Imaging equipment are key components in any institution providing comprehensive health care. The C-Arm is one of the most common imaging devices that allow physicians to monitor various operations. They include orthopedics, cardiology, traumatology, surgery, or any emergency care requiring intraoperative imaging.
C-Arms are not cheap, so you need to know the necessary repair and maintenance tips. The quality of the machine also plays a more significant role in determining its lifespan. It’d be wise to consider high-quality equipment by sourcing from trusted dealers. Here are some practical tips to help extend your C-Arms by Hologic lifespan.
Consider Annual Preventative Maintenance
Consistent maintenance is one of the most effective approaches to increasing an equipment’s lifespan. Preventative maintenance of your C-Arm allows you to recognize developing issues early, solve them and maintain quality imaging effortlessly. It’d help to have service engineers confirm your batteries’ health and make replacements when necessary.
The engineers will also evaluate the brakes, cables, wheels, and other mechanical assemblies. Replacing clock and memory assemblies should also be part of their routine checks as they address any C-Arm complication.
Charge the Batteries When Not in Use
Batteries are crucial components in the functioning of your C-Arm. They are vital to generating higher techniques for specific tests. The only downside is that they aren’t cheap and don’t last forever.
At some point, you’ll have to replace the batteries with newer ones. However, your charging technique can help prolong the battery’s life. Plug-in your C-Arm when not in use to charge the batteries effectively.
Regular Cleaning
Cleaning is also a critical maintenance consideration. You can start with the keyboards, the tube, the image intensifiers, and in-between the covers. Then proceed to clear the dust from the equipment’s internal parts like the fan filters. This cleaning helps preserve Hologic’s fluoroscopy technology and preserve the components for longer.
Remember to clean the wheels. People often forget to clean this area despite it affecting the equipment’s drivability and braking.
Use Drapes
90% of used C-Arms have blood and contrast media traces under the covers and on the tubes. It is because some patients using the equipment bleed and stain the covers. Using drapes is the most effective solution to having a stain-free C-arm.
There are several disadvantages to not protecting your C-Arms with a drape. First, moisture and electronics are safety hazards. Secondly, your patients and technicians will not be happy to have blood and other body fluids on the equipment. Installing drapes explicitly on C-arms during procedures will help deal with the blood.
Adjust Sleep Mode Settings to Protect Monitors
Sleep mode in most electronics helps preserve longevity by making the system idle after minutes of inactivity. You can set the activation time for sleep time between 5 to 99 minutes.
For CRT monitors, the shorter the time, the longer the device lasts. It’s because images on these monitors get burned if left for too long in the system.
C-Arms are expensive and valuable equipment in imaging centers. The staff needs to understand the tips on efficiently running and maintaining these devices. Don’t wait until your system is down with error codes to find a service engineer; book an engineer today.
