Skip to main content
LTTS

LTTS

Quick Links mini

  • Search
  • info@LTTS.com
  • English
  • 日本語
  • Israel
  • German
  • Contact
  • Digital Engineering
  • Industry
    • Communication
    • Consumer Electronics
      • Consumer IoT
      • Enterprise Devices
      • Personal Devices
    • Healthcare
      • Medical Device & Life Sciences
      • Pharma & CRO
      • Healthcare Providers
    • Industrial Products
    • Media & Entertainment
    • Process Industry
      • FMCG
      • Chemicals
      • Discrete Manufacturing
      • Metals & Mines
      • Oil & Gas
    • Semiconductors
    • Software & Platforms
    • Transportation
      • Aerospace Engineering
      • Automotive
      • Rail Transportation
      • Travel & Hospitality
      • Trucks & Off-Highway Vehicles
    • Public Infrastructure & Smart Cities
  • Services
    • Digital
      Engineering & Consulting
      • Cybersecure
        • Security Monitoring
        • Security Services
        • Security Solutions
      • Immersive Experiences
      • Industry 4.0
      • Product Consulting
      • Sustainability Engineering
      • Sustainable Smart World
      • 5G
    • Product
      Engineering
      • Software Engineering
        • Cloud Engineering
        • DevOps
        • Engineering Analytics
        • Immersive Experiences
        • Sustenance & Maintenance
        • User Experience
        • Voice Innovations
      • Embedded Engineering
        • Embedded Systems
        • Sustenance
        • VLSI
        • Wearables Engineering
      • Mechanical Design
        • CAE & CFD
        • CAx Automation
      • Testing & Validation
        • Integrated Design, Validation & Testing
        • Lab as a Service
        • Testing
    • Manufacturing
      Engineering
      • Smart Manufacturing
        • Accelerated Operations
        • Digital Factory & Simulations
        • Plant Design & Engineering
      • Supply Chain Engineering
        • Sourcing & Procurement
      • Manufacturing & Planning
        • Accelerated Operations
        • Digital Factory & Simulations
        • Line Expansion & Transfer
        • Manufacturing Automation
        • New Product Development
        • Plant Design & Engineering
        • PLM on Cloud
      • Manufacturing Execution
        • Agile Supply Chain
        • Content Engineering
        • Material & Parts Management
        • Sourcing & Procurement
    • Plant
      Engineering
      • CAPEX Project E/EPCM Services
      • Operational Excellence
      • Plant Sustenance & Management
      • Material & Parts Management
      • Regulatory Compliance Engineering
  • Solutions
    • AiCEArtificial Intelligence Clinical Evaluation
    • AiKno™ Machine Learning, NLP & Vision Computing
    • AnnotAIAI Based Data Annotation Tool
    • ARC Asset Reliability Centre
    • Asset Health Framework Robust Asset Health Manager
    • Avertle®AI Predictive Maintenance Solution
    • CHEST-rAi™ AI Chest X-Ray Radiology Assist Suite
    • Connected Security Integrative Zero Trust Architecture
    • EDGYneerAccelerated Edge Intelligence Solution
    • ESM Energy and Sustainability Manager
    • EvQUALNext-Gen Quality Engineering Platform
    • FlyBoard®Advanced Digital Signage Solution
    • Fusion Pre-integrated City Operating System
    • i-BEMSIntelligent Building Experience Management
    • NlitenContent Delivery Framework
    • nBOnnB-IoT Protocol Stack
    • Semiconductor IP For Security, Communication & Verification
    • UBIQWeise 2.0 Device to Cloud IoT Platform
  • Insights
    • Blogs
      • Embedding Innovation in Semiconductors with Platform Software and Middleware
      • Towards a Connected, Collaborative, & Intuitive Tomorrow: Redefining the Future with a Blink
      • 6 DevOps Trends to Watch Out for in 2023
    • News
      • L&T Technology Services unveils CoE to offer suite of automotive solutions on AWS
      • LTTS Selected as Strategic Engineering Partner to Airbus for Advanced Capabilities and Digital Manufacturing Services
      • LTTS agrees to acquire Smart World & Communication business of L&T
    • POV
      • Hidden Correlations Shaping the Future of European Enterprises
      • From the Super Bowl to 5G
      • Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Enabling Smarter, Safer, and Greener Transportation
      • Will 5G Technologies Drive a New Future for Media & Entertainment?
    • eBooks
      • The Art of Cyberwar
      • Digital Twin - The Future of Manufacturing
      • Digitalising Wind Energy Ecosystem
      • INDUSTRY 4.0: The Future Is Now
      • Digital Engineering Explained
      • Sustainability Engineering
  • Explore LTTS
    • About Us
    • Accolades
    • Alliances
    • Analysts
    • Board of Directors
    • Careers
    • CSR
    • Engineering The Change
    • Events & Webinars
    • Investors
    • Media Kit
    • Nearshore Centers
    • News & Media
    • Quality Management
    • Resources
    • Sustainability
    • Testimonials
  • Contact
 

