Empowering the Biomedical/CE Professional
AAMI Offers Resource to Help Prove Value to C-Suite
AAMI’s Technology Management Council (TMC) has created a new web section chock full of articles, videos and resources designed to help healthcare technology management departments emphasize their value to C-Suite executives. The web section, available at www.aami.org/tmcconnect/csuite.html, offers a collection of tips, videos and articles on how to communicate effectively with the top-level executives. But the web section doesn’t just offer advice on how to start the conversation. “In order to really have a larger voice, departments need to be able to understand the issues that affect the C-Suite,” says Alan Lipschultz, president of Healthcare Technology Consulting LLC in Wilmington,...
The Bispectral Index
The BIS monitor displays a real-time electroencephalography (EEG) trace, acquired from a frontotemporal montage. The monitor generates a dimensionless number on a continuous scale of 0-100, with 100 representing normal cortical electrical activity and 0 indicating cortical electrical silence. The influence of pre-existing neuropathology on BIS values is unknown. As with any EEG signal, BIS is subject to interference and artefact, particularly from electromyographic (EMG) activity, which can artificially elevate the recorded BIS. The display also shows a signal quality index and an indicator of EMG interference. Because there is no ‘gold standard’ monitor against which to compare BIS, studies...
Congratulations to Grande Ronde Hospital, winner of ECRI Institute’s prestigious award recognizing excellence in technology management and patient safety. This 25-bed critical access facility’s award-winning telemedicine initiative allows its patients in rural northeast Oregon and Washington to access specialty physicians from across four states. Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande, Ore., is a small hospital in a rural, sparsely populated and geographically isolated region of eastern Oregon. Given the size of the surrounding community, it’s not possible for Grande Ronde Hospital to have clinicians on staff in many specialties. In the past, this has meant that patients either had to...
Conversation from the TechNation Community
Training Cost Obligation to Employer Q: Our in-house service team has just been asked to sign an agreement every time we get training. This agreement obligates us to continue our employment for a certain number of years, or pay back the training cost if we leave employment. I’d like others comment and share their thoughts including any legal issues. Consider the following: Cost of radiology service training (manufacturer and third party) Joint Commission competency requirements Saving associated with lower service coverage after training completed Who benefits from this training more: technician or hospital? Who will be more affected by this...
60-Watt Convection Cooled AC-DC Power Supply
Power Sources Unlimited, Inc. has released the XL375 series of single-output, 260W low-profile convection cooled AC-DC power supplies. The XL375 series is a family of high performance 1U profile convection cooled AC-DC power supplies. Measuring only 3.3 inches by 5 inches by 1.5 inches, the single and multiple output XL375 series has a universal active PFC 90–264Vac input, and output voltages of 12, 24, 28, 36, 40, 48, 54 and 56VDC. Units feature up to 93 percent efficiency, active current sharing for N, N+1 with OR-ing Board option, remote On-Off and active in rush current protection. The XL375 Series can...
Conversations from the TechNation Community
HP Codemaster defibrillator Q: I would really like to find schematics for these. I have several with bad battery charging circuits. They could be put to good use in volunteer clinics and the like. Any help would be great. A: There are four capacitors, (two 4.7 microfarad, 50 volt and two 100 microfarad, 25 volt) on the PS circuit board that, when replaced, fix most charging issues. This issue has been discussed in length on the biomed listserv and might possibly be in the archives. Or I would be happy to fax the information to someone on Monday. Enjoy your...
BC Biomedical Anesthetic Agent Analyzer
The BC Biomedical AA-2005 Anesthetic Agent Analyzer, designed for anesthesia service, features the company’s proprietary digital five-agent gas analysis technology. The compact, portable analyzer is made for use in hospitals and outpatient surgical centers. The analyzer measures vaporizer output concentration using a digital, realtime display of waveforms and numerical values, to provide instant notification of changing patient status. To do so, the unit uses a state-of-the-art, non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) technology and measures concentration in percentage values for the following agents: Desflurane (Suprane), Sevoflurane, Isoflurane (Forane), Halothane and Enflurane (Ethrane). The AA-2005 can also detect and quantify mixed agents. The analyzer...
What technology hazards could be putting your patients at risk?
Dangers from clinical alarms, radiation exposure, and medication errors from infusion pumps top ECRI Institute’s newly-released Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2012, a comprehensive report published annually to raise awareness of the potential dangers associated with the use of medical devices and systems. For prioritizing your 2012 patient safety efforts, this is a good place to start. Health technology offers countless benefits, but also some real risks. What are the most serious device-related risks, and how can hospitals address them? ECRI Institute’s 2012 Top 10 Health Technology Hazards list provides answers, and delivers action-oriented recommendations to alleviate these risks....
Electrical Hazzards
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), health care employees are subject to electrical hazards such as electric shock, electrocutions fires and explosions. Damaged electrical cords, faulty electrical equipment, machinery or wiring, damaged receptacles and con- nectors and unsafe work practices all present potential electrical hazards, according to OSHA’s Hospital eTool Healthcare Wide Hazards. “A flexible electrical cord may be damaged by door or window edges, by staples and fastenings, by equipment rolling over it, or simply by aging,” the site says. The site lists the following solution: Comply with OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S –...
CERTIFICATION EXAM APPLICATIONS SET RECORD Applications for international Certification Commission (ICC) exams skyrocketed to 918 in 2011, the highest total ever. The ICC offers exams for biomedical equipment technicians, radiology equipment specialists and laboratory equipment specialists. An industry professional cited certification’s role in employee benchmarking as the chief reason for the spike. “If two candidates are sitting in front of an employer and they both have equal experience, but one is certified and the other is not, employers are choosing the certified applicant. It provides employers with a sense of well-being that this candidate is engaged in career development, and...
