Load Cell Reliability and Force Measurement in Healthcare

In the healthcare sector, precision isn’t just a requirement. It’s a necessity where the margins for error are perilously thin, and the consequences of inaccuracy can be grave. At the heart of this precision lies the unassuming yet critical load cell, a device whose reliability is foundational to many medical applications ranging from diagnostics to patient care.

Load cells: The unseen guardians of patient safety

Load cells are embedded within various medical devices, including surgical instruments and rehabilitation equipment. The reliability of these load cells is essential for ensuring the accuracy and safety of medical procedures and devices. For example, load cells are used in surgical instruments to monitor the forces being applied to tissues during surgery. This helps surgeons operate safely and effectively while minimizing the risk of damage to the patient’s tissues.

Therefore, ensuring the steadfast performance of these devices is more than just a technical concern; load cell reliability is a critical patient safety imperative. The wrong measurement, equipment, or not using the same adapters for calibration is a process issue that can lead to negative patient care outcomes and lawsuits.

Don’t overlook the critical roles that force measurement and load cells play in healthcare.

Diverse applications of force measurement in healthcare

Force measurement is a critical component in various applications within the health industry. Here are some of the areas where force measurement is needed:

Biomechanics and orthopedics

Force measurement is essential for assessing the forces and pressures on the human body during activities such as walking, running, or lifting. This information is crucial in designing and evaluating orthopedic devices such as prosthetics, orthotics, and joint replacements.

Rehabilitation

Force measurement is used in physical therapy and rehabilitation to assess the strength and progress of patients recovering from injuries or surgeries. It helps therapists design appropriate exercise programs.

Dental and orthodontics

Force measurement is essential to apply the proper force to move teeth during orthodontic treatment. Dental force measurement is also used in researching and developing dental products.

Pharmaceuticals
In the pharmaceutical industry, force measurement tests the hardness, compression strength, and disintegration of tablets and other solid dosage forms. This ensures the quality and effectiveness of medications.

Medical devices

Force measurement is used in designing, testing, and quality control of various medical devices, including infusion pumps, catheters, and stents.

Surgery

During surgery, force measurement can be used to ensure that the right amount of pressure is applied during procedures. For example, in minimally invasive surgery, surgeons rely on force feedback to perform delicate tasks accurately.

Patient monitoring

Some health monitoring devices use force sensors to measure parameters like blood pressure, pulse, or respiratory rate.

Rehabilitation robotics

Force measurement is essential in rehabilitation robotics, where robotic devices assist or augment physical therapy. Accurate force sensing helps adapt these robots to the specific needs of patients.

Ergonomics

Ensuring medical professionals have ergonomic tools and workstations is crucial for their health. Force measurement can be used to evaluate the ergonomic factors affecting healthcare workers.

Force measurement is essential for improving patient care, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medical procedures and devices, and advancing research and development in the healthcare market. It helps uphold quality standards and contributes to better patient outcomes. Having the right requirements, equipment, and processes in place for force measurement is crucial to drive patient care and innovation in healthcare.

The right requirements might mean adhering to a ratio of uncertainty to accuracy, where the uncertainties are at least five times better than what is being measured. The ratio is critical to limiting the overall measurement risk. The higher the ratio, the less chance of saying something is good when it’s bad or bad when it’s good. For example, a 5:1 ratio typically controls these risks to less than 2%.

To get these types of uncertainties typically requires deadweight calibrations. If the specification is 0.1%, the equipment used to make the measurement should have a measurement uncertainty greater than 0.02% (five times better than 0.1). These ratios must be determined based on controlling the risk. The rules of metrological traceability say that you can have a measurement uncertainty better than that of the reference lab used to perform the calibration. Hence, if 0.02% is what you need to work to, you will likely need a lab with measurement uncertainties of better than 0.01; ideally, that number might be better than 0.004%.

Not all tools are created equal, and healthcare systems must use the right equipment for the job. Using the wrong equipment can lead to inaccurate measurements and more significant problems. So, always ensure that your equipment suits the task at hand.

Technicians are human, and humans make mistakes. Always double-check your measurements to make sure they’re accurate. It’s easy to overlook a small error, but that small error in healthcare can have big consequences. So, take the time to verify your work and stay vigilant. Don’t let success make you complacent. Always be on the lookout for potential risks and take the necessary precautions to prevent them. It’s easy to let your guard down when things are going well. But that’s when mistakes can happen.

Ensuring load cell reliability: A multifaceted approach

Load cells are present in numerous medical equipment pieces, and their reliability directly affects patient safety and care outcomes. Imagine the implications of an infusion pump delivering an incorrect dose because of an unreliable load cell. The consequences could be dire.

Just as in any other sector, the reliability of a load cell in medical equipment depends on several factors.

System and use factors

These include different adapters, changing thread engagement, cables, overloading, the meter used, and loading cycles. In a hospital setting, frequent use of devices can contribute to wear and tear.

End of period reliability

Essentially, it’s the number of successful calibrations over total calibrations. In healthcare, ensuring that this ratio remains high is crucial for patient safety.

Sample size for reliability

In our investigation, for 95% confidence at a 0.05% reliability level, 59 samples with no failures or rejects were necessary to establish a best guess or baseline.

External factors

If not adequately maintained or mismatched, calibration adapters and cables can compromise reliability. A single piece of improperly calibrated equipment in a hospital can jeopardize multiple lives.

How to ensure load cell reliability in healthcare

Routine calibrations

Just as the healthcare sector mandates regular checks and maintenance for MRI machines and X-ray equipment, load cell calibrations should be routine. Considering the intensive use of equipment in hospitals, an annual calibration cycle might be advisable.

Training

Healthcare professionals should be educated about the significance of load cells in their equipment and trained to identify potential reliability issues.

Investing in quality

Our data suggest that using high-end indicators can achieve a stability of 0.02%. Although healthcare budgets can be tight, investing in quality load cells can ensure patient safety and reduce long-term costs related to malfunctions and liabilities.

Monitoring tools

A load cell simulator can help monitor the drift of the meter, ensuring that the measurement tool remains reliable. In the fast-paced world of healthcare, this can be an invaluable tool.

The accuracy and reliability of equipment can make a difference between life and death in healthcare. As institutions strive for excellence in patient care, understanding and investing in the tools that power their equipment, like load cells, is nonnegotiable. Proper calibration, regular maintenance, and continuous monitoring can ensure that these tools serve their crucial functions seamlessly.

Load cells are critical in healthcare, enabling precise measurements essential for patient safety and optimal care outcomes. Their reliability is paramount, because even a minor error can have far-reaching consequences. A multifaceted approach to load cell reliability management is essential, encompassing regular calibrations, personnel training, investment in high-quality equipment, and proactive monitoring.

By prioritizing load cell reliability, healthcare institutions can safeguard patient safety, enhance care quality, and minimize the risk of costly errors. This investment is essential for upholding the highest standards of healthcare delivery.

Published Feb. 20, 2024, by Morehouse.