One of the main issues facing mobile laptop carts on wheels is how they are powered. Poor performing batteries can hinder patient care and make the work of hospital staff harder and less efficient.
Traditional batteries generally only last for 15 months before degrading and replacement, which leads to many computer mobile carts always being plugged into a permanent power supply, defeating its purpose and restricting the use of the cart.
That’s why more health care providers are fitting their medical laptop carts with Flexible Mobile Cart Power Technology or FMCPT. These advanced battery systems outperform traditional batteries in three key ways – battery life, maintenance time, and cost.
Importantly, they can be retrofitted to existing carts giving you the benefits while retaining the mobile hospital carts your staff know and use daily.
How Do FMCPT Systems Work?
The Flexible Mobile Cart Power Technology System is a power system for mobile computing devices. It can be used to power almost anything that needs a battery in a hospital or clinical environment.
At the heart of the system is the BCS which contains a proprietary control module (CM) this regulates power usage and intelligently chooses when to operate from a wall outlet or either of the two batteries present on the system.
When using a battery the BCS will choose the battery with the lower state of charge and continue using this until its programmed shutoff limit. The BCS will then switch to the 2nd battery – with no interruption in power.
If the BCS is plugged in it will not only take power from the wall socket but charge the two batteries at the same time meaning no downtime.
The FMCPT system is future proof with a 400W capacity battery enough to charge the two batteries while supplying power directly to the cart. A choice of BCS systems can be fitted that meet electrical standards worldwide.
The BCS has both UL and IEC 60601-1 listings as well as being compliant with CE.
What Are the Benefits of an FMCPT System for Hospital Staff?
The system is designed for reliability, ease of use, and reducing downtime to zero. The FMCPT battery system means medical professionals spend less time looking for a charged cart before or during a shift – increasing the time available for patients.
The battery life lasts between 8-12 hours, meaning one medical cart can cover a whole shift. Batteries can be easily hot swapped by medical staff with little to no training and are fully charged in just 2.5 hours.
The LED battery gauge system makes it easy for staff to see when a terminal needs charged. When the batteries need to be charged simply plugging the medical cart into a power supply will not only charge the batteries but will power the laptop medical cart at the same time.
What Are the Benefits of an FMCPT System for Healthcare Providers?
The benefits for healthcare providers in installing FMCPT systems come down to cost. Old battery systems can need replacing in as little as 15 months. The cost of parts and IT staff required to maintain old systems can get prohibitively expensive.
By designing a battery that lasts longer and is easier to use means the length of use offsets a higher initial cost.
Choose a system is that is good for 5 years and 3,000+ charging cycles and comes with a full 5-year warranty.
The FMCPT system also reduces repair and failure meantime compared to older devices, and with an easy-to-use battery swap system, the need for expensive IT staff is drastically reduced.
Look for a system that is future-proof meaning as newer and more power-hungry devices come on the market the FMCPT system is capable of up-scaling the power output saving you money on potentially replacing your fleet of carts.
