Smart-IPM: an adaptive tool for the preventive maintenance of medical equipment

The breakdown of a medical equipment in service is of particular concern because of its possible use in critical conditions. This may be a direct life support situation as therapy or an indirect effect such as providing information on the patient´s health status. The signs of equipment failure may not always be apparent to clinical staff. Therefore they should be inspected periodically. Scheduled inspections help ensure the safety and efficacy of the medical equipment. In this study, a software tool is developed to implement a risk oriented prioritization of devices for preventive maintenance inspections. The database contains the equipment inventory, and related data files. The reports based on the inspection results, help determining a better scheduling than the constant sweeping of all devices.