When reliability needs to be Absolute-- Medical Grade Power Supplies

In very few situations is absolute reliability and quality a basic operational necessity in a piece of equipment. In most situations such as this, human life will depend on the smooth functioning of a piece of equipment, such as an aero engine or space shuttle life support system. And a Medical Grade Power Supply is no exception to this rule. These fine pieces of equipment are designed to work in very demanding clinical environments and to deliver uninterrupted and undisturbed service.     

        What exactly IS different in a Medical Grade Power Supply when compared to a standard power supply? Many technical factors distinguish standard commercial power supply units from medical grade power supplies. Even the standard units are produced to certain quality specifications, but the standards set for medical grade equipment are much higher and are strictly enforced, as the smooth functioning of the power supply plays a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Reliability and safety of operation are of paramount concern, so stricter quality control standards are placed on manufacturers producing equipment for the medical profession. 

   International Standards.  Medical grade power supplies of member countries conform to the rules and regulations of the IEC. 

The IEC (or the International Electrotechnical Commission) is the world's leading organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies — collectively known as "electrotechnology". And its standard ‘IEC 60601-1-2 Ed. 3.0’ collateral standard applies to electromagnetic compatibility of medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems and the object of this collateral standard is to specify general requirements and tests for electromagnetic compatibility of medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems. They are in addition to the requirements of the general standard and serve as the basis for particular standards. Medical Grade Power Supplies too fall under the purview of this organization. 

       Consequently, the amount of research and development involved in the manufacture and production of medical power supplies means that only a few producers actually have the expertise and resources to tackle the field. Further, the product liability complications which may arise due to faulty performance are tremendous, as a vulnerable patient could suffer serious harm or even succumb if  faulty performance causes the dependant medical equipment to malfunction. All these issues have led to only a few companies manufacturing high grade Medical Grade Power Supplies.      

         Thus it is worth taking note of a prominent player in this field, namely the MeanWell Enterprises Co., Ltd. As a leading switching power supply manufacturer of the country it is a well established firm founded in 1982, it has earned for itself a reputation for high quality enabling the achievement of 28% sales growth in the past years! It has many standards accreditations and its medical grade power supplies conform to relevant medical regulations (e.g. - the MeanWell MPD-120 Series - 120W Dual Output Open Frame Medical Power Supply conforms to UL60601-1 and the PM-10 Series - 10W Single Output Encapsulated Medical PSU is UL60601-1, IEC60601-1 & TUV EN60601-1 medical safety approved).  When buying Medical Grade Power Supplies, trust only the best-patient’s lives may depend on it!