Toco Repair, Fetal Ultrasound Transducer Repair - 5 year warranty!

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan 30, 2010 -
2 Year warranty on Toco ultrasound transducer repair and 5 Year warranty on crystal bonding of Fetal Ultrasound Transducer repair and rebuild - Corometrics 2260, 2264, 5700 HP Philips M1355A, M1356A, M2735A, M2736A

For details, please check out the blog and updates from following web links.

http://www.avalontoco.blogspot.com/

http://www.blogger.com/profile/16724840114237900492

We mostly have old HP fetal monitors. HP is bought over by Philips and latest fetal monitors from Philips are Avalon series with triplets monitoring capability. The Avalon fetal monitors can be configured with the wireless transducers M2725A, M2726A or with cable transducers model M2734A, M2735A and M2736A. Avalon series fetal monitors are excellent but the cost of transducers is in the range of $1400 and hence it is not economical from service point of view. We have been using following transducer models.


HP/Philips Toco Transducer M1355A

HP/Philips Ultrasound Transducer M1356A

GE/Corometrics Toco Transducer 2260

GE/Corometrics Trimline Toco Transducer 2260EAX

GE/Corometrics Nautilus Toco Transducer 2264 LAX/HAX/AAX

GE/Corometrics Ultrasound Transducer 5700 HAX

GE/Corometrics US Transducer 5700 LAX


All the Biomeds being technically qualified and experienced, should take a closer look at the repaired transducers, compare with the original and open (disassemble) them if problems are noticed, to make thorough check. Some of the repair service companies deliberately break some internal walls of the original transducer top cases as their replacement bottom cases (NON OEM) do not fit due to dimensional mismatch. The replacement casings are manufactured using cheap raw materials and processes to reduce cost. Sometimes we get deceived by the bright colors and looks. If we open it up after 5-6 months of usage, we get a big head ache. Many of these transducers do not have the metal inserts for top-bottom fitting, the screws and internal metal parts are rusted, being made out of cheap material other than standard Stainless Steel. The old gages are re-used by gluing some strain gage foils that do not conform to the OEM specifications. You would be lucky if you can dismantle the repaired or compatible Corometrics 2260 box style transducer without damaging it. The Aluminum stand-offs come off as they are threaded directly into the plastic (no metal insert used in bottom casings) and cannot be re-assembled without heavy gluing. The gage plate is so rusted - if sent to the lab, you would find a bacterial colony! Is it not scary?

It is our moral responsibility to ensure that patients are given quality treatment. Purchasing Managers can be convinced if the performance testing, routine check and tracking is well documented. Cheapest is not always the best. The quality and pricing are to be compared with what OEMs offer and not with the cheap stuff available in town. It is a mistake to negotiate or bargain with the quality conscious vendor. Comparison has to be between apple and apple. The fact of the life is that a Mercedes cannot be bought at the price of the lowest priced car in the market.

End users i.e. the nurses are most important and their feedback is always precious to minimize the recurring cost and obtain high up time of the equipment. During emergency situations, the patient's comfort and life are the priorities and hence the equipment or the accessories like transducers get least attention. If quality stuff is used, damages due to such incidents are not that significant compared to a poor quality product. It is unfair (of sales people from some service companies) to keep blaming the end users (nursing staff), neglecting their repeated appeals about poor performance and continuing to procure the services of the cheapest vendors, taking their word for granted. It is in our interest to train the end users in proper and safe handling. Working hand in hand with the L & D staff not only improves overall quality but is also a pleasure. Finally, we are the way we think and if we choose to accept the sales pitch (from marketing people of cheap-price-cheap-quality service companies) that the end users are solely responsible, then facts can never be unveiled. In today's economic situation, it is better to focus on quality that yields significant savings on long-term basis.  

In this digital era, the common man is getting more educated day by day and it would not be a surprise if many more patients start suing hospitals for poor quality monitoring equipment. It is always better to be pro-active.