Digital Hospitals for Better Medical Devices' Maintenance

Q: What is the biggest challenge you have faced when promoting the services you offer for medical devices?

A: Technological change moves at a very high speed but it takes time to adapt at a market level and a daily practice level. People need the competencies to adapt as well and that involves training against the clock due to the rapid advances in technology. New equipment is being launched and adapted by the market on a daily basis without a full understanding of what the equipment can do, which is an area of opportunity.

Q: What is Art-Técnica’s approach to maintenance services?

A: As biomedical engineering professional practices grow and expand, hospitals wanting to ramp up their quality standards have turned to their maintenance areas and transformed them to biomedical areas, which is a great change. The general offering of medical and biomedical equipment is a factor that determines how we approach companies and which of our solutions are appropriate depending on market demand. Art-Técnica needs to be up to date regarding technology trends, so we can introduce innovation to the maintenance for medical devices. Software developments and the growing need for people to be involved with technology also drive our operations. There is a desire to have medical devices coexisting with a hospital’s digital arena to generate data that allows for the development of new maintenance solutions.

Art-Tecnica makes an effort to communicate the importance of innovation and technological advances by sharing how that can lead to quality practices. We have also approached companies with technology that helps them reach specific standards and quality levels. Sharing education, information and technical notes with biomedical engineers and bringing them closer to technology has been an effective way to promote our work.

Q: Which of your services is attracting higher demand?

A: Demand for radiation measuring services has increased. Awareness about radiation and how it can be easily transmitted at high rates has made companies ramp up efforts to comply with standards regarding radiation exposure among staff and patients. Art-Técnica works together with clients to provide technology and information that helps them to understand radiation exposure and how to control it.

Overall, our electrical services have grown the most. These are crucial, as they determine the electrical flow that is directed to the patient. With the COVID-19 outbreak, demand for these services has doubled as the presence of new manufacturers has increased, as well as the number of people attending patients.

Q: What partnerships is Art-Técnica looking to establish?

A: Universities are one our main targets, specifically those with biomedical engineering graduates. We have seen that universities like to support their educational offering with joint educational plans, workshops or talks that contribute to their students’ training.

In terms of manufacturers, we know many but we do not have them all mapped out. It is mostly at congresses and expos where we try to locate manufacturers and show them why their devices need to comply with certain standards and that Art-Técnica has the technology to achieve that. National manufacturers are our first target but we also work with transnational manufacturers.

Now that we are facing the COVID-19 outbreak, medical facilities are starting to realize the importance of biomedical engineers. Many biomeds are facing the need to check their devices but they need the proper tools to do that, which is where Art-Técnica can help. The COVID-19 pandemic has led us to focus on ventilators. Our activity in this segment has been saturated, while the rest of our areas are working normally.

Q: How could this be an opportunity to highlight the importance of biomedical engineers in the healthcare sector?

A: This crisis has brought medical device maintenance to light. Biomedical engineers know when their equipment needs calibrating but the daily demand pushes maintenance back for weeks or even months. Thinking proactively about maintenance is more present than ever during a crisis and it pushes Art-Técnica to organize awareness campaigns on proper calendarization of calibration maintenance for all medical devices.

Q: What are your short-term goals for Art-Técnica?

A: The promotion of high technical standards is still our banner and the strategy Art-Tecnica uses to operate. Market expansion is also a goal. Mapping the manufacturing market is very important and wer are looking forward to achieving countrywide coverage. Also, introducing international standards will be very beneficial to Mexico, so we would like to share our experience with our Mexican clients.

Art-Técnica is a Mexican metrology company that offers products and services to biomedical and clinical engineers. The company represents brands like Fluke Biomedical and Raysafe