Preventive Maintenance

Risk-based inspection, maintenance planning, and recurring service controls.

Preventive MaintenanceOct 2, 202622 min read

Centrifuge Maintenance: Rotor Life and Service Records

A clinical engineering guide to centrifuge preventive maintenance: navigating OEM rotor-life limits, CLIA 42 CFR 493.1254 documentation duties, and audit-ready service records.

By Ran Chen

Unmarked fixed-angle centrifuge rotor on a slate-blue service bench beside a blank tachometer, a penlight, and an open centrifuge with the lid raised

Preventive MaintenanceSep 30, 202628 min read

Lab Refrigerator Alarms: Testing the Alarm, Not Just the Display

How biomedical and laboratory teams verify cold-storage alarms: testing setpoints, battery backup, and remote contacts beyond steady-state display readings.

By Ran Chen

Closed laboratory refrigerator in a clinical-engineering workshop, with a glass-bead probe bottle, an unlabeled terminal block, and a blank card on the bench

Preventive MaintenanceSep 25, 202617 min read

How to Confirm an AED Is Rescue-Ready

A clinical engineering guide to recurring AED maintenance: verifying pad and battery expiry across five platforms, interpreting self-test alerts, and managing out-of-service rules.

By Ran Chen

An unbranded automated external defibrillator with a green status indicator on a clinical-engineering workbench, beside a plain sealed electrode pouch, a battery module, and a blank inspection tag.

Preventive MaintenanceSep 13, 202621 min read

Steam Sterilizer Performance Testing: Physical, Chemical, and Biological Evidence

A clinical engineering guide to steam sterilizer physical, chemical, and biological verification, post-repair qualification, and Joint Commission maintenance evidence under CDC, CMS, and ST79.

By Ran Chen

Unbranded compact steam sterilizer on a slate-gray workbench with a blank cycle-paper roll, unlabeled chemical-indicator color card, and closed brown-capped biological-indicator vial

Preventive MaintenanceSep 12, 202624 min read

Anesthesia Workstation Checkout vs HTM Maintenance: Who Verifies What

A clinical engineering and perioperative leadership guide to separating ASA 2008 pre-use checkout from HTM scheduled and post-repair maintenance under CMS, Joint Commission, and ISO 80601-2-13 standards.

By Ran Chen

An unbranded anesthesia workstation on a service bench beside a closed verification folder and a test lung analyzer setup.

Preventive MaintenanceAug 27, 20268 min read

AEM vs Manufacturer Maintenance: How to Decide, Document, and Defend the Choice

A clinical engineering decision framework for evaluating Alternate Equipment Management (AEM) eligibility, risk assessment criteria, and inventory documentation under CMS 42 CFR 482.41(d)(2) and Joint Commission standards.

By Ran Chen

A patient monitor chassis with an unlabeled asset tag rests on a service bench between a closed service binder and an unprinted decision packet.