Conceptual Framework for Establishing a Preventive Maintenance System for the Barkey Plasmatherm Blood Warmer in Hospitals

Abstract

Objective: To develop a conceptual framework for establishing a Preventive Maintenance (PM) system for the Barkey Plasmatherm blood warmer, a critical medical device used in transfusion processes. The primary objective is to enhance patient safety and strengthen the operational availability of medical equipment in healthcare facilities.

Materials and Methods: The study examined the technical characteristics and PID-based temperature control system of the Barkey Phasmatherm blood warmer. A risk assessment was conducted in accordance with ISO 14971:2019, and a structured PM framework was synthesized, comprising a preventive maintenance schedule, calibration protocol, and data management process under a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). The framework was designed to support systematic data storage, monitoring, and performance tracking of maintenance activities.

Results: The synthesized PM conceptual framework demonstrated that the application of structured preventive maintenance principles could reduce emergency repair incidents by approximately 30% and increase equipment availability to more than 95%, based on reference data from medium-sized state hospitals4 These findings highlight the potential of the proposed framework to improve reliability and safety in medical device operations.

Conclusion: The proposed PM conceptual framework is suitable for practical implementation in healthcare settings, aligning with institutional medical device management policies. It can also be adapted to other types of medical equipment to elevate patient safety standards and promote sustainable quality improvement in healthcare services.