Module 4 and 5: Medical Engineering in Nairobi, Kenya

From November 15-26 Ferry Koevoets conducted Module 4 and 5 of the training of the12 Medical Engineering students.
The topics were:
• Operating Theatre (OT)
• Intensive Care
• Intensive Care equipment

Theme 1
The theme of first day was the essential equipment such as OT lightning, OT tables and endoscopic equipment. Electrosurgical cutting devices were also discussed with a special attention to maintenance and safety of those devices in a high complex environment like that of an OT. Cleanliness of equipment that is repaired was also discussed.
Theme 2
The next theme was electrical stimulation of nerves and muscles used for pain relief and cardiac pacing. Furthermore we discussed the high voltage stimulation for defibrillation of the heart.
In this theme the anatomy and physiology of the heart was of equal importance as technology and a prestart for the next two days
Theme 3
In theme 3 the students were working in 4 groups to build their own ECG simulator to take to their hospitals. After studying the electronic scheme and identifying the electronic components like diodes, capacitors and integrated circuit the participants enthusiastically started on this task. The devices were positioned on a board and participants had to contemplate the components together. Not all of the ECG simulators worked the first time the battery was connected, so the next practical theme was the debugging by using an oscilloscope to look for wrong or correct signals of the components.
A visit to the KMTC skills lab was used to dismantle a defibrillator to identify the major components.

Week 2
The topic of the second week was patient monitoring, ranging from ECG, blood pressure devices to blood analyses and gas analyses. Parallel to engineering we discussed the anatomy and physiology of the circulation and respiration, because a Medical Engineer must be able to communicate with physicians and nurses.
In the afternoons visits were made to the Intensive Care Unit, Cardiology Outpatient Department and the Biomedical workshop of the emergency department.
In addition to demonstrating a ventilator and an electro surgery device the participants also tested their self build ECG simulator on an ECG recorder.