Although most hospitals and clinics use medical laptop carts, each facility typically uses a custom design adapted to their needs and requirements.
If you’re considering equipping your healthcare facility with a new fleet of custom mobile carts, you may be wondering which elements have the most significant influence on the total cost. Assess every aspect of your mobile medical carts and find the best way to budget efficiently without sacrificing build quality.
Design
If you’re looking for a new fleet of powered carts, you may have already found that existing standard products don’t have the features you need for your caregiving personnel to do their jobs efficiently.
A custom-designed cart is typically the best solution. However, it is vital to work with an experienced partner that understands the challenges of creating a reliable, realistic cart design for medical use. They must also possess the expertise to keep manufacturing costs in mind.
A traditional industrial designer may produce a good-looking design, but they cannot always guarantee practicality or cost-effectiveness.
Materials
Mobile computer carts intended for use in healthcare environments must be durable and easy to clean and disinfect. For these reasons, most caregiving facilities choose a design employing a mixture of stainless steel and thermoformed or injection-molded plastic.
Stainless steel is favored in point-of-care environments because it is a robust, long-lasting material, resistant to most cleaning and disinfecting agents. Although other materials are available such as anodized aluminum and carbon steel, they are usually costlier and don’t offer enough advantages over traditional stainless steel.
Choosing the right plastics
Most medical carts use either thermoformed or injection-molded plastic parts. The best type for your needs depends mainly on the size and complexity of your fleet.
Thermoformed plastic is less expensive to manufacture and requires fewer upfront costs but is less suited for complex or specific shapes, which may impact your cart’s ergonomics.
In contrast, injection-molded plastic is ideal for detailed plastic parts with many variations in angles, thicknesses, curves, and corners. However, this choice is not cost-effective for small orders (less than 1,000 carts per order).
Features and Ergonomics
A well-designed medical computer cart should possess peripherals and accessories suitable for use in a caregiving environment.
Typical features include retracting mouse and keyboard trays, height adjustment controls, mounts for medical equipment or extra monitors, lockable storage cabinets, and rounded plastic surfaces for easy cleaning.
Mobile computer carts are also typically fitted with anti-static rolling casters, similar to the types used on sit-to-stand lifts, as they allow your carts to roll without accumulating static electricity, harmful to medical equipment.
Choose Scott-Clark Medical as Your Custom Cart Designer
At Scott-Clark Medical, we understand that standardized products don’t always meet your caregiving needs. We offer a range of custom cart services to meet all your design and budget requirements, from modifications to existing carts to 100% custom-designed and manufactured products, with your input at every stage.
For more information or to request a quote, call us at (512) 756-7300.