Difference between Isolation and medical Isolation transformers?

Medical Isolation transformers have been very important and in demand during the pandemic for use in ICUs and ensuring medical devices run in a compliant and safe manner.

Often customers ask us why a medical isolation transformer is required over a standard Isolation transformer and what differences in design are:

The general isolation transformer has a input and output winding isolated from each other. It incorporates a screen but not a full FARADY screen

The medical isolation transformer has an input and output winding isolated from each other but has a full FARADY screen. That is the input winding is 100% covered by the screen. It is totally encapsulated by the screen.

Hence the coupling input winding to screen is better or in electrical terms the capacitance primary to screen is larger on the medical txf than the general isolation transformer .

  • Medical isolation transformers are tested for lower leakage current than the general isolation transformers.
  • The medical transformer has a fuse on the input active and earth. The general isolation only has a fuse on the active.
  • Both transformers are toroidal transformer construction.  
  • Both have soft start circuitry  on the input side.
  • Both have thermal cut-outs imbedded into the primary windings to cater for overload conditions.

Browse our range of Isolation transformers here.

Leave a Reply