Medical Device Link.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT INSIGHT

To improve sustainability medical manufacturers should consider at various points on a life cycle chart. The list below represents steps device manufacturers can take at such stages. The list has been adapted with permission from Okala Guide 2007 Edition. It is available on the Industrial Design Society of America’s Web site, www.idsa.org.

1. Innovation

• Consult users about how they define more sustainable.
• Make the disposable portions of a device smaller or reusable.
• Reduce the portion that is biohazard.
• Reduce the amount of materials that are disposed of in less-sustainable ways.
• Consider redesigning single-use products for multiple uses.
• Anticipate technological or medical advances and design-in flexibility.

2. Low-Impact Materials

• Change sterilization techniques to be more benign and allow the use of more-sustainable materials.
• Switch materials to commonly recycled rather than “can be recycled.”
• Research new less-impactful or recycled materials.
• Avoid hard-to-recycle material combinations (e.g., multilayer, comolded, etc.).

3. Optimized Manufacturing

• Consider more benign sterilization processes.
• Innovate sterile packaging design to reduce materials.

4. Efficient Distribution

• Move high-volume disposable production to locations closer to destination markets.
• Innovate distribution containers to minimize or make recyclable secondary packaging.

5. Low-Impact Use

• Optimize use of reagents.
• Miniaturize.
• Enable sending data electronically rather than print.
• Reduce wiring with wireless or optical technology.
• Reduce energy inefficiencies and improve sleep modes.

6. Optimized Product Lifetime

• Make biomed friendly for planned maintenance programs.
• Allow cleaning or sterilizing using benign methods.
• Build in durability and ease of replacement of wear elements.
• Design for upgradeability (in field or factory).
• Create timeless look.

7. Optimized End of Life

• Integrate methods for product collection, recycling or remanufacturing.
• Minimize amount that must be disposed of as hazardous waste.
• Provide for ease of disassembly.
• Provide for ability to biodegrade if possible.