What are desiccants?
Desiccants are those which aboard the moisture from their surrounding environment. They are very important when creating chemical substances to storing medical supplies. They come in various forms like:
- Activated carbon,
- Silica gel,
- Calcium Sulphate, and
- Zeolite gel.
Some common desiccants that are used around the house are rice and salt. Salt was used in Egpyt for mummification as it could preserve the body. In healthcare, desiccants are used in medicines to keep them intact. They also protect against odour, smell and oxygen so that they can be protected for long shelf life and potency.
Why are desiccants needed?
Objects are usually kept in the natural environment for them to lose moisture. Water can evaporate but only to an extent. An object can only lose moisture as much as its environment. That is where desiccants come in, as they can completely dry the objects. The desiccants are usually used in shipments where water can damage the product or in dehumidifiers. Also, in addition to drying, they have antifungal and antimicrobial properties. Sometimes, they are also labelled as inedible and sometimes, they are also coloured when they absorb water to showcase how much they have absorbed.
Medical Device Desiccants
Whenever we fall sick a little, we have been prescribed medicines that come in small pill bottles. The small packet inside them is known as the desiccants. They keep the pills dry and fresh. They are very important in medical terms. The medical devices desiccants are used in various devices like apid test kits, diagnostic kits, Covid 19 detection test kits, rapid diagnostic test (RDT), pharmaceuticals, pacemakers etc.
The medicines need to be the form it was packed to serve the need it was created for. That can be protected with desiccants. Also, specific medical device desiccants need to be used in particular situations, as the varying quantity and quality can change completely how they work.
Uses of medical device desiccants
There are various uses of medical device desiccants as they are used in different kinds of medical devices. Some of them are:
Pregnancy kits: Desiccants are used in pregnancy kits to prevent the strip, which is a sensitive material present inside the kit, from any moisture damage which could lead to wrong results food stop it is a common misconception that the silica gel pouch or the desiccant pouch has something to do with the pregnancy test, but it doesn’t have anything to do with it. It only keeps the test device what’s your list and prevents it from being damaged.
COVID-19 test kits: the COVID-19 test kits are usually shipped internationally or transported from laboratories. So it is very important for medical device dissidents to be present in such kits to protect them against any damage. It is critical for those laboratories and companies which are working on vaccines and need rapid test results.
Pacemakers: pacemakers are implants in the heart that helps the patient to breathe better. They consist of electronics, and moisture inside the human body can cause oxidation and damage to metal parts and wires. Or the worst case could be a short out from the effect of moisture which could shock the entire body and can be very grave. For such reasons, medical device desiccants are used in pacemakers. They are moulded and placed near batteries, electronic circuits, power cords etc.
Conclusion
So, it is clear from the above discussion that desiccants are very important in medical devices. Medical device desiccants allow them to be transported safely and increase their shelf life, providing them more efficiency and longer use period.
