What Is a Medical Technology Cover?
A medical technology housing is a precisely fitted plastic enclosure that protects medical devices from external influences such as impacts, dust, moisture, or chemicals. At the same time, it meets strict requirements for hygiene, stability, and design. Whether used for ventilators, defibrillators, diagnostic systems, or therapy devices, medical technology housings protect sensitive electronics while conveying the product’s professional quality and reliability.
What are Enclosures for Medical Devices used for?
Medical technology enclosures are used in almost all areas of healthcare:
- Diagnostic devices such as ultrasound, ECG or blood analysis systems
- Therapy and treatment devices such as infusion pumps or radiotherapy equipment
- Monitoring devices for vital signs or intensive care
- Medical aids such as wheelchairs, hospital beds or surgical equipment
Each enclosure is individually tailored to the device geometry, the medical environment and regulatory requirements.
Options in Design for Medical Covers
Color and Surface Structure of Medical Technology Enclosures
Colorized materials and surface structuring can be integrated directly into the material of the medical technology enclosures and thermoformed.
EMC Coating as Protection for Medical Covers
EMC coatings are applied to ensure the reliable operation of the electrical and electronic components in the enclosures for medical devices.
Tolerances and Undercuts in Medical Technology Enclosures
Assembly parts from >5 thermoformed parts with minimal tolerances matching each other are possible. Undercuts, 0-degree wall angles, clip-in mechanisms, bonded subassemblies for easy assembly of part sets for medical technology covers.
DfM analysis for Medical Enclosures
Do you already have a CAD model for your medical technology housing? Check it now for thermoformability.
With our free Design for Manufacturability (DfM) analysis, we check whether your enclosure design is suitable for deep drawing and meets all requirements. This helps you avoid costly corrections and gives you planning security.
Areas of application for Medical Technology Enclosures
Medical Technology
- Keyboard covers for control panels
- Gradient coil enclosures
- Door panels for side openings
- Side covers for patient tables
- Cover parts for foot columns
- Side panels for MRIs
- Handle covers for patient tables
- Head covers for patient tables
Advantages of Plastic Medical Covers
Low Part Costs
High automation level, short setup times, quick cycle times, CNC milling trimming of medical technology enclosures directly connected to thermoforming.
Protection
UV and heat protection, flame retardants, talc to improve the modulus of elasticity and bending strength, as well as reinforcement fibers are used in plastics for medical technology.
Easy Cleaning
Plastic covers in medicine provide smooth surfaces for easy cleaning, which do not wear out or become dull even after years of cleaning.
Hygiene
Antibacterial surfaces, antimicrobial coatings, easy-to-clean materials and surfaces, and easy-to-clean designs of covers for medical devices.
Surface Quality
Aesthetics, design, color, surface structures, plastic or metal look, and texturing are possible in medical technology covers.
Pre-Fabricated Modules
Assembly of subassemblies and clip-in mechanisms, colorized materials, EMC coating, screen printing, pad printing, undercuts, 0-degree draft angles, and logos can be implemented in medical technology enclosures.
Material requirements for housings in medical technology
Biocompatibility
For applications involving direct patient contact, the biocompatibility of the material is of paramount importance. The materials used here are primarily plastics such as PC (polycarbonate) or PET-G (polyethylene terephthalate glycol). These materials have been specifically tested and approved for safe skin contact in accordance with the ISO 10993 standard.
Chemical resistance
In everyday clinical practice, enclosures are constantly exposed to aggressive cleaning agents and disinfectants. Plastics such as PP (polypropylene) or ASA (acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate) offer the necessary chemical resistance to prevent the surface from cracking (stress cracks) and to ensure that it remains intact both visually and functionally.
Flame retardancy (UL94 V-0)
Safety comes first – especially when it comes to mains connections. For electrically powered medical devices, certified flame retardancy in accordance with the UL94 V-0 standard is a legal requirement. A tried-and-tested material for these enclosures is an ABS/PC blend (a mixture of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polycarbonate), which combines high impact resistance with excellent fire-retardant properties.
