What are the different uses of stainless steel in the medical field?
- Hospital Beds
- Surgical implants
- Needles and Cannulas
- Steam sterilizers
- MRI scanners
- Dentistry
- Surgical plates and containers
- Stethoscope
Stainless steel has been one of the most versatile materials used in the architectural process, and perhaps the number one construction material in the Philippines—even across continents. Everywhere you turn, you see different applications of stainless steel material: aluminum found in your kitchen, steel such as the angle bar in the Philippines are used in the construction of towering skyscrapers.
It is for this reason of flexibility, and the characteristic of stainless steel as a hygienic, easy to maintain material that appears even in the medical field, and is trusted by surgeons, doctors, or medical practitioners in their everyday pursuits. Here are the different uses of stainless steel in this field.
Hospital Beds
Have you ever noticed how you’ve never seen a hospital bed made of other materials, but steel? Given that steel is a sturdy material that can handle the weight of any person or object, steel is also one of the sources considered as sanitary. Unlike other metals, stainless steel does not rust easily, and it can be maintained without any difficulties. You can trust a patient to lie down in a clean hospital bed and avoid potential infections or other hazards. This also goes the same for hospital wheelchairs.
Surgical implants
Surgical implants include joint replacements, artificial parts of the body (such as the hips), pins and plates which are used to fix broken bones back in place. Not only is stainless steel a solid material that acts much like how it performs as a construction material to keep buildings in place, but surgeons can be assured that the steel installed in their patient’s body remains the same.
Needles and Cannulas
Hypodermic needles are a hollow needle used to inject or extract fluids from the body. Cannula, meanwhile, is a tube that can be inserted into the body for delivery or removal of fluids. To put that simply, it’s more like a piece of medical equipment which extends a needle more than its usual length. Stainless steel is used on both this equipment because of its sanitary quality. But of course, they should be disposed after use as it had been through another patient’s skin.
Steam sterilizers
Also known as autoclaves, it is a process in which products are exposed to saturated steam at high temperatures to kill all microorganisms, and even spores, which could potentially be harmful. The temperature that should be achieved to ensure the elimination of these microorganisms is as high as 121 to 134 degrees Celsius. Stainless steel is perfect for this purpose. It can withstand extreme temperatures, and it doesn’t corrode under such heat.
MRI Scanners
Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a medical imaging technique that is performed to a patient to form pictures of a person’s inner anatomy, as well as that of the brain to identify certain diseases of the body. Because stainless steel is also found in areas such as nuclear power plants, this type of material used in this medical equipment could certainly withstand the kind of energy used for the scanner to process images taken from the patient.
Dentistry
When it comes to the practice of dentistry, the equipment used is also made of stainless steel. This is so because of the same reason for being a hygienic, easy to clean material. Other appearances of stainless steel in this practice also include braces and molar crowns which are used in the treatment of the teeth.
Surgical plates and containers
These are used during surgery, to deposit organs, and other such parts which need to be surgically removed, or operated. Again, stainless steel could easily be cleaned off substances such as blood, and they could be subjected to heat processing.
Stethoscopes
The most common medical equipment is the stethoscope which is also made of stainless steel. This is because of the material’s durability which makes the equipment long-lasting, as well as sterile.
Key Takeaway
Stainless steel is applied in different circumstances. In the medical field, you can be sure that stainless steel is found the moment you step inside a hospital or clinic setting.
This is because of the wonderful characteristic of stainless steel to be easily maintained, and you can easily cleanse the material. With such quality, stainless steel fits the criteria within the medical use.
