Biomedical Devices That Most Frequenelty Need Repair

 

  1. Vital Signs Monitors

    (VSM)/Multi-parameter patient monitors – high use/high user – high patient interface devices, leading to:

    • Physical wear and tear: things (keypad/buttons, power cord, printer, etc.) break over time even during optimal usage
    • Physical abuse/ neglect: not being used and/stored appropriately; battery not allowed to fully charge; not unplugging from the wall prior to being moved away
    • Accessories: not being cleaned and maintained appropriately by the user; damaged clips/snaps, leads, cuff, etc. missing items

 

  1. Stretchers

    – high use/high user – high patient interface devices, leading to:

    • Physical wear and tear: things break over time even during optimal usage (wheels, hydraulic pistons, break/steering, and rail mechanisms, etc.
    • Physical abuse/ neglect: not being used and/stored appropriately – playing bumper cars or storing them like sardines; not notifying CE at the first sight of an issue

 

  1. EKG Machine

    Most Repaired Biomedical Devices

    • Physical wear and tear: major stress points such as the printer, paper feed mechanism, keypad/keyboard, and power cord, etc. break over time even with optimal usage
    • Physical abuse/ neglect: not being used and/stored appropriately; battery not allowed to fully charge; not unplugging from the wall prior to being moved away, cleaning with the appropriate agent while limiting the moisture intrusion.
    • Accessories: not being cleaned and maintained appropriately by the user; damaged and/or missing clips/snaps, leads, electrodes, etc.
    • Operator related: not utilizing proper patient skin preparation techniques may lead to “noisy” erratic tracings, poor ECG interpretation, and worse; improper electrode placement.

 

  1. Pumps (Infusion and Syringe)
    • Physical wear and tear: major stress points such as syringe clamps, locking mechanisms, keypads, the power cord will fail over time even during optimal usage
    • Physical abuse/ neglect: not being used and/stored appropriately; battery not allowed to fully charge; not unplugging from the wall prior to being moved away (damaging the plug/cord), not cleaning with the appropriate agent; excessive moisture intrusion; being dropped.
    • Operator related: not being aware of the condition (low/dead battery, physical damage, display inoperative, etc.) of the device prior to use

 

  1. Electrosurgical Unit (ESU)
    • Physical wear and tear: major stress points such as the footswitches/ pedals, keypad, and power cord/plug will fail over time even during optimal usage.
    • Physical abuse/ neglect: not being used and/stored appropriately; not unplugging from the wall prior to being moved away (damaging the plug/cord), not cleaning with the appropriate agent; excessive moisture intrusion; being dropped.
    • Operator related: not using the appropriate accessories; not using the corresponding footswitch and port

 

  1. O2 Concentrator:
    • Physical wear and tear: major components such as the sieve beads, pump and pneumatic valves, and power cord/plug will fail over time even during optimal usage.
    • Physical abuse/ neglect: not being used and/stored appropriately; not unplugging from the wall prior to being moved away (damaging the plug/cord), not cleaning the air intake filter; being knocked over; not used in a space that provides adequate airflow/ventilation

 

NOTE:  These are all high use, high user, and/or high patient interface devices. In my opinion, besides the care and maintenance, device age is a major contributing factor for device failure.

 

 

Most Repaired Biomed Devices

Written By: Garth Meikle, Feild Supervisors