Sterilisability
If the housing or component is used in sensitive areas such as the operating theatre, it must be possible to sterilise it repeatedly. Plastics such as PE (polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene) are ideally suited to standard sterilisation methods, whether by thermal autoclaving (steam sterilisation) or gamma irradiation.
Suitable plastics for Medical Technology Housings
Case study: High-speed prototypes for Medical Enclosure applications
How medical technology company iThera Medical used the formary supplier network to reduce costs and successfully meet tight deadlines.
See our Case Study with iThera Medical to find out how we developed and produced customised housing components for a complex diagnostic device in record time, including:
- Material consulting (ABS/PC blend, UL94 V0)
- EMC & flame retardancy
- CNC milling & surface finishing
- Coordination of a multi-stage supplier network
- On-time production despite early EMC testing
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Application Areas for Medical Technology Enclosures
Medical Technology Covers for Diagnostic Devices
Medical technology enclosures are used for a variety of diagnostic devices. Examples of such medical devices include ultrasound imaging devices, blood pressure monitors, EKG monitors, digital thermometers, blood glucose meters, and many more.
Medical technology enclosures are specifically designed to protect sensitive electronic components while meeting the requirements for hygiene, ergonomics, and user-friendliness.
Medical Technology Enclosures for Therapy Devices
Enclosures for medical devices serve multiple important functions that are critical to their effectiveness and safety in medical therapy. The enclosures for medical technology must be designed to support the precise functionality of medical devices. This means they must allow proper placement of controls, displays, and connections, and offer clear visibility of relevant information.
Particularly for radiation therapy devices, medical technology enclosures must be designed to protect patients and medical staff from excessive radiation exposure without impairing the effectiveness of the treatment.
Medical Covers for Monitoring Devices
Medical technology enclosures are used for a variety of monitoring devices used in medical environments. These devices can monitor vital parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, or temperature. They can also be monitoring devices for more specific applications, such as monitoring patients in intensive care units or during surgical procedures.
Medical technology enclosures are designed to securely protect electronics and ensure a hygienic environment. They often need to withstand the requirements for cleaning and disinfection in clinical settings.
Medical Enclosures for Medical Aids
Medical technology enclosures contribute to safety and hygiene by protecting the sensitive internal mechanisms of wheelchairs, walking aids, and hospital beds from external influences such as impacts, moisture, or dirt.
Certifications and manufacturing standards
ISO 14644-1 (Class 7/8)
This standard governs cleanroom manufacturing to ensure a minimum particle concentration in the air, which formary achieves by manufacturing critical housing components in certified cleanroom areas.
ISO 9001:2015
Quality management serves to ensure seamless process chains, resulting in full traceability of raw materials and fully documented process control at formary.
VDI 2083
This standard defines the specific requirements of cleanroom technology relating to personnel and logistics, which are implemented in practice through the use of material airlocks to ensure completely contamination-free processes.
MDR compliance
The Medical Devices Regulation ensures that medical devices are generally eligible for authorisation, which is why formary provides detailed documentation in accordance with EU Regulation 2017/745 for the technical documentation of the relevant end device.
GMP-compliant
Compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice places the emphasis on strict hygiene and documentation, which is put into practice in production through validated cleaning processes and consistent adherence to strict hygiene standards.
Other thermoformed products in Medical Technology
More About the Industries
FAQ – Frequently asked questions about medical technology enclosures
Medical technology housings are protective plastic covers for medical devices. They are adapted to the shape, function and hygiene requirements.
From enclosure design to certified assembly
formary supplies ready-to-install enclosure system solutions for the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors.
- EMC shielding & ESD protection: Integrated conductive coatings for sensitive electronics in diagnostic and therapeutic devices.
- Hygienic design (cleanroom manufacturing): Housing geometries optimised for wipe disinfection and sterilisation processes.
- Thermal management: Material selection and design options for optimal heat dissipation in high-performance analytical instruments.
Further information on Medical Technology Enclosures
Find out what you need to know as a manufacturer of medical devices about deep-drawn medical technology enclosures in our webinars and white papers.
