Medical Grade Isolation Transformers

The medical sector, which deals with the health and wellbeing of the public every day, must ensure that all medical equipment and supplies meet strict industry requirements. These requirements help ensure optimal safety, reliability, and efficiency.

These regulations apply to everything from examination gloves to MRI machines and CT scanners. Standards IEC 60601-1 and IEC 60950-1, for instance, set standards for safety in medical equipment and performance of power supplies, respectively.

Magnetic components, specifically, such as transformers, play a major role in protecting patient safety, and must be held to exacting standards to ensure quality and longevity.

Transformers in the Medical Industry

Because medical grade transformers must meet such stringent standards, they are among the most advanced and highest performing transformers available on the market and offer several benefits that other transformers do not.

Single Fault Protection

IEC 60601-1 lays out requirements for limits on leakage current, which can negatively impact the functioning of equipment and thereby directly affect patients’ well-being. The IEC 60601-1 standard sets limits on leakage current not only during regular operation, but also during periods of single fault and other abnormal conditions.

Triple Insulated Wire

More and more frequently, medical grade transformers are being manufactured using triple insulated wires, as opposed to standard or enameled wire, in their coils. This is beneficial in a number of ways.

First, it allows for reduction in the size of the transformers — for switching transformers in particular. Use of triple insulated wires completely eliminates the need for insulator tape between the primary and secondary coils. While IEC 60950-1 does require some insulation tape, meaning the tape is still present in medical grade transformers, it’s a minimal amount.

Triple insulated wire also provides greater insulation for high voltages relative to the same operating voltage requirements. This type of reinforced insulation wire can resist voltage spikes as high as 3,000V ACV/minute and operating temperatures of up to 180 °C.

Agile Magnetics’ Medical Grade Transformers

For 25 years, Agile Magnetics has been manufacturing industry-leading custom electromagnetic components, such as high-performance medical grade transformers. Always on the cutting edge, our in-house team of design and testing experts contributes to every product we produce, including all triple insulated wire magnetics. ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100 certified, we are one of few companies willing to seek out and obtain additional approvals, and no products leave our facilities without having been thoroughly computer tested.

To learn more about Agile Magnetics and our medical grade transformer capabilities, contact us today.