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SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS
A component we cannot do without
Jonathan Evans, communications manager at the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) explains why he believes life today is unimaginable without HealthTech.
Products and services are integral to the delivery of modern healthcare, and the chances are that HealthTech will touch all our lives at some point. From wound care dressings, knee and hip implants, MRI scanners, infusion pumps and patient monitoring devices, to products incorporating new fields of science that utilise digital data, AI and robotics; there are thousands of high-quality solutions that make up this broad and diverse industry.
As the sector has matured and populations have evolved, some technologies have become obsolete, with more effective and efficient products taking their place. Yet, one constant throughout the history of medicine is the role of the surgical instrument. It is, unquestionably, one of healthcare’s most important tools and the bedrock of any surgical procedure.
Surgical instrument manufacturing
The UK has a proud history of surgical instrument manufacturing. Employing some 4381 people, the sector is dominated by
SMEs, producing, supplying and repairing safe and effective tools that enable clinical activity. Given the complexity and demands of surgery, there are thousands of different instrument types; their shape and size varying depending on intended use. The majority of surgical instruments are manufactured using stainless steel – its robust
The majority of surgical instruments are manufactured using stainless steel – its robust nature, and ability to be well cleaned, makes it perfectly suited for the rigours of surgery. However, stainless steel contains iron and carbon, meaning that, if left wet, instruments will begin to rust or corrode.
SEPTEMBER 2019
nature, and ability to be well cleaned, makes it perfectly suited for the rigours of surgery. However, stainless steel contains iron and carbon, meaning that, if left wet, instruments will begin to rust or corrode. This can also be exacerbated by blood, the quality of sterlisation steam and washing water, or the instrument’s passivation (the finishing process that makes stainless steel more rust-resistant). As well as the intended use of an instrument for surgery, appropriately managing their lifecycle is therefore critical in the ongoing battle against infections in the clinical environment. For this reason, many companies will provide a full service to manage the cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation of the instrument. Southend-on-Sea based surgical instrument manufacturer, Surgical Holdings, is a company that does just that. As the company’s managing director, Daniel Coole, explained: “Following the initial purchase, instruments undergo a strict life cycle:
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