In the medical industry, precision and accuracy are of utmost importance. This goes not only for the skills of the medical practitioners, but also for the equipment used to carry out complex procedures. Whether they are to perform a relatively quick surgery or a more complicated one, the tools must be of the highest quality. Thus, the technology used to create these tools must be up to industry standards. Given this scenario, it is no wonder why laser processing technologies have become more prevalent in the medical field, as it can offer many advantages that manual or traditional production methods cannot.
Minimizes Possible Damage to Materials
Traditional production methods utilize machine parts that come into direct contact with materials, potentially compromising the structure of said materials. For instance, cutting surfaces such as titanium often results in a huge spike in heat on the cutting tool and the material. This could not only warp or bend the titanium, but could also contribute to breaking the machine faster. Because laser cutting produces only a small heat affect zone (HAZ), manufacturers can drill into or cut materials without causing any lasting damage. In addition, more of the same medical product can be produced with consistent quality and in less time.
Allows for the Creation of Various Tools
Because laser processing technologies minimize damage to the item, it gives manufacturers more freedom in choosing what their products will be made of. For instance, lasers can form shapes and precise cuts out of nearly any sheet or tube of composite material, including plastics and metals. This opens up many possibilities for what kinds of medical products can be made using a combination of different materials. Laser cutting can create incredibly complex yet tiny designs, which are appropriate for intricate parts used in surgeries as well as more complicated devices such as pacemakers.
Easier to Track Manufacturing Sources
Like laser cutting, laser marking allows manufactures to create small engravings into any material without the machine needing to come into physical contact with it. Thus, manufacturers can use this method to mark important information down into the products without having to resort to using inks or other chemicals, which could contaminate the patient or alter the structure of the tool itself. This ensures that all crucial data relating to the tool is readily available, such as who produced the tool, when they created it, where the manufacturer is located, and what methods were used during production.
Laser Processing Can Only Get Better
This technology has vastly improved the equipment and tools that professionals use in the field of medicine, and it can only get better from here. Even as the needs of patients become increasingly complex, machines will be able to keep up and help us create devices thought to only exist in science fiction. In time, perhaps even the most complex tools can become miniaturized, bringing us one step closer to a future wherein many medical complications can be overcome by the tiniest of technological solutions.