Medical Devices

Digitalization: A Boon for Biomedical Waste Management

 

Sustainability

Digitalization: A Boon for Biomedical Waste Management

  1. Home
  2. Blogs
  3. Industry
  4. Digitalization: A Boon for Biomedical Waste Management

Digitalization: A Boon for Biomedical Waste Management

Digitalization: A Boon for Biomedical Waste Management
Published on: 01 Jun, 2017
1701 Views
3 comments
Share This Article:
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
Biomedical Wastes
Bioremediation
Medical
Remediation
Waste Disposal
Waste Management

Within the healthcare community, it is widely acknowledged that biomedical wastes have reached colossal levels across the world. Medical device manufacturers and hospitals' management have been compelled to increase awareness of the issue, step up waste management initiatives, and accelerate technological advancements in this space. These developments will take the global medical waste management market from $10.3 billion in 2015 to $13.3 billion by 2020 at a compound annual growth rate of 5.2%. Worldwide, almost all countries are directing efforts towards efficient methods of biomedical waste management, with a particular focus on hazardous waste management.

With the EPA imposing tighter regulations in the US, the number of hospital, medical, and infectious waste incinerators (HMIWI) have reduced drastically since 1997. In accordance to the new guidelines, medical care professionals are no longer allowed to dispose certain pharmaceuticals that are potentially reactive, toxic, corrosive, or ignitable.

Yet, developed countries, where disposable items are most commonly used, produce the maximum amount of waste. US hospitals discard over two million tons of waste per year, of which completely unused equipment comprises a large fraction. It is needless to say that this does nothing to keep down the exorbitant healthcare costs in the country.

The challenges pertaining to medical waste disposal in developing countries however are different. Stemming largely from a severe lack of funding and regulations, a majority of African countries do not have sanitary landfills or legal policies for biomedical waste management. Open areas where waste is dumped have therefore become breeding grounds for disease and contagion. A large number of under-operated incinerators have been found, and only a scant number of hospitals have separate pits designated for the disposal of sharp items.

This problem is further exacerbated when, for example, over 50 percent of hospitals in the US recycle and donate single-use items to developing countries. Medical device reprocessors sterilize and sell these at relatively lower prices.

Smart Waste Management—Alternative Disposal and Treatment Technologies

Besides conventional technologies being deployed across geographies, many companies are also focusing on alternatives such as microwave technologies, autoclaving, electro-pyrolysis, and chemical mechanical systems. These treatments ensure medical wastes are non-infectious, so that they can be disposed in incinerators or landfills as regular solid waste. Take the case of California-based hazardous waste management firm that is already taking steps in this direction. In a bid to reach their sustainability goals, the company plans to treat medical waste in microwave disinfection systems, which decreases the waste volume by 80%, thereby saving landfill space and reducing transport costs. Moreover, certain regulated waste types can be used as feed stock for waste-to-energy facilities or discarded in landfills as non-regulated solid waste.

As for developing nations, municipalities and waste management companies are increasingly adopting smart management methods to handle their operations ranging from waste collection to disposal. These include technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID), global positioning systems-enabled routing, fuel switching, and pneumatic tubes. Mechanical and biological treatments, together with advanced recovery and refuse-driven fuel production facilities, are also gaining buy-in. In India, bioremediation has been a popular, cost-effective choice for many enterprises. Vilappilsala’s civic bodies implemented this technology in an effort to minimize a mountainous heap of garbage coming from a waste plant and comply with regulations imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). This resulted in reducing the 70-feet high landfill to half and 12 leachate pools to two.

To counter the inflow of recycled, single-use medical devices, certain developed nations’ regulatory bodies are now making reprocessors liable for any adverse events caused by the device. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking a more scientific approach by outlining guidelines for adequate disinfection, cleaning, and sterilization processes. This will not only help keep healthcare costs in check but also ensure that such medical devices are effectively reprocessed and cleared for use in healthcare facilities.

Mapping the Future—Developing Organic Disposal Methods

Although incineration technologies are widely accepted across developed and developing nations, bioremediation promises to diminish the environmental impact associated with these processes. Professor Elizabeth Edwards and her team at the University of Toronto have received funding from several waste management corporations to help develop bioaugmentation solutions. These focus on using a special culture of microbes to breakdown pollutants with minimal environmental disruption.

There is a long way to go before this solution is widely adopted. At present, it is labor-intensive and time-consuming when compared to other remediation techniques. Moreover, the range of contaminants that can be effectively disposed of is limited to only biodegradable materials.

In support of worldwide sustainability goals, innovation in the field of biomedical waste management will be fueled by increasing regulatory pressure. For developing nations, this entails embracing social responsibility as a foundation for ethical disposal, before moving on to a technologically-enabled framework.

