Wearable medical devices are small, complex, and made of delicate components. As a result, they are highly sensitive to bumps and jostles during shipping and can easily be damaged if the proper packaging isn’t used. It’s a challenge designing packaging for wearable medical devices that actually works. Because they’re often shipped in high volumes to clinics or shipped directly to consumers, it’s imperative they arrive safely—without adding extra bulk, making things more complex, or offering inconsistent results. Today, we’re here to talk about real-world packaging challenges for wearable medical devices and how to overcome them.
Wearable medical devices feature small, sensitive components that are prone to breaking or getting damaged during shipping and handling. Miniaturized electronics, sensors, batteries, and calibration-sensitive parts can be easily broken with the wrong packaging design. Even minor shock from a box dropping or being handled aggressively can damage the delicate parts inside. Screens, sensors, and other finishes can get scratched or damaged for similar reasons. Then, there’s hidden damage that causes issues later. Cheap void vill doesn’t solve these issues.
What actually works to protect small, sensitive components in wearable medical devices is to design packaging meant to absorb shock and minimize movement during shipping. Many companies choose the cheapest packaging and often do a disservice to themselves, their products, and their customers.
The best performing packaging isn’t as much void fill as possible—it’s custom foam inserts designed to keep products from moving alongside soft-touch and protective packaging for more sensitive areas. With the anti-static benefits and packaging designed around the exact geometry of the product, the result is products that arrive exactly as they were intended.
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Wearable medical devices are often small and harder to keep in one contained place with void fill that shifts in transit. This internal shifting leads to repeated impact points on the devices and can damage them both internally and externally, leading to a higher risk of cosmetic and functional damage. Cheaper packaging options frequently don’t provide the support needed to prevent movement inside the package during transit.
The best solution to prevent the movement of wearable medical devices during transit is to use custom-fit packaging. Custom foam packaging is one of the best options for this use case because it’s personalized to the exact size, weight, and shape of each product. As a result, the foam fits each medical device like a glove. The foam packaging option is extremely precise, repeatable, and consistent throughout every package—and the fail rate is much lower compared to void fill.
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A third packaging challenge that wearable medical device manufacturers run into is balancing the ideal protection with the product size and weight. Void fill is often inconsistently packaged, which can throw off the overall weight of a package.
Another challenge is the unit volume itself. Wearables are often shipped individually in their own packaging vs. together, but the volume range can shift from small batches to larger orders, depending on whether you’re shipping a custom order directly to a customer or a larger variety of options for retail.
Overpacking increases dimensional weight and cost. But underpacking increases damage rates.
The solution to this challenge that ensures shipments arrive intact and in working order is by creating custom packaging that matches the exact dimensions of the product. That way, shipping costs stay as low as possible while the product gets the precise packaging density it needs to stay safe in transit. The best partners engineer custom packaging so that the exact amount of materials is used for the utmost protection. As a result, fewer materials are needed to achieve better results.
The great part about foam is that it’s extremely versatile for every use case. For electronic devices, anti-static foam material is crucial. Soft-touch and protective foam are great for sensitive areas like screens or touchpads. With these precautions taken, companies can save on costs by not having to reship if products are damaged during transit.
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When deciding which packaging works best for wearable medical devices, it’s important to ask these questions:
If you’re not confident in the current success of your packaging, it might be time to reconsider what materials you’re using. To get your medical device packages from point A to point B safely, high-quality options often work best to add protection.
If your product matches, your wearable medical devices may be a good fit for custom packaging options:
The right packaging approach removes variability and protects performance. While void fill is affordable, it lacks both consistency and performance compared to custom foam packaging options. Ready to see if changing your packaging can reduce damages, lower long-term costs, and improve customer satisfaction?
Foam Industries is a custom protective packaging company specializing in foam – with additional wood and plastic fabrication services. Our custom foam fabrication services are ideal for any type of packaging, display, or support service needed – from design to finished product.