EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance Alaris Asena motor plates...

Hi all,

Has anyone noticed how many motor plates the asenas chew through?? We have a particular problem with theatres where they are knocked about and seem to require motor plates on a regular basis...

Following on from this...does anyone adjust the motor plate when the syringe force is out of range by gently bending it back into shape???

All thoughts on this subject are welcome!!

Many Thanks,
Dani.

Dani,

We had a problem with lots of motorplates going out of cal, mostly them being dropped.

Alaris then did an upgrade with an additional piece of metal fixed to the motorplate. This solved most (but not all) of the problems. It seems they can now take more light and moderate knocks but a good whack still bends this strengthening plate.

Jeff

In the middle of changing one now, keeps me quiet for a couple of hours.

Yet another example of technical progress, where the earlier model was better than the new! What’s the point of making medical equipment out of bits of plastic and self-tapping screws? And there are many other examples – anyone care to list them?

In addition to the standard motor plate problem...we have now discovered another...

Now that our pumps are getting on...and are having their motor plates changed multiple times, the philips head screw which holds the aluminium chassis in place and is normally covered by a sticker is falling out...

As there is no thread for the screw to enter the chassis, the aluminium wears and after a few removals no longer holds the screw in place. In one case the pump was being used whilst the screw was missing (we are not sure how the sticker was peeled back...).

As we have been told that we are the first MEMS to complain about this , I was wondering whether anyone else has experienced this problem too??

Cheers,
Dani.

I haven't come across this problem yet, but I suppose it will only be a matter of time as I can fully understand how this could happen.

I have, however, seen the threads stripped on the plastic end of the chassis assembly where the screws for the syringe ear clamp are located.

I agree that, considering these parts are fixed and do not move that a better method than using self-tappers would seem more appropriate.

When we first encountered the bending pole clamp arms, Alaris said that we were the only hospital that had complained about it, and look what happened there!

Still, I suppose these things keep us in work (for now!)

Yes to all the above we had a real epidemic of defunct motorplates in 2005. Generally the pump has been left with the plunger extended beyond the case, and then been dropped or knocked.Our only way of relieving the situation was to educate the users. Wherever we have found an Asena left with the plunger extended beyond the limit of the case, We approach the clinician in charge of the patient or area concerned and point out the possible problems caused by leaving the plunger extended. Ask them to park the plunger. User soon gets tired of nagging tech and so far four months on the number of replacement Motor plates required has fallen dramatically. As to worn out fixings well that is an ongoing nightmare. keeps us out of mischief I suppose.

I have not suffered a bent motor plate....yet, however I have just had my fist experience of the bearing in the motor plate pushing out during occlusion calibration. Has anyone else suffered this problem and if so, have you identified an adhesive that could be used to secure the bearing back in the plate.

The above is a silly statement. The bearing is pulled in by occlusion testing, not pushed out! I can't understand why the bearing came loose, it definiteley happened during testing for a PM. C'est la vie.