Authors

Sendhil Kumar Kalyanam
Sendhil Kumar Kalyanam
Delivery Head, Medical Device Practice

Related Blogs

Gururaja Bhatt
To Look Life in the Face: Deep Learning and AI’s Impact on the Life Sciences Industry
02 Jun, 2017
Somshekhar Umadi
Restructuring Healthcare Delivery with Mobility and AR
02 Jun, 2017
Somshekhar Umadi
Digitizing the Camera Obscura: Actuating a Biomedical Revolution
04 Jun, 2017
Leave a Comment
About text formats

Comments

 

Ambareesh Narayanan

Very informative blog...
  • Reply
Mon, 09/11/2017 - 09:50
 

Scott Hall

Hi Sendhil, Great information. Regulated Medical Waste is growing so much every year we need more creative thinking like represented here to create a future able to reduce impact.
  • Reply
Sun, 12/17/2017 - 23:28
 

Akash

It's a very informative blog on Biomedical Waste Management.
  • Reply
Tue, 05/15/2018 - 09:41
View More Comments
View Less Comments
×Explore
  • Industry
  • Spotlight
  • ×
  • Automotive
  • Consumer Electronics
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Lighting & Building Solutions
  • Media & Entertainment
  • Medical Devices
  • Oil & Gas
  • Plant Engineering
  • Power Electronics
  • Renewable Energy
  • Semiconductors
  • Industrial Products
  • Transportation
  • Telecommunications
  • 5G
  • Cloud engineering
  • Cyber security
  • Embedded systems
  • Industry 4.0
  • Smart Manufacturing
  • Smart Products
  • VLSI
  • Sustainability
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • AR/VR
  • Image Processing
  • Connected Healthcare
  • Smart Factory
  • Digital Twins
  • Building Automation
  • Autonomous Transport
  • Robotics
  • Digital Entertainment
  • Machine Learning
  • UI/UX
  • Manufacturing Automation
  • Smart Sourcing
  • Simulation
  • Software Defined Networking
  • Telehealth
  • Wearables
  • Design Thinking
  • IoT Security
  • ER&D Hackathon 2019
  • Digital Media
  • The New Normal
  • Data Mesh
  • DevOps
  • Media
  • parent-company-logo.png
  • Need Help
  • Contact Us
  •  

Contact Us

By clicking Submit, you agree to the Privacy Policy

  • Engineering the change
  • Industry
    • Communication
    • Consumer Electronics
    • Healthcare
    • Industrial Products
    • Media & Entertainment
    • Oil & Gas
    • Plant Engineering
    • Public Infrastructure & Smart Cities
    • Semiconductors
    • Software Products
    • Transportation
  • Services
    • Digital Engineering
      • Cybersecure
      • Security Monitoring
      • Security Solutions
      • Security Services
      • Immersive Experiences
      • Industry 4.0
      • Product Consulting
      • Sustainable Smart World
      • Sustainability Engineering
      • 5G
    • Product Engineering
      • CAE & CFD
      • CAx Automation
      • Software Engineering
      • Cloud Engineering
      • DevOps
      • Embedded Systems
      • Engineering Analytics
      • Integrated Design, Validation & Testing
      • Lab as a Service
      • Sustenance
      • Testing
      • Testing & Validation
      • User Experience
      • VLSI
      • Voice Innovations
      • Wearables Engineering
    • Manufacturing Engineering
      • Accelerated Operations
      • Agile Supply Chain
      • Content Engineering
      • Digital Factory & Simulations
      • Line Expansion & Transfer
      • Manufacturing Automation
      • New Product Development
      • Plant Design & Engineering
      • PLM on Cloud
      • Sourcing & Procurement
    • Plant Engineering
      • CAPEX Project E/EPCM Services
      • DevOps
      • Material & Parts Management
      • Operational Excellence
      • Plant Sustenance & Management
      • Sourcing & Procurement
      • Regulatory Compliance Engineering
  • Solutions
    • AiCE
    • AiKno™
    • AnnotAi
    • ARC
    • Asset Health Framework
    • Avertle®
    • Chest-rAi™
    • Connected Security
    • EDGYneer
    • ESM
    • EvQUAL
    • FlyBoard®
    • Fusion
    • i-BEMS
    • Nliten
    • nBOn
    • Semiconductor IP
    • UBIQWeise 2.0
  • Insights
    • Blogs
    • News
    • POV
    • eBooks
  • Explore LTTS
    • About Us
    • Accolades
    • Alliances
    • Analysts
    • Board of Directors
    • Careers
    • CSR
    • Events & Webinars
    • Investors
    • Media Kit
    • Nearshore Centers
    • News & Media
    • Quality Management
    • Resources
    • Sustainability
    • Testimonials
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
^
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

© 2023 L&T Technology Services Limited. All Rights Reserved.

  • COPYRIGHT & TERMS
  • PRIVACY
  • Site Map
  • info@LTTS.com