The way to redesign medical carts for better practicality and maneuverability for changing healthcare settings is making lighter power sources, according to a white paper from Accutronics.

“Designs [now focus on innovative solutions to create smaller and lighter carts that are easy to maneuver,” Marty Carlos from the medical device consulting firm Paragon Group said.

Carlos also mentioned in the white paper that medical carts will have a more significant role in the healthcare industry as healthcare continues to transform.

“The success of a device relies on the success of its medical cart. It just goes to show that medical carts are integral parts of the medical industry and will continue to evolve,” Carlos said.

Medical carts are used for transporting and powering a variety of life-critical equipment. This means that the carts need to have better power supplies, but most traditional carts have sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries as a power source. The batteries tend to be heavy and can cost a lot to maintain. Accutronics said that in order for medical cart designers to be able to make a lightweight cart, the power supply has to be the first change.

Accutronics touts in its white paper that its parent company Ultralife’s range of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) lead acid replacement batteries gives users runtime information while providing a balancing and protection system for maximize safety and performance.

The batteries are three times lighter than traditional SLAs, allowing medical carts to be more maneuverable.

Read more about redesigning medical carts and modern medtech in Accutronic’s white paper.