Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

Solution for waste from portable medical devices

A project has published a plan to redesign portable medical devices used in the European Union in order to reduce the impact of these devices on the environment without compromising patient safety.

Portable health devices are devices that allow the measurement, recording, and transmission of vital signs or clinical data in real time, such as diabetes sensors, glucose meters, and tensiometers. in 2020, 83 million portable health devices were introduced to the European market, a figure that could rise to 2 billion worldwide by 2050.

“Since they are classified as sanitary waste, they are incinerated after use.”

Although they make healthcare more personalized and efficient, the electronic waste generated by discarding these devices has become an environmental problem. Since they are classified as sanitary waste, they are incinerated after use to avoid contamination between people, as well as accessories containing materials such as copper, gold, lithium, rare earths, etc.

The Digital Health in the Circular Economy (DiCE) project is an international initiative funded over four years by the Horizon Europe programme, which has developed a proposal to transform digital health care into a circular system.

“Extending the life of the devices provides a greater environmental advantage than recycling the devices.”

They have established a number of priorities, including redesigning the devices so that they can be repaired or refurbished. In fact, according to the European Commission, 80% of the environmental impact of a product is determined at the design stage. On the other hand, it is important to create a collection system that is comfortable for patients after the use of these devices. In fact, most people don’t know what to do with these devices after using them. In this regard, 25 pilot machines have been deployed in pharmacies, public buildings and other facilities in Belgium, Spain and Slovenia.

In addition, the project concludes that extending the life of the devices provides a greater environmental advantage than recycling the devices and clarifies that it is possible to build a more circular health system if manufacturers, suppliers, governments and patients work together.