Gas Springs for Hospital Beds and Medical Devices: Hygiene and Stainless Steel Options
Medical equipment is the most demanding field of use for a gas spring: hospital bed backrests, examination and dental chairs, operating-theatre equipment arms, device covers. Here the gas spring does more than carry a lid — it holds position, supports the patient and has to meet hygiene requirements.
Locking gas springs in backrests and chairs
A hospital bed backrest holds its set angle not with a standard gas spring but with a locking gas spring. A locking gas spring keeps its position until the valve is released; when the nurse presses the trigger it moves, and when the trigger is released it locks. Elastic locking (holds at any point, with a slight amount of give) and rigid locking (a firm hold) are chosen per application — elastic locking is common on backrests where patient comfort matters, rigid locking at load-bearing points such as leg sections.
Hygiene: surfaces and cleaning chemicals
In a hospital environment, equipment is wiped down several times a day with chlorine- and alcohol-based agents. A standard black-painted body can eventually give in to these chemicals; a stainless steel (inox) body and rod resists both corrosion and cleaning agents. The same rule applies to machine covers in food and pharmaceutical production areas.
Quiet operation and a soft end position
In a medical setting, a cover that snaps open with a "clack" is not acceptable. Low-progression size groups and the correct force selection keep the movement controlled from start to finish. On device covers, a dynamic braking (hydraulic cushioning) option can be specified for a soft approach to the end position.
· On locking gas springs, the trigger-to-valve connection (Bowden cable) should be specified together with the gas spring; sourcing it separately produces mismatches.
· Ask for the gas spring's cycle-life data and test report for your CE technical file — it saves time during certification.
· For equipment in 24/7 use, such as intensive care, write the replacement interval into the maintenance plan; a gas spring is not a consumable, but it does not last forever either.
COMSTAN supplies locking, stainless steel and low-progression solutions to medical manufacturers. Define your application in the configurator or send us your sample request — on a part that touches patient safety, there is no room for trial and error.
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