Power quality issues and the effects on medical equipment.

Power quality issues are becoming more important as more medical equipment utilizes microprocessor controls and switched DC power supplies. Externally and internally induced power surges and harmonics can have a dramatic effect on equipment performance. The effectiveness of a good "Equipment Management Program" can be greatly affected by poor power quality in today's hospitals. With many hospitals having been constructed in the 1970's, there is an increased likelihood that this issue will play a part in equipment downtime, and more importantly in "unable to duplicate" findings by the Clinical Engineering staff. Resolving power quality problems can have a dramatic impact on equipment performance, uptime, and cost of maintenance. This presentation will focus on identifying power quality problems, solutions, and an overall management scheme to minimize the impact on the performance of critical equipment that your facility and staff rely on to deliver cost effective patient care.