Single-use Medical Device Reprocessing is Witnessing Massive Boom with the Outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic
Single-use medical device reprocessing refers to cleaning,
disinfection, testing, sterilization, and remanufacturing of a used medical
device to be put in service again. The reuse of single-use medical devices
first began in the late 1970s. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), around 20 to 30% of the U.S. hospitals reported having reused
at least one type of single-use device. The reuse of single-use devices
involves ethical, regulatory, legal, medical, and economic issues, which have
faced controversy in the last two decades. The reuse of single-use medical
devices has increased typically due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.
In general, there are two categories of products that can be
reused: active and inert. Active products are required for making new products,
while inert products are used for making old products stronger, newer,
longer-lasting, and more effective. The useful products that are generated are
called inert products. These are products that have a certain amount of value
because of their function. They are available in different forms like paper,
paperboard, metals, plastic, etc. These products can either be reclaimed from
the environment, or produced by industries and used for manufacturing purposes.
The mobile devices that need to be recycled for
single-use medical device reprocessing include diagnostic devices,
sterilization equipment, biopsy instruments, blood glucose analyzers, blood
pressure monitors, disposable gloves, medical imaging devices, and many more.
These are the most important and widely used devices. There are so
many reasons behind the use of such mobile medical equipment. It is important
to note that reused single-use devices will have to comply with the same
regulatory requirements when it was originally manufactured. Furthermore, every
country has its unique regulatory guidelines regarding single-use medical
device reprocessing. For instance, in the U.S., the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) releases guidelines on how single-use medical devices
should be reused and how they should be reprocessed. Many companies in the
U.S., Italy, and Singapore are focused on introducing novel procedures to reuse
single-use medical devices.
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