How NHS Technology Became Reliant on DC DC Converters – words Alan Steele

With the recent General Election now fading into distant memory, one of the biggest campaigning areas is still under intense scrutiny – the NHS. Questions continue to be raised about how it is funded, as well as whether its hard-pressed staff are entitled to a pay rise of over 1% per year.

Under pressure in more ways than one, our National Health Service is required to make the most of what money it does have. This is where the NHS technology used to treat patients comes in. Being asked to do the best job without frittering cash away, the usage of DC DC converters has at least helped to keep energy costs down.

In the Theatres

In a typical hospital, some of the biggest and most complicated apparatus found in a typical operation theatre setup uses plenty of electricity. MRI scanners, for example, use up an average of 15kwh per scan. Each scan would cost around £200 to perform on an average electricity tariff, but this is being brought down thanks to the use of DC DC converters.

They contribute towards the efficiency of NHS tech by easily converting one energy source to another, ensuring that any piece of kit that needs a lower voltage to work gets it. DC DC converter circuits supplied by XP Power have been used in smaller devices too, most notably defibrillators stored in operating theatres and on ambulances.

In emergency situations, these life-saving machines are charged on ambulances using on-board power supplies. Said supplies are able to charge portable defibrillators and similarly sized devices, thanks in no small part to DC DC converters. Operation theatre management know that in situations where they may need to be used repeatedly, a reliable power supply is a must, particularly when under pressure.

Cost Savings

Plans for whether the NHS is to get an above-inflation increase in funding have yet to be announced. For the time being, the service is being forced to make efficiency savings. Partly due to the extensive use of DC DC converters in a range of healthcare machines, they managed to achieve energy savings of over £300 million.

This amount of money is a drop in the ocean when taking into account that the annual budget is well over £125 billion. DC-DC converter module are being used to help ensure the safety of many machines too. This helps to prevent any damage done by electrical fire or malfunctioning circuits, which could put a huge dent in its finances, not to mention endanger patients’ lives.

How NHS Technology Became Reliant on DC DC Converters – words Alan Steele