Hospitals are addressing ESD/ESA issues under their Risk Management & Safety programs. Nurses and medical doctors are seeking a greater understanding of how to mitigate static electricity issues. Operating room monitor lock-ups and electrostatic packaging-attraction issues were mentioned as unexplained occurrences in critical care areas. The ESD roadmap is now at +/-25 volts for the maximum allowable voltage in proximity to an ESD-sensitive device; for example, a pacemaker circuit card.
During the Medical Device Committee ESD Task Group meeting held during HealthPack 2009, it was discussed that a working group could be formed on validation methods for vacuum-formed products in proximity to ESD-sensitive devices to prevent tribocharge generation (static). For decades, ESD/ESA validation methods for static control materials and packaging have been practiced by the aerospace and defense, disk drive, and semiconductor sectors. Today, the medical device and pharmaceutical delivery sectors are implementing ESD-mitigation programs at an accelerated rate.
The task group, part of the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), is made up of end users, academia (Cal Poly and Clemson), medical packaging suppliers, third-party testing labs, and packaging consultants. For more information on ESD-safe packaging considerations for microprocessor-driven medical devices, visit www.healthcarepackaging.com/go/40.
-By Bob Vermillion, ESD Task Group chair and founder/president RMV Technology Group, LLC
During the Medical Device Committee ESD Task Group meeting held during HealthPack 2009, it was discussed that a working group could be formed on validation methods for vacuum-formed products in proximity to ESD-sensitive devices to prevent tribocharge generation (static). For decades, ESD/ESA validation methods for static control materials and packaging have been practiced by the aerospace and defense, disk drive, and semiconductor sectors. Today, the medical device and pharmaceutical delivery sectors are implementing ESD-mitigation programs at an accelerated rate.
The task group, part of the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), is made up of end users, academia (Cal Poly and Clemson), medical packaging suppliers, third-party testing labs, and packaging consultants. For more information on ESD-safe packaging considerations for microprocessor-driven medical devices, visit www.healthcarepackaging.com/go/40.
-By Bob Vermillion, ESD Task Group chair and founder/president RMV Technology Group, LLC
