Leakage Current on Hospital OR Computer Circuits

[VUGear]

With the computerization of hospital surgery, we're designing more ORs with areas set aside for 1-2 PCs. We've been feeding those receptacles with XHHW from the isolated power system along with the rest of the room (aside from the lighting) and have now had at least a couple of installations end up with high leakage current on those particular circuits.

I can't say I'm particularly surprised this might happen, as most of the computers the hospitals are buying are off-the-shelf systems they can get at big box retailers and aren't manufactured for the clinical environment.

Has anyone else seen this? Along with keeping no more than one computer per circuit, what can we do to limit leakage on these circuits? Even though they are not within the patient care area of the room, would prefer to keep them on isolated power rather than running circuits from a standard system into the room. Do we need to use some of the more exotic higher-dielectric wire?

 

[steve66]

Do they have surge suppressors or power strips on the outlets?

Steve

 

[wireguru]

I dont know anything about OR critical power, but are you talking about leakage to ground? If so, the leakage is likely coming from the RFI filter. There are industrial and medical grade computer power supplies out there which could solve the problem but the off the shelf computers (HP, Dell, etc) usually have proprietary power supplies. Could you use a small isolation transformer before the computer?

 

[brian john]

With the computerization of hospital surgery, we're designing more ORs with areas set aside for 1-2 PCs. We've been feeding those receptacles with XHHW from the isolated power system along with the rest of the room (aside from the lighting) and have now had at least a couple of installations end up with high leakage current on those particular circuits.

I can't say I'm particularly surprised this might happen, as most of the computers the hospitals are buying are off-the-shelf systems they can get at big box retailers and aren't manufactured for the clinical environment.

Has anyone else seen this? Along with keeping no more than one computer per circuit, what can we do to limit leakage on these circuits? Even though they are not within the patient care area of the room, would prefer to keep them on isolated power rather than running circuits from a standard system into the room. Do we need to use some of the more exotic higher-dielectric wire?

Stick to laptops on a UPS that is unplugged during surgery.

Contact the manufactures for a better grade unit.

Larger batteries for the laptops

Separate isolation transformers for the PC's.

What hospital? I need surgery and am planning on avoiding this one.

 

[VUGear]

What hospital? I need surgery and am planning on avoiding this one.

I think you're going to be seeing more and more hospitals with such systems. Most all of the new ORs being built in major hospitals seem to have at least some digital integration.

 

[brian john]

I think you're going to be seeing more and more hospitals with such systems. Most all of the new ORs being built in major hospitals seem to have at least some digital integration.

I know, just a little light humor. Hospitals are some of my major customers.