruments that are designed to treat gastroenterological conditions or to prepare for many biopsies and operations.

Disposable consumables play an essential role in the functioning of the surgical department. For example, during operations, a large number of syringes, droppers, or disposable surgical instruments (catheters, tweezers) are applied. Laboratories also use a large amount of equipment in addition to the analyzers themselves. For instance, laboratory glassware is utilized for analysis, syringes, and needles for sampling, as well as a large number of containers for storing materials. Moreover, a large number of different wheelchairs and gurneys are used to move around the hospital.

The production of the presented goods will be beneficial for the medical sector, and the development of small businesses is valuable for the advancement of the economy. Moreover, in the composition of such materials, it is possible to arrange the processing of waste, which will help the environmental reconstruction (Ordway et al. 22). Base healthcare products are one of the most expensive parts of the medical area; still, such a fabric is a competitive industry.

Production Line and Manufacturing Processes Used

A wheelchair is one of the most used aids to increase personal mobility, which is the primary condition for the realization of human rights and the preservation of their dignity, contributing to the transformation of people with disabilities into productive members of society. For many people, an equipped, well-designed, and adequately fitted wheelchair is the first step towards inclusion and active participation in society. About 10% of the world population, which is about 650 million people, are people with disabilities, and 10% of them need a wheelchair. Thus, it turns out that about 1% of the total population of the planet needs wheelchairs, which is about 65 million people (Bronzino 43-5). Wheelchairs are a prevalent means of medical support because they are used not only by disabled people but also by patients in hospitals with the temporary impossibility to move.

Such a demand creates a tremendous competitive advantage for small companies in the medical products market. As consumers often face financial difficulties, and the inability to use electronic chairs, the production of low-cost products will be beneficial for a start-up factory. There are three main types of these seats, such as for temporary use, for permanent use, and a chair with support for the body posture. It is also convenient to produce folding wheelchairs as this will provide the consumer with the opportunity for free movement.

Manufacturers must never compromise on the health and safety of users to lower production costs. Although it may seem that any wheelchair is better than its complete absence, it is not so if the wheelchair causes harm to health contributes to injuries or other threats to human health and life. The wheelchair must be designed in such a way as to ensure the safety and health of the user; otherwise, they may be injured as a result of using inappropriate equipment. Thus, the ideal wheelchair is a chair adapted to the individual needs of the patient. So, chairs for temporary use without the possibility of folding and not designed for street use will be serviceable in hospitals. Chairs for constant use adapted to patients’ problems and with the option of folding and attending the street will be popular among disabled people.

Moreover, the production of additional goods may also be part of the product line. For example, in the attachment to wheelchairs, the factory can offer interchangeable wheels, cushions for patient convenience, and other accessories. Moreover, the continuous production of stretchers and gurneys will be advantageous for long-term cooperation with many hospitals. The output of cots from durable materials will be useful for emergency services, and convenient maneuverable gurneys will support the establishment of collaboration within the hospital. While organizing green production, inevitably, multiple non-processed wastes occur. So, from the excesses after the creation of chairs and stretchers, as the mainline, it is possible to develop various disposable consumables. For instance, disposable syringes used in laboratory work and treatment in various medical institutions can be designed and released. Furthermore, medical plaits, enemas, and droppers from rubber waste can be put up for sale. The factory may consider the production of laboratory glassware and diagnostic tools as an additional line in a state of increased demand.

The primary production process is the method of creation of the fundamental goods, which includes natural processes, technological and working processes. The natural process is a way that leads to a change in the properties and composition of the subject of labor but proceeds without human intervention (for example, in the manufacture of certain types of chemical products). Natural production processes can be considered as necessary technological breaks between operations (cooling, drying, and ageing). The technical method is a set of procedures, as a result of which all the necessary changes in the subject of labor occur, thus it turns into finished products. Ancillary operations contribute to the implementation of basic services (transportation, control, and sorting of products). Workflow is the totality of all labor processes primary and secondary operations included. The structure of the production process changes under the influence of the technology, equipment used, the division of labor, and the organization of production.

Researches distinguish continuous and periodic production processes according to the type of production flow. In continuous processes, there are no interruptions in the making process, and production maintenance operations are performed simultaneously or in parallel with the primary activities. In periodic processes, the implementation of the principal and servicing procedures occurs sequentially, as a result of which the primary production process is interrupted in time (Koç 149). The principle of automatism is to upgrade production processes, which leads to an increase in production volume, a reduction in living labor costs, an increase in the quality of work, and the replacement of workers with machining centers and robots. Of course, a continuous automated process will be the fastest and most efficient production method.

Nevertheless, full automation can cause production errors and is also one of the most expensive manufacturing methods. The ideal factory model is a continuous production process with semi-automatic work support. Therefore, specialized machines must do most of the work under the control of operators, who also do the tasks required. The factory must also be flexible in the production method, that is, adapt to the needs of the market, but still leave its main products a priority. This model is an abstract design for the production of medical equipment, which can be applied in practice with minor transformations.

References

Bronzino, Joseph, and Donald Peterson. Medical Devices and Human Engineering. Amsterdam University Press, 2018.

Koç, Muammer, and Tugrul Özel. Modern Manufacturing Processes. John Wiley & Sons, 2019.

Ordway, Anne, et al. “Durable Medical Equipment Reuse and Recycling: Uncovering Hidden Opportunities for Reducing Medical Waste.” Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, vol. 15, no. 1, 2018, pp. 21–28.

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