Medical devices ensure people live happy and healthy lives. However, there are instances where these devices fail, leading to catastrophic injuries or even fatalities. Medical devices can fail for numerous reasons, even though there are measures, laws, and regulations to ensure this does not happen.
Inadequate Testing
Every device used in medicine should be properly tested to ensure that it will not only be beneficial to the patient but that it also remains safe as long as it is in use. However, there are many instances where device manufacturers rush to launch products to beat their competition, which doesn’t give them enough time to adequately test these devices.
Such testing should be done over the whole manufacturing lifecycle and by approved and experienced companies. This is one of the areas a lawyer explores when a patient files a medical device failure lawsuit as they want to find out who is responsible. As such, it is important to hire an experienced attorney to handle your medical device failure lawsuit as they will ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
Use of Low-quality or Faulty Material
The choice of materials used in a medical device is critical in ensuring that it is safe for the patient. Using improper or low-quality material can lead to failures that threaten the well-being or even the life of a patient.
The selected material gives the device its properties and longevity, which manufacturers should consider past the production and testing stage. For example, certain resins hold up during testing but fail over time due to continuous use.
In the past, we have also seen medical devices made of materials that poison patients over time, meaning failure is not always immediate, but it can happen over a long period.
Contamination
Anything that is used in medicine should be completely free of contaminants. A foreign substance or chemical on the surface or in the structure of a medical device can have devastating effects and be tragic for patients who use such devices.
Fortunately, analysts have numerous techniques to check for almost all contaminants and other issues with medical devices. These techniques are also used to determine how the materials used in medical devices degrade over time to see if they become a serious threat to patients’ lives.
Poor Molding
Many significant medical devices use plastic and resin components that are molded during manufacturing. Any defect in the molding process can result in poor-quality devices and catastrophic failure.
Common issues that arise when such defects happen are premature wear and cracking. Here, analysts can use microscopy and other techniques to see if there are any molding defects and prevent the launch of products if they are present.
Reusing Medical Devices
Crucial medical components are designated single use due to the harm that can occur if used more than once. Unfortunately, some healthcare facilities reuse devices to get the most out of them.
While they save lives and improve patients’ well-being, medical devices can fail with catastrophic consequences. For this reason, manufacturers should manufacture them according to set standards and test them thoroughly to stop this from happening. If you experience a medical device failure, contact an attorney immediately.
