What is ISO/TR 20342-7 about?
ISO/TR 20342-7 is one of the parts of a series of documents. ISO/TR 20342-7 lists the terminology and common test methods used by manufacturers and laboratories to quantify the performance of a foam material. It also gives information to users or buyers of these products to make an educated assessment of the relevance of the physical characteristics between various products offered to them.
ISO/TR 20342-7 summarizes/gives information about the tests for
- Polyurethane foams – typically polyether (polyether polyurethane foam) or polyester-based (polyester polyurethane foam) – produced by either slabstock (slabstock foam) or moulded foam process
- Latex foams produced by either the Dunlop process or Talalay process.
Note 1: ISO/TR 20342-7 addresses only the characterization and performance of foam materials used in APTIs.
Note 2: ISO/TR 20342-7 does not address the design, construction method or other factors relating to the final clinical efficiency of the product. Test methods for characterizing the physical properties of any coverings, or the effects of any coverings on the physical properties of the foams, are not addressed in ISO/TR 20342-7.
Who is ISO/TR 20342-7 for?
ISO/TR 20342-7 on assistive products for tissue integrity when lying down is applicable to:
- Medical device manufacturers
- Medical research laboratories
- Medical lying down product users and customers
Why should you use ISO/TR 20342-7?
ISO/TR 20342-7 helps provide guidelines on characterization and performance of foam materials used in Assistive products for tissue integrities (APTI’s) which improves performance and efficiency of foam mattresses.
The ISO/TR 20342-7 guidelines assist manufacturers of Assistive products for tissue integrities (APTIs) in “high specification foam mattresses” and “standard hospital mattresses”. ISO/TR 20342-7 classifies characteristics of foam which can help and potentially aid in the choice when several products are available in the market.
The test methods provided in ISO/TR 20342-7 can be used to identify differing performance characteristics between APTI products and indicate the potential superior performance of one foam over another.