Medical Design Briefs - August 2024 - 19

Sustainability
The Role of Sensors in the Big Picture of Sustainability
Rethinking sensors can help reduce environmental impact.
TE Connectivity, Berwyn, PA
I
n today's landscape, sustainability has taken center stage.
Technological advancements have made our world more
connected than ever and companies everywhere, including
those in the medical equipment industry, are focusing on how
they can reduce their environmental impact.
Initiatives like energy reduction and decreased water usage
have been pushed to the forefront. Additional efforts such as
hazardous waste and operational waste diversion, optimized
transportation methods, and greener product distribution,
have also become top of mind for many companies. Finally,
there has been a shift in thinking of how materials are handled
and how they are recycled or reused, which contributes to a
more sustainable product life cycle.
What does all of this have to do with sensors? Unbelievably,
in the big picture of medical equipment sustainability, sensors
play an important role. That's right, something so miniature
can have quite the impact on maintaining and improving sustainability
- from the product design phase to use in equipment
in the home.
Sustainable Sensor Product Design is Key to a Greener
Future
The role of sensors has become increasingly significant in the
healthcare ecosystem as the world becomes more connected,
intelligent, and automated. New sensor technologies are helping
to lower costs, improve patient outcomes and better manage
health conditions by enabling deeper data-driven decisions.
Making sustainable progress starts by evaluating sensors
themselves - their overall design and the materials used to
create them. From an engineering perspective, first examine
current products in a portfolio, dissecting them to even the
smallest components, to determine how those products may be
able to be adapted to be more sustainable. Perhaps a new
eco-friendly material is available today versus years ago when
the product was developed. If that is the case, a switch to that
material could help reach sustainability targets as well as positively
impact the bottom line if a cost savings is involved. Furthermore,
some companies are investing strongly in product or
material sustainability and a shift to working with them could
be worthwhile.
During product development, it is critical for engineers to
use the sustainability design tools at their disposal. Compared
to years ago, engineers today have access to computer programs
that can optimize product design to minimize material
usage without compromising performance or robustness.
Teams can create simulations of products that will cut down on
CO2 emissions. Given the miniature size of sensors, oftentimes
the decrease of CO2 will be kilograms, but it is crucial to remember
that small gains add up over time.
One such example of a sustainability-engineered solution is
the reformulation of sensors used in minimally invasive equipment.
In this area, sterilization is vitally important, and most
products are single use. To sterilize equipment in sections, hospitals
and medical facilities typically use electron beam radiation.
However, this process can ruin sensors. At TE, for example,
engineers are working on technologies that protect sensors
from radiation. In these cases, some products are now available
for triple use versus single use. Although a slight improvement,
Left: The role of sensors has become increasingly
significant in the healthcare ecosystem as the
world becomes more connected, intelligent, and
automated. (Credit: TE Connectivity)
Right: Integrating sensors that use more
eco-friendly materials can directly impact a
medtech company's sustainability
progress. (Credit: TE Connectivity)
Medical Design Briefs, August 2024
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Medical Design Briefs - August 2024

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