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Electro medical equipment

17 May 2006, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By S.A. Mansoor Director Engineering, Partex Group, Dhaka
17 May 2006, 18:00 PM
Modern electro medical devices are critical for proper diagnostic function in healthcare service. These equipment provide the needed diagnostic information and clue for the effective treatment of diseases. A US study reveals the proliferation of electro medical equipment in modern hospital practice. From an average of four devices per bed in the early 1980s today the level has reached close to fifteen devices per bed! A four fold plus growth recorded in about a quarter century! The trend is still growing and will keep on growing in future. However, in comparison the Bangladesh hospital scenario particularly in the ICU and CCU levels may average around four electro medical devices per bed; possibly reflecting our development level in the sector.

Along with the benefits that these devices provide; they bring new areas of problems and issues that need to be addressed. With more electro medical devices in use, there is greater possibility of (EMI) electro magnetic interferences. These are invisible waves and pulses, that move through space, interfering with the electrical and emission function of the devices. EMI problems usually tend to be difficult to identify, and are generally transient in nature. Some of the common potential sources causing EMI problems are the following:

Radio transmitters, paging units, walkie-talkie units used in hospitals.

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Television receivers and equipment video monitors.

Analogue and digital cellular and wireless telephone.

Microprocessor based patient monitoring devices like electrocardiographs, BP monitors, hypothermic machines and security detectors.

Radiating equipment like fixed and mobile x-ray and electro surgery equipment.

Unfortunately, there is no record or report of such events in Bangladesh as our awareness on the subject is not widespread.

The undersigned had the opportunity to go round a CT, X-Ray and Radio Imaging section of a hospital in Bangkok. He was shown the protective and corrective electrical and electronic devices installed; and was told that the cost of the protecting and power filtering devices represented over forty percent of the cost of the total set up of the electro medical equipment!

This is a somewhat new area for our growing electro medical facilities, which directly affects the reliability of the outputs from electro magnetic diagnostic equipment, due to its high sensitivity to the quality of power available. This is beyond voltage fluctuation, high and low voltage surges and flickers which are normally noticeable and visible even to the eye. I believe that this awareness and the solutions to overcome it should be available at our hospitals and clinics and the physicians and relevant staff involved in the use of these facilities should be imparted required knowledge on the subject.