From the May 2016 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


“The strength of our design is the speed of working through the PM for shorter times, data management, traceability and analysis,” says Barrett. Enhancing a biomedical engineer’s ability to work efficiently is a crucial component to keeping a hospital properly maintained, regardless of which department that engineer is maintaining.

“We’re seeing continued innovation in the X-ray side, as well as defibrillators and patient monitors,” says Eric Conley, general manager at Fluke Biomedical and RaySafe in Everett, Washington, which makes a range of advanced technology biomedical and imaging test equipment. Although implementing new testing systems requires an initial investment, many experts agree that the innovations taking place with the new devices are accelerating — and the increasingly simplified transfer of PM data to a CMMS is yielding benefits that will support regulatory compliance and ultimately save on the bottom line. “Standards are changing more and more, and in the U.S., hospitals want all data broadly available on multiple devices to improve operations,” says Conley.


Doing more with less
“Think of a biomed tech that has 10 dentists on his route, or multiple X-ray rooms in a hospital,” says Gary Bischoff, president of Electronic Control Concepts in Saugerties, New York, “Our equipment measures X-ray parameters, and our customers want a way to accurately measure these parameters with easy set up and report,” he explains. Electronic Control Concepts caters to biomedical engineers who are servicing and calibrating X-ray rooms in multiple locations, and their products are built to simplify that process by meeting a diverse range of needs.

Bischoff cites their UXI tablet, which is capable of generating test reports via wireless Internet and has been designed to save time in the workflow. “The tech can send the results from a tablet to a spreadsheet and then go on to another site,” he says. In addition, the system keeps the tech out of the X-ray room and away from radiation exposure, added Bischoff.

Ron Evans, president of Datrend Systems in British Columbia, Canada, which makes biomedical instruments and devices, says the company is seeing an increase in interest from customers who are looking to interface with a CMMS. “In the current climate where biomeds are being asked to do more with less and also with regulatory requirements placed on hospitals, interoperability is an important feature,” says Evans. “Our vPad platform uses WiFi and 3G communication to transfer data easily. Having this functionality built into the test equipment means that the biomed does not need to carry around a laptop.”

May 2016 Magazine

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