Hi engineers， sometimes it will be tough for people like us to choose a power adapter that could perfectly fit our products. There are always so many key concepts that should be taken into consideration.
And today, in the last month of 2025, just check the ultimate power supply selection guide to have a more comprehensive perspective.
Three Key Considerations in Selecting Medical Adapters
When selecting power adapters, there are always three main points to obey: Power(voltage and current ), Plugs(AC plug/DC plug), and Certifications(medical). And once you’ve confirmed these three parameters, simply match them up to find the adapter you need.
How to confirm the details? Here are the key steps.
Power(voltage and current )
As for the power,it is determined by voltage and current; for example, a 36W medical power adapter, its output voltage and current may be 12V and 3A or 9V and 4A. So before you find a power adapter, you must figure out the output voltage and current of your device.
Some devices need higher current when they are started, which is called “startup peak”.This “startup peak” is short, but strong enough to make a weak adapter drop voltage, trigger protection, or reboot your device again and again like a broken loop. So when you choose a 36W 12V adapter, make sure it’s not only 12V at 3A on paper, but also strong enough to survive the first second of your device’s life. A good rule is simple: match the voltage exactly, and give the current extra room. If your device is 12V3A, don’t pick a 12V3A adapter that dies at 3.1A.
Plugs(AC plug/DC plug)
When we talk about the plugs, AC plugs determine where your devices are used, for example EU plug for Europe and the US plug for North America. Some regions have loose sockets, some have deep ones, and a wrong plug shape can make the adapter fall out during vibration tests or daily use.
DC plugs are even more sensitive. A DC plug that “looks right” can still fail if the inner pin diameter is off by 0.1 mm, or if the polarity is reversed, or if the contact spring is weak and causes intermittent power.
Many devices die not because the electronics failed, but because the connector had poor contact resistance or the cable strain relief was too soft. So when choosing plugs, always confirm size, polarity, length, angle, cable stiffness, and how often the user will plug and unplug them.
Quankang can support power adapters with interchangeable AC plugs, and we can also customize the DC side — including Type-C, USB-A, and standard DC barrels. The DC cable can be made in PVC or braided options, depending on what fits your device and user scenario.
Certifications(medical)
The certifications will be much easier, because they can’t be fake. Just see where you want to sell your medical devices.
First, you will need CB certification (IEC 60601-1, the global “mother report”) and which allows you to apply for local certifications more easily. If you want to have other markets like Europe, you will need CE for EN 60601-1; many countries also have their own certifications, PSE in Japan, KC in Korea, and UL in North America.
Final Shortlist & Fit Evaluation
Just ask the power adapter factory if they have the certifications of the region you want to sell, along with determined voltage, current, and plugs, and a perfectly fitted medical power adapter will be delivered to you. But that‘s not true.
Matching the parameters can’t be enough, no one wants to spend money on a device that only works for a few days.
So after you match the basic specs I mentioned above, you still need to run stress tests in real-world conditions to see whether start-up, fluctuation, heat rise, and load performance can hold up.
Finally, you confirm long-term reliability through aging tests, drop tests, life-cycle data, and thermal-margin checks to make sure the product won’t fail once it enters mass production.
Conclusion
Choosing the right adapter means avoiding redesign work, production downtime, and another round of certification. And with the help of Quankang, each of your medical devices will have stable and efficient energy.
