Investment in advanced test instrumentation from Rigel Medical is helping a specialist supplier of veterinary and medical equipment verify the performance and safety of important electrosurgical devices. Bristol-based Freelance Surgical Ltd. is an established and market leading medical equipment company specializing in the supply of operating and ITU equipment, as well as other medical supplies, to veterinary practices and hospitals.
The company’s extensive range of specialist equipment ranges from orthopedic power tools and flexible endoscopy instruments to general operating theatre medical equipment and pre-hospital equipment. As part of a rigorous quality control policy all items supplied are safety and function tested prior to dispatch in the Freelance Surgical service center.
For electrosurgical devices and power generators, the company is now using an advanced Uni-Therm unit from Rigel Medical to ensure that all equipment remains compliant with the relevant medical device standards and performs within required specifications.
Electrosurgical equipment uses high frequency electricity to produce enough heat to enable surgeons to cut tissue or seal bleeding vessels during operations. The sophisticated devices work by using the body as a conductor and to ensure the highest levels of patient safety, it is critical that the performance of surgical generators is verified on a regular basis.
At Freelance Surgical, the company’s service team uses the Uni-Therm as part of the regular service, repair, testing and analysis of electrosurgical devices and associated diathermy instruments.
The Uni-Therm carries out a range of tests in line with the IEC 60601-2-2 type testing standard for electromedical equipment, using its unique load bank and current measurement technology to stimulate the behavior of body tissue. As a result, the instrument can accurately analyze the performance of all types of surgical generators across a wide range of impedances, including those operating at high current levels.
The Uni-Therm enables the Freelance Surgical engineers to upload the power distribution curves of different items of equipment for automatic comparison against preset power curves over time and to manufacturer’s specifications. Upper and lower limits of performance can be established and tolerances refined to ensure that operational norms are maintained.
Product features of the Uni-Therm include a built-in memory, automatic test sequencing, and comprehensive data management facilities – all supported by a large full color screen display of step-by-step operating instructions to ensure the correct connection and testing of the device under test. Learn more at www.rigelmedical.com and www.freelance-surgical.co.uk.
