Medical grade power cords are manufactured specifically for use in hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities. Hospital grade power cables are subject to special requirements by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). These cords have a green dot on the power plug end. This green dot signifies the medical-grade quality of cords. Hospital grade cords have solid pins and larger plug bodies that virtually eliminate the risk of wire to outer contour shock and withstand greater pull forces.
There are many issues related to hospital wiring that hospital grade cords can solve by increasing the safety. It comes in various types. You should know specifications of each type to ensure that you are opting for a right cord before buying it.
What You Need to Know
Common Problems and Solutions
One of the most common problems we can find in hospital grade cords is the urgent unplugging of the cables. If someone accidentally pulls the plug from the socket, connection problems may occur. Make sure the cords you choose have a strain relief feature. This would prevent them from getting damaged or disconnected during any accidental unplugging.
Hospital cords are generally larger than the standard cords because larger plug bodies eliminate the risk of any contour shock. The hospital grade cords are also available with the locking C13 power cord that requires no additional hardware to lock in any C14 inlet.
These cords also have nickel-plated pins and terminals to:
- Resist rust
- Prevent electrical shock
- Increase corrosion protection
Hospital Grade Cords are available in three categories
- Cords with One End featuring exposed wire on the opposite end. These cords are ideal for hard-wiring in appliances.
- Cords with Two Ends are useful when the application you are powering already has a built-in inlet for the connection.
- Multi-Leg Cords is a splitter that supports two or more receptacles.
Though different countries have different standards for the overall medical equipment. A few countries have standards regarding some specific medical-related components like cords and plugs. And it is essential to know all the requirements of the countries that have hospital grade standards on components. This helps them to comply with that country or region's rules.
Following countries or regions have hospital grade or medical application standards on specific components:
- Japan
- Denmark
- Australia
- New Zealand
- North America
Plugs, power cords, sockets, and cord-sets are subject to special rules. Besides these regions, there is no such differentiation for plugs, cords, and sockets used in a medical setting versus a non-medical setting.
Make sure you do not miss on checking any of the following points while buying hospital grade cords:
- UL safely approved
- Plugs marked with a green dot
- Male 5-15P HG & Female C13 power cord adaptability
There is also an option to customize the hospital grade cords as per your requirements and specifications. You can opt for specification as per your project in:
- Material
- Size
- Configuration
- Hospital grade Power Entry Modules
Hospital grade equipment should meet special requirements. Patient-connected medical equipment can also be subjected to low-leakage current requirements. The usage of a low-leakage filter in the 5μA range at 250VAC is a basic requirement. In addition, fusing both line and neutral connectors may be required. The name of this process is double fusing.
Hospital Grade Extension Cords
The type of cord useful for the hospital grade extension cords includes SJT, SJO, SJTO, or other jacketed type of cords of either equal or harder usage. The basic conductor size is 16, 14, and 12AWG. The UL 817 states that "A hospital grade extension cord set should have a maximum length of 15 feet."
Hospital Grade Cord Sets
Hospital grade cord sets need to have plugs meeting all the requirements and connectors that meet IEC 60320 requirements. One can use another non-NEMA approved configuration here. The basic conductor size is 18, 16, 14, 12, and 10 AWG.
Hospital grade cord sets do not have any maximum length requirements. But you need to know that length does affect the other aspects of the UL testing, like leakage current or voltage drop. For instance, A 16 AWG cable, rated at 13A within 50-feet in length, will rate down naturally when the cable length is greater than 50-feet.
The risk factors involved with danger to patients and caregivers is the major reason for the measurement of the leakage current in hospital power-supply equipment. The hospital grade extension cord surely needs to have a minimum length of 15-feet.
There are no such restrictions on plug color, but hospitals usually prefer for the plug to be clear. This helps them to make regular inspections of all the interior connections of plugs easily. The hospital cords are commonly grey or beige in color.
Conclusion
Hospital grade power cords are the safest options to opt for when it comes to using high voltage electricity in hospitals. It comes in various customizations that you can buy or opt to make one exactly how you want. Do not forget to check for the UL approval before using them.