by
Gus Iversen, Editor in Chief | October 30, 2017
From the October 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Ten tips to ensure the life of your coils
Treat them like a baby
As Band puts it: “Treat your coils like a baby! No dropping or rough handling!” These are delicate pieces of equipment and treating them delicately is the first step to making sure they will remain in top working order.
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Clean with recommended cleaning products
Using the wrong cleaning solutions can wreak havoc on medical equipment. Plastic casing can erode and liquids can saturate sophisticated electronic components. Clean them safely and clean them often.
Educate your patients
Just because you’re treating coils like little bundles of joy doesn’t mean that your patients are. Make sure that your patients understand the sophistication of coils and they will be much more likely to treat them respectfully.
No pulling
Train staff to never grab or pull coils from the cable. You wouldn’t pick up your cat by its tail, so you shouldn’t pick your coils up by theirs, either.
Provide a cart
One of the simplest and most important steps to ensuring the safety and life of your coils is to establish a convenient location to store them. Having a holder, or cart, where they are supposed to be stored makes it easier to point out when they aren’t where they’re supposed to be.
No dog piles
Even if you are using a cart, develop a system so that heavy coils are not stacked on top of the lighter, more fragile coils.
Address issues as they arise
Fixing small problems before they become big problems, such as wearing cable assembly that eventually leads to more catastrophic electrical failure inside the coil, can make a world of difference.
Do not rush
When MR techs are in a hurry, they are more likely to force a connector into the wrong receptacle or insert it at an angle, which will lead to damage.
Package them adequately when shipping
According to Jones, it’s not uncommon for a damaged coil to be shipped for repair with little or no padding, so that by the time it reaches the repair facility, it has risked additional damage from transit. Be sure to package them with plenty of protective materials.
Pick the right partner
Above all else, make sure you’ve got the right team backing you up. Whether it be the coil OEM or a third party, discuss the finer points of liability and warranty in the event of repairs. What will they do for you to ensure your MR workflow doesn’t come to a standstill while service is being done?
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