Medical devices and systems require top-quality power supplies that adhere to 60601-1 safety regulations, including a Means of Protection (MOP). It can be challenging to create a custom system using only commercial off-the-shelf products, which is where multi-output configurable power supply units (PSUs) come in.
A multi-output configurable can eliminate your need to use multiple power supply units (PSUs) in any complex medical system, from diagnostic equipment to a large-scale imaging system. This article explains how this type of PSU works as well as the advantages of multi-output power supplies for healthcare equipment.
What Are Multi-Output Configurable Power Supplies in Medical Devices?
Multi-output configurable power supplies are customizable power supply units (PSUs) that can simultaneously distribute power to multiple devices. You have control over various characteristics of PSU outputs, including:
- Number of outputs: You can often adjust the number of outputs on a configurable unit by swapping out the connected modular components as needed.
- Voltage: Voltage levels are generally more important to consider for applications than current levels. They typically range from 3.3 to 120 volts of direct current (Vdc).
- Current levels: The current level your application uses directly impacts its power rating, which is essential for ensuring your system will function as intended.
- Power rating (W): The power rating in watts is the product of voltage times current, which is an important number to calculate to determine the reliability and safety of any electronic medical device.
Additional features and accessories are also available to enhance system safety and functionality.
What Are the Benefits of Configurable Power Supplies for Medical Applications?
While conventional single-output PSUs can benefit your device or medical power system by providing reliable, lasting power throughout normal operations, multi-output units are often more helpful for resource-intensive applications such as testing laboratories and imaging equipment.
Some of the most notable advantages of configurable multi-output PSUs in medical equipment include:
Simplified System Architecture
Using one multi-output unit rather than multiple single-output units streamlines system design and size. As a result, you can include more functionalities in one device or system and eliminate the need for a clunky, oversized power system.
Enhanced Reliability and Performance
Multi-output power supplies provide redundancy without requiring you to install additional PSUs, which both saves space and enables design flexibility. Typically, you would have to design a system where your single-output units are arranged in parallel or in series, depending on your specific output requirements.
They also enhance power supply performance by allowing you to use multiple different voltages or current levels simultaneously, unlike conventional PSUs. This can reduce electrical noise or grounding issues and provide important for accurate readings of the medical devices.
Greater Flexibility and Adaptability
With a configurable unit, you can tailor output parameters such as voltage and current to meet your application's specific requirements. A multi-output configurable unit provides even more flexibility by enabling you to design different outputs for each component of your device or system.
When equipment designs evolve (e.g., adding modules or new features), a multi-output supply often has the capacity or flexibility to support these additions without needing a full redesign of the power system.
Future-Proof Hardware
Due to their high degree of flexibility, you can upgrade or modify configurable PSUs to adjust to changing demands. For example, you may only need a certain voltage for an imaging machine in a new clinic. But when your clinic expands to another location or your caseload grows beyond these requirements, you can change the unit's power output to reflect your new needs.
Cost Savings
While using multiple standard “off-the-shelf” power supplies may seem more cost-effective upfront, they're likely to fall short of your project's requirements. This limited scope would require you to make substantial changes to the rest of your device to ensure it meets the power supply's capabilities, which can lead to significant costs and downtime.
Investing in a configurable multi-output solution allows you to use one base unit to power various devices, even if they have significantly different requirements. This simplicity can help you minimize maintenance costs and reduce your initial investment.
The Challenges of Using Multiple Power Supply Units in Medical Systems
While you can use a series of single-output PSUs to accommodate your system's various output requirements, this approach comes with many drawbacks. Here are some examples of those challenges:
Space and Weight Constraints
Even with compact units, multiple single-output PSUs will take up valuable space that other system components could use. This reality can cause your original system design to exceed the amount of space you have available to you, which can impact the system's layout and performance.
Overall weight is also a critical consideration to make. The more individual units occupy a system, the heavier it will become. Switching to a single unit that can power multiple devices at once eliminates the need to add more weight to the system, which can help ensure it meets your operational requirements.
Complexity in Design and Maintenance
Using multiple single-output power supplies creates a complex system that is more difficult to monitor and maintain than a simple one using one multi-output unit. The simpler a system design, the easier it will be to conduct routine preventive maintenance on it — which can also help your organization reduce its typical maintenance and repair costs.
Stringent Regulatory Guidelines
Medical devices must follow especially strict standards and regulations to minimize the risk of harm to patients and staff, such as:
- Means of patient protection (MOPP): Diagnostic equipment, imaging machines and internal monitoring devices that come into direct contact with a patient's body must protect the patient against electrical shocks, surges and other risks.
- Means of operator protection (MOOP): Laboratory devices that do not come into direct contact with patients must protect the operators through MOOP.
- Body floating (Type BF): Components that make direct electrical contact with noncardiac bodily systems, such as imaging machines and blood pressure monitors, must include two MOPPs to protect patients from electrical shock.
- Cardiac floating (Type CF): Devices that make direct conductive contact with a patient's heart, such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators (IDCs) and pacemakers, must adhere to the most stringent regulations for patient safety due to their capacity to cause severe cardiac injury. These devices must have at least two MOPPs available.
Contact Astrodyne TDI for Configurable Medical-Grade Power Supplies
While using multiple single-output PSUs in your healthcare application can provide the power you need, it will come with various challenges that can impede your operations, making multi-output units a better option.
We support your facility's vision for safe and reliable patient care, which is why innovation and quality control are our primary goals when designing and manufacturing custom power supplies for medical facilities and devices. Our ISO-13485-certified manufacturing facilities develop robust, dependable medical power supplies that meet essential safety standards such as IEC 60601-1.
If you need a manufacturing partner for your medical application, Astrodyne TDI is here for you. Contact us today to discuss your requirements with a knowledgeable expert or to request a free quote.