Medical cables are manufactured in a variety of materials. Knowing which type of medical grade insulation or jacket material to choose from medical cable manufacturers is important. Before designing a cable, you need to answer these basic questions:
- Is the cable disposable or reusable?
- Will there be patient contact? Bio-compatibility requirements?
- Will the cable be sterilized? If so how?
§ Flexibility requirements?
§ How will the cable be used?
Medical cables fall into two categories, reusable and disposable. Disposable one patient use cables are normally made of less expensive material such as PVC and are not subject to repetitive sterilization due to short term use. Reusable cables often times have to withstand many cycles of sterilization such as, autoclave, gamma, E-Beam, and chemical sterilization. Knowing how the cable will be sterilized is important in order to narrow down your jacket options as some materials will break down or can’t withstand certain types of sterilization.
Medical grade insulation and jacket materials differ depending on the type of contact it will have with the patient. Implantable grade insulation materials are usually Teflon or silicone rubber. Common jackets are silicone rubber or implant grade Polyurethanes. For other uses medical grade materials include PVC, TPE, polyethylene, FEP, PFA, and polyurethane.
Medical cables application and use vary from sensors to complex surgical devices. Relaying this information to your cable manufacturer is important. Cables can be subjected to repetitive flexing, abrasion, getting stepped on or rolled over by carts. Choosing a material that can withstand the day to day use will prolong the life of the cable.
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