Improving service-life improves availability and cost savings.
Critical battery-powered equipment should be checked yearly to safe-guard against unexpected issues. Battery maintenance checks should be a part of any annual PM or Functional Check activity to prevent premature retirement of good batteries and regular testing can highlight batteries who are close to end-of-life voltage levels.
In some cases old rechargeable batteries will show fully charged status on the screen or display even when they aren’t. This situation can leave care givers and patients without power during a storm or other adverse event. More in-depth PM or Functional Checks includes the removal of batteries and voltage checks to verify actual voltage levels vs indicated.
Smart batteries require a different approach, and in some cases, battery conditioning is necessary to correct the reporting functionality of the device. Battery conditioning addresses voltage reporting drift and returns the indicator back to a new or reset calibration status. Conditioning for Smart Batteries requires different methods based on the equipment being used and when performed regularly, extends the service life of batteries, lowers overall equipment lifetime costs and helps prevent early battery failure.
Internal PC board batteries are also the hidden factor in equipment battery checks. They provide power for internal clocks and power memory chips for retaining other critical settings. They usually last longer than the main device batteries but can be challenging to access and require bench equipment and expertise to remove and replace.
Medical equipment batteries are consumables like car batteries and are necessary for the proper operation of the equipment. If they do not function as designed they can be a major challenge in unexpected situations.
Acela can help by:
Performing battery capacity checks and recondition smart batteries where necessary.
Inspecting batteries for overheating, delamination, worn contacts, and other damage.
Identifying the “hidden” internal batteries in your equipment.
Providing cost effective replacement batteries during PM events.
Identifying low service-life batteries so that practice managers can plan for future replacements.
Developing a life-cycle plan for your facility including battery tracking.
Determining usage patterns to identify equipment with critical failure outcomes or risks.
Facilities can:
Realize battery maintenance cost savings of 30% compared to only replacing batteries when they fail.
Enhance their green initiatives by not prematurely disposing non-end-of life batteries to landfills.
Realize the benefits of having charged patient-ready equipment in terms of patient safety and equipment up-time availability.
Acela can help prevent battery surprises while providing the longest in-use service life and lowest cost for your equipment battery fleet.
If you’re looking for more information on medical equipment repair, then the experts at Acela Medical are just a call away!
Acela Medical provides refurbished medical equipment sales, biomedical equipment and surgical instrument repair, and many other services for healthcare facilities. Contact our Atlanta-area office today to see how we can help you.