Medical Equipment Batteries

Advanced medical equipment and tools make all the difference when it comes to preventing the loss of life and limb and this is why it is necessary to ensure their proper care and maintenance. Another thing that health care professionals should not forget is to maintain appropriate power backup since most of these equipment and devices run on electricity; some are plugged in directly whereas others use standard or rechargeable medical equipment batteries. Medical equipment such as X-Ray machines, CT Scan and others are plugged in directly and as such require UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) systems as power backup. To derive optimum performance from these machines in case of power failure, it is necessary to ensure that the UPS has the right battery. The best option is to use industrial grade, deep-cycle batteries that provide power for much longer durations as compared to standard household or automotive batteries.

The most notable feature of these heavy-duty batteries is that they can be discharged up to 80 percent over and over again without causing any adverse effects on the battery’s life or performance.

This simply means that the patient or patients will get the required medical care even in case of power failure.

Other smaller, hand-held medical devices usually run on AAA batteries and as such it is necessary for healthcare professionals to always keep an extra set of batteries ready. Some of these life-saving medical tools and equipment include Defibrillators, Infusion Pumps, Orthofix Units, External Pacemakers, Bone Growth Stimulators, Blood Analyzers, Galvanic Stimulators, Telemetry Systems, Blood Pressure Monitors, Pulse Oximeters, Holter Monitors and much more. All these medical tools and equipment are designed to last a lifetime and to deliver results even under tough conditions, because a lot is at stake every time healthcare personnel utilize these tools and equipment. Usually, the only care and maintenance that is required is the replacement of batteries that power these high-utility tools and equipment. However, even this seemingly easy task should be performed in the prescribed manner, because otherwise it can easily complicate a patient’s existing condition, and in the worst-case scenario, even pose a threat to his or her life.

To prevent the failure of medical equipment, it is recommended that healthcare personnel take due care while changing the batteries. They need to ensure that the new batteries they use have the same technical specifications, because not all batteries give similar power output or performance even though they might all look the same. They also need to read the instructions to find out exactly what type of battery needs to be used in a particular medical tool or equipment. The types of batteries that are most commonly used in medical tools and equipment include NiCad, Sealed Lead Acid, Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), Lithium, Alkaline, Zinc Air, Mercury, and Carbon Zinc. Apart from these, they also need to clean the battery compartment as well as the battery from time to time, because dust can easily prevent electricity from reaching the medical device, which can create severe problems for the patient using the medical device. Only after taking all these precautions can the healthcare industry and patients hope to derive all the benefits associated with the use of advanced medical tools and equipment.