EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance Dyson Bladeless Fans

Good Afternoon,

The user manual for the dyson bladeless fans has a warning about the remote and fan both containing fans and their is a risk for pace makers and defibs being used near them. We have pulled them from all the wards until further notice. Dyson however are saying they wouldn't recommend putting the remote near the pocket of a patient but won't put in writing that they can be used on bedside tables. Does any other hospital have these in use and if so what policies have been put in place around there use?

I think you mean that both items contain strong magnets and there advice states:

1) Pacemakers and defibrillators may be affected by strong magnetic fields. If you or someone in your household has a pacemaker or defibrillator, avoid placing the remote control in a pocket or near to the device.

2) Credit cards and electronic storage media may also be affected by magnets and should be kept away from the remote control and the top of the appliance.

I could also point out that this product is not a medical device so should not be used within the patient environment! If you want to use anything that is not certified as a medical device within the patient environment then you need to perform an appropriate risk assessment in conjunction with the guidance within IEC 60601-1.

Why not contact Dyson to see if they can produce a medical grade version for use in hospitals?

I completely agree with you Mike, I have had these removed however I have now had a nurse come back to me with emails from heart hospitals etc saying they "seem" fine when used 18 inches away?!? So they now think i'm being too harsh as they are "apparently" being used throughout the UK hospitals. Dyson will not give out any information on the magnetic fields etc. They did however send me a flyer for a heart hospital advertising the use of them! It seem infection control are pushing them in to the hospitals!

To be honest I have seen these in many cardiac wards and have not heard of any incidents affecting patients or other medical equipment. Lots of other devices get used in wards including mobile phones (either with or without the knowledge of the medical staff) and no adverse effects are reported.

So maybe just advise staff of the safety implications when using these fans and keep the remote away from pacemakers. A simple sticker on the fan and remote may be all that is needed as part of your risk assessment?

What No AC???

I think I would be more worried about the price ... and (apparently) the noise.

Not to mention the possibility of it toppling over onto my toes!

Why use these when standard fans are cheaper and have just normal magnets? I notice that these fans are "bladeless" what technology moves the airstream then. Do they actually mean external blades?
Robert
And as for the hair-drier, it would be cheaper to visit the hairdresser every day.

Apparently infection control departments are requesting these fans as they're easily cleaned!
Calling the Dyson Air Multiplier a fan with no blades is perhaps a touch misleading. There are blades in the fan -- you just can't see them because they're hidden in the pedestal. A motor rotates nine asymmetrically aligned blades to pull air into the device. According to Dyson, these blades can pull in up to 5.28 gallons (about 20 liters) of air per second.

The air flows through a channel in the pedestal up to the tube, which is hollow. The interior of the tube acts like a ramp. Air flows along the ramp, which curves around and ends in slits in the back of the fan. Then, the air flows along the surface of the inside of the tube and out toward the front of the fan.
That's from the website.