EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance Power Distribution Units

Hi All,

I know we have probably been down this road before but does anybody know where I can get hold of theatre grade PDU's. The ones we are using either get soaked, smashed and now, we are told, they are interfering with monitoring. A few years ago I did find a company that did the ideal unit (a small 'dalek' type) and they were very expensive, any pointers would be appriciated.

Dave.

SMS?

Should extensions and external IT extensions like these be used now that BS 7671:2008 (2011) covers medical locations (section 710)?

Since any theatre mains sockets must comply with the requirements of BS 7671:2008 (2011) the use of such extensions may not comply.

Few seem to understand the importance of line and loop impedance to the safety of equipment never mind the need for separately protected mains sockets so in case of failure in one socket supply the next one to it will still work.

The design of any medical location should take into account the requirements of the users with respect to the location and quantity of mains sockets. Consideration should be given to the use of pendant mounted outlets as well as wall outlets. This would then remove the need for potentially unsafe extension leads.

Sometimes I like you Geoff, thats the company. If dementia hadn't set in I may have remembered, thanks.

Thanks Mikex I will look into that. I did fail to mention that we do attempt to secure all PDU's to stacks or something else to stop the users having them on the floor but as you know when we are not around 'things just appear'.

Dave.

As Mike indicates, "overhead" is the answer. Don't you have booms, pendants, wall outlets at chest height etc. in your theatres, then?

We have 15 theatres with another near completion and they have wall sockets and some have overhead as well but, as always, the sockets are never near enough where they need to use it hense the PDU's.

I believe it's no exaggeration for me to claim that I could write a book about the design of operating theatres, and the engineering support and maintenance of the equipment found in them ... but I shall refrain from commenting further.

But suffice to say (and as I have undoubtedly mentioned before) in my younger and more active days I have been known to "remove" trailing mains extension cables from operating theatres, and cut the power cables off equipment that had no place in there!

There are not that many great truths in this world but one, I am convinced, is "there ain't no such thing as too many power points"...... and yes, a lot should be on pendants over the central field (well, ok, close to)