EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Biomed Databases Medical Device Type Spreadsheet

Hello All

Has anyone a list of standardised medical device types in excel format that they are willing to share with me? Ideally, along recognised international lines.
It's the old problem of free form fields. Every Biomed can describe the same device differently! (Going through an exercise with a Community inventory, and it would be nice to impose some order).
Probably about 900 or so, generic device types?
I am sure there must be something similar to the ECRI format freely available in the public domain.

Regards
Sean

All I have (and all I have ever needed myself) is what we might call the "TaskMaster format" ... which is freely downloadable from this website. For example:-


It also includes typical Risk Levels, suggested PM intervals (which all ties in to various PM regimes), and electrical safety class ... etc.

I can export to .xls if you want, but why not take a look at TM first and see if it's what you're after. Following a successful download, call the appropriate browser with keys Alt+W E C (that is, Browses -> Equipment -> Classes). Issue Ctrl+N to add your own codes.

Once you have set the Export Format to "XLS" you can export directly from the browser using (for example) Ctrl+X if you wish.

Sean, PM me your work email, I may be able to assist.

Sean check your email

Good luck with that. I was tasked with rationalising the equipment types on our database. After many weeks I managed to reduce the number of different types from over 3000 to approx 1200. Unfortunately I can't produce a list from our system. One of my colleagues is still working on sorting out the models, a nightmare-ish task. Deciding if a 8V13000 is the same as a BVI3000

Which is exactly why you need to have a standardised naming system (drives me BLOODY NUTS )

No need to go nuts ... twenty years ago (whilst working with techs for whom English wasn't their first language - if you see what I'm saying) I decided that sensible codes are the only answer.

As long as the correct code is allocated (and can be changed later if found to be wrong), then the other fields can be in Arabic (or, if you prefer, Swahili) and it shouldn't make a whole lot of difference!

Needless to say, it's a similar story with the naming of parts, maintenance tasks, and all the rest.

Been there, done that.

Those were smaller hospitals than Bill's, no doubt. But I used to visit the sites, crank up the database, and wade through the mess until I was rewarded with something I just love:- a clean set of data. Sometimes I had to get off my butt and actually visit the kit, just to be sure, but it usually took me a matter of hours (or at worst, days). But weeks? What's the matter with you guys?

Thanks Guys
Some Good stuff so far! When we can populate the device types meaningfully, the next stage will be models and manufacturer data. Whoa! Maybe risk scores / factors?

But, I intend not to jump the gun (too soon), Keep it coming

By the way, Geoff that's a good system there mate!

Regards
Sean

Did you spot the bug (corrected now, of course)?

Once again, for the life of me, I can't see why the National Health Service doesn't have its own standard nomenclature!

The only problem with having a standardized list is the end-user.
Radiographic/Fluoroscopic Systems, General-Purpose, Remote-Controlled, ECRI name; x-ray machine, end-user name. Ultrasound machines will never be called Scanning Systems, Ultrasonic, General-Purpose; Having a standard list is fine for the inventory, but for everyday use, I don't think so.