A Guide to Thermal Management Considerations for Medical Devices

The medical device and engineering industry continues to grow and evolve year over year. As technology improves, the population expands, and the depth and breadth of medical knowledge and treatments grow, so does our need for better devices and equipment. As such, current trends that span all industries, such as electronics getting smaller and more powerful, as well as increased focus on improved customer experience, have greater implications and challenges for the medical industry. Should a device fail, a patient’s well-being could be endangered. Additionally medical devices need to be portable, costs need to be judiciously managed so that treatment can be made available to the populace, and reliability is crucial.

Aavid has been designing and manufacturing thermal solutions for over 50 years and has worked with medical design partners across the globe ranging from large corporations to small startups. In doing so, we have identified and assessed the major design flaws that lead to poor thermal management and product performance. Not planning for your thermal solution can cost time, money, and resources as well as cause a large amount of rework or even massive device failures.

Planning ahead during your initial product design to allow for appropriate cooling will make a significant difference to your device’s success. This paper evaluates key thermal considerations to take into account during the development process to ensure that your design is safe and effective.