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4 Reasons Copper Is Critical to the Medical Industry

Oct 22, 2023

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In a recent Thomas Insights article, we explored the reasons behind the growing demand for copper. Global usage is expected to double by 2035, from 25 million metric tons to 50 million metric tons, and experts predict that demand for the metal could soon outpace supply.

One of the factors driving this steep rise in demand is copper's applications in the healthcare industry. The metal forms an essential part of various medical devices, thanks to it being non-flammable, highly conductive, and antibacterial. Its RFI/EMI shielding capabilities also prove useful in a medical environment.

In 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) recognized copper as the first antimicrobial metal.

Copper surfaces have been proven to reduce bacteria on high-touch surfaces in a medical environment. The EPA asserts that copper kills 99.9% of surface bacteria within a couple of hours and, following longer incubation periods, it is unusual for any microorganisms to be recovered.

So, how does it work? When microbes, which are typically transferred via coughing, touching, sneezing, or vomiting, are transferred to a copper surface, the metal releases copper ions that prevent cell respiration, create holes in the cell membrane, and destroy the DNA and RNA inside.

Research shows that using copper in medical wards and intensive care units can reduce the number of live bacteria by 90% and drastically reduce infection rates. This is very beneficial in a medical setting. Hospitals and medical centers are full of vulnerable patients, and so in preventing the spread of bacteria, it's possible to save lives.

Today, copper is used for coating everything from bed frames, door handles, and call buttons, to linen, scrubs, hospital gowns, and tongs.

High cost is perhaps the biggest barrier to increasing the use of copper in medical environments.

Equipment reliability is especially important in a hospital and copper has proven itself to be a highly reliable material when used in electrical wiring.

Copper is a malleable metal, which means it can be pulled and twisted and still not break. That's one of the reasons it makes a great choice for copper wiring. The other is that it has very high levels of conductivity; second only to silver.

As such, copper wiring is used frequently in medical equipment to send electrical currents from one point of a device to another, or to transmit signals to diagnostics tools and implants. If these electrical signals are not safely and reliably transmitted, hospital equipment is at risk of malfunction or breakdown, which could result in the injury or death of a patient.

Copper has a relatively high melting point of 1,984 degrees Fahrenheit. Plastic, by comparison, will start to soften at 300 degrees and begin to emit smoke whenever it is exposed to flames. This is another reason why copper tubing and coatings are excellent choices for medical devices, serving to reduce smoke and fire risks.

In recent years, copper has proven to be a critical component of respiratory care systems, dispensing compressed medical air, like oxygen and nitrous oxide, to critically ill patients. It is also used to operate medical vacuum systems, which are designed to remove gasses and fluids during surgical procedures.

In addition, copper is much more resilient to heat damage. A plastic tube will expand and contract significantly when exposed to intense heat, which means equipment would likely need to be replaced following a fire.

EMI/RFI shielding reduces instances of electronic device or equipment malfunction by:

Pre-tin plated steel and copper alloy 770 (a copper, nickel, and zinc alloy) are most commonly used for RFI / EMI shielding because they are affordable and fairly resilient. Copper, however, is perhaps the best choice thanks to its ability to effectively attenuate magnetic and electrical waves. In a medical setting, this proves useful for MRI facilities.

Image Credit: Arsel Ozgurdal / Shutterstock.com