Medical products tend to be one of the most visible forms of healthcare that you may observe. There are a variety of medical products and supplies that are utilized on a daily basis. Here are some of the steps that are involved with their creation process.
Developmental Phase
The fist step of any creation process is the developmental phase. This is where the needs of the market are assessed to determine if a new product needs to be created or if an existing product can be modified. The length of the developmental phase will depend on the complexity of the product that’s being created. There are also regulations that need to be taken into account, such as those outlined by the Food and Drug Administration.
Extensive Testing
Once a prototype has been developed, a medical product can enter the testing phase of the process. This is where trials and other types of laboratory tests are conducted in order to ensure that the product will retain its functionality and remain safe. As with the developmental phase, the testing phase timeline is dependent on the complexity of the medical product. For testing assays, this can be more extensive than simple tubing.
Packaging Requirements
The packaging requirements will need to be outlined in order to preserve the product for storage as well as transit. One such example of packaging requirements can be observed with medical product kitting. Many manufacturers employ this method of distribution due to the ease of tracking that can be conducted through the use of lot numbers. A lot is normally one run of the product within a specified timeframe. This allows any defects or inconsistencies to be tracked and recalls to be issued in a seamless manner.
Labeling Parameters
Another regulation that needs to be considered in the creation of medical products are the labeling parameters that will be used. This may be through the use of universal labeling identification parameters, such as safety, health hazards, reactivity, and flammability. Another thing that you may note is the universal product code number. This is where the class of the medical product is determined. Most medical supplies, such as tongue depressors, are Class I. Class II products are testing implements, and Class III products are those that are designed to sustain your life.
It can take years to develop some medical products. At any one time, there are numerous trials being conducted to improve the quality of medical products that are available to you on the market.