Healthcare is continuously evolving and the I.T. requirements of the sector are no different. One addition to medical settings that has increased flexibility for workers was the introduction of mobile medical carts, sometimes referred to as workstations on wheels (WoW).
In use in hospitals since the mid-nineties, medical carts have proven beneficial, but there are challenges with reliable power solutions. It goes without saying that all medical equipment requires safe and continuous power for optimal performance. Thankfully there is an answer to an efficient, high-capacity and reliable battery system to support the health care sector with dependable patient care and secure record keeping: Hot Swap Power and the Hot Swappable Battery.
In this article we'll look at:
What Is Hot Swap Power?
Hot swap power refers to a battery product that can be swiftly and safely removed and installed into a device, without the need to turn off, power down or restart the device's system.
Commonly, hot swappable batteries will be mounted on a bracket with capacity for multiple batteries, so that one battery is providing the power to the devices being used, while the others are ready to be swapped out when needed.
Hot swap power is incredibly useful and as you will see, offers great benefits for safety and time critical environments, such as hospitals and other health care settings.
The Scott-Clark Hot Swappable Battery is one of the most popular choices provided Debetrek
Benefit 1: Easy Integration
Lightweight, high-capacity and reliable, hot swap batteries and the mounting brackets can be retrofitted to any medical cart. If requirements change down the line, they can be migrated across to other carts as needed.
Whether you are investing in an entire mobile cart fleet, or simply wanting to upgrade your existing medical carts, hot swap power solutions such as the Scott-Clark batteries can be integrated easily.
Benefit 2: Continuity of Care
Having more than adequate charge for all devices on the mobile cart gives medical practitioners peace of mind so they can focus on the job at hand without needing to worry about having enough power supply.
Continuous power equals continuous care, along with the knowledge that medical records and files are also securely stored and current.
Benefit 3: Save Time
Medical staff can complete tasks as usual without the downtime needing to be spent waiting for batteries to charge, or ferrying medical carts to available power outlets to run equipment and computers.
Hot swap power provides uninterrupted service, with multiple charged batteries mounted on the mobile cart, ready to go. Once one battery runs out of charge, you can single handedly swap it out with a charged unit with ease and continue with your work.
On average the recharge time for each battery is 2.5 hours, with fully charged batteries offering eight hours of service. If batteries are put to charge as required, and freshly charged units are placed in the mount brackets, there is no reason that mobile medical carts cannot be used 24/7 with uninterrupted power supply.
Hot swap power provides continuous power to medical carts, enabling your team to work without having to return them to charging stations
Benefit 4: Reduce Costs
If you’re looking to save on budget at your healthcare facility, hot swap batteries are definitely worth your consideration. They are more affordable than other battery options, quick to charge, which will save your facility on energy costs and they provide many hours of seamless operation, which ultimately saves your centre time and energy.
Downtime costs are also reduced (or eliminated entirely) as the hot swap batteries provide continuous, reliable power and uninterrupted service.
Benefit 5: Increase Safety
Safety critical environments need reliable energy sources. Being able to prevent a loss of power, especially in a setting such as a hospital, is vital. Power outages while healthcare workers are performing tasks can present serious risks, which thankfully are avoidable with the right power solution.
Apart from the obvious risks and implications of a power outage to patient health and safety, there is also the safeguarding of data and files to consider. By using hot swap power, all of these potential concerns can be alleviated.
Hot Swap All-In-One Computer
In addition to powering your mobile medical carts, there are also computers that can be powered with hot swap. The Onyx 22” All in one computer (AIOPC) is a panel computer providing 24/7 non-stop service. It runs on the a hot swappable battery system, like the mobile carts and the mounting slots enable it to be fitted to any medical cart.
This product also boasts features such as:
- RFID
- Reading light bar
- Smart card scanner
The Wrap Up
Hot swap power is a must have for any time and safety critical environment. By using a hot swappable battery to power your equipment, you are enabling smooth continuity of care to patients, secure file keeping and overall increased efficiency to the running of your facility. This will result in saved time and money and reduced stress on staff.
Debetrek has been serving and supplying equipment to the health industry across Australia and New Zealand for over 20 years. We partner with the leaders in the field for Medical Carts, Monitor Arms, IT Devices, Medication Management and Telehealth.
By partnering with Debetrek, you will have one expert contact to support you from fit-out and installation right through to ongoing maintenance to ensure you get the most from your equipment. Contact the team at Debetrek to discover how we can help support your medical setting requirements.