Tongue depressor (tongue depressor) is a common medical consumable mainly used to press the tongue during oral examination or treatment, facilitating observation of the throat area.
1. Production of wooden tongue depressors
raw material selection
Usually, lightweight, odorless, and low-cost woods such as birch and poplar are used, which need to be disinfected to ensure they are non-toxic and harmless.
production process
Wood cutting
After peeling the logs, cut them into thin wooden boards and then cut them into strips (with a width of about 15-20mm and a thickness of 2-3mm).
drying process
Wood needs to be dried to meet the moisture content standard (about 8% -12%) to prevent mold or deformation.
Forming and polishing
Flatten the wooden strips using molds or machinery, cut them into standard lengths (usually around 15cm), and polish the edges smooth to avoid burrs.
Disinfection and sterilization
Sterilize with ethylene oxide (EO) or ultraviolet radiation to ensure sterility.
package
Single piece independent packaging or batch packaging, labeled with medical grade standards (such as FDA, CE certification).
2. Production of plastic tongue depressors
raw material selection
Commonly used polypropylene (PP) or polystyrene (PS) must comply with medical grade plastic standards (corrosion-resistant, non-toxic).
production process
Injection molding
After heating and melting the plastic particles, they are injected into the mold and molded into a tongue plate shape in one go.
Cooling trimming
Remove burrs and check surface smoothness.
Sterilization packaging
Gamma ray or EO sterilization, sealed packaging.
3. Stainless steel tongue plate (reusable)
Through metal stamping and edge polishing treatment, it needs to be sterilized under high temperature and high pressure before use.
Key points of quality control
Material safety: requires biocompatibility testing (such as ISO 10993).
Sterilization standard: Complies with YY/T 0466 (Medical Device Labeling Requirements).
Environmental requirements: Wooden tongue depressors must use sustainable forest certified (FSC) wood.