You might be surprised at just how many different battery types are used in a modern hospital. Between heart-rate monitors, respirators, comms devices and pacemakers, there’s an essential need for different battery types throughout the medical sector.
But the most commonly used batteries for life-critical medical applications are SLAs or ‘Sealed Lead Acid’ batteries. Contained in plastic casing, these are perfect for backing up equipment like emergency lighting and ventilators.
But why are SLAs right for such important applications?
Characteristics of Batteries for the Medical Sector
First seen in the 1970’s, SLA batteries were designed with a built-in valve to control venting of gases during stressful charge and rapid discharge. Rather than submerging the battery plates in a liquid (like most others at the time), the electrolyte is fed into a moistened separator, enabling use of the battery in any position without it leaking.
Perhaps the most significant advantage of sealed lead acid is its ability to prevent water loss. It does this by combining oxygen and hydrogen internally; creating water and greatly increasing its own longevity.
Over time, several types of sealed lead acid batteries have emerged – the fastest growing being gel (also known as valve-regulated lead acid/VRLA) and absorbent glass mat (or AGM.) Because of their low cost, reliability and low maintenance requirement, these battery types have established themselves as the default choice for the medical sector.
While VRLAs remains the most requested batteries on the market today, the technology has evolved rapidly through proactive research and development.
Here at Strident we offer a range of batteries for the medical sector, such as Gel and Lithium. We also stock a range of lead crystal batteries, that hold many unique features suited to any critical power application.
With over 15 years of direct experience with battery power, our knowledgeable team is happy to assist in choosing a reliable, long-lasting product.
If you work in a medical environment that uses batteries for life-critical applications; get in touch with us today on 0845 555 5511 or message us via the contact page.