Calibration versus Verification of your Vaporizer           

Your vaporizer is a key component of your veterinary anesthetic machine.  The vaporizer needs to be inspected every year to have the vaporizer’s agent’s output measured.

Verification of your veterinary vaporizer

When TRH Services is on-site, we use state-of-the-art test equipment approved for use by the manufacturer to verify the output of your vaporizer.  The test equipment that we utilize is the same equipment used on Human Use Vaporizers.  The test equipment that we use is calibrated once a year by an external company to a NIST standard to ensure that the measurements that we are taking on-site are as accurate as possible.  While we are on-site, we will complete the testing of your veterinary anesthetic gas machine first to ensure that it meets the proper standards before completing any testing on your veterinary vaporizer.  The reason for this is to ensure that there are no leaks inside the system and to ensure that we have the proper scavenging systems in place to ensure that our techs are as safe as possible.  During the testing process, we ensure that the vaporizer is at room temperature to measure the vaporizer as accurately as possible in your office.  Then, we verify the output of the vaporizer using our NIST agent monitoring test equipment.   Once completed, you will receive a full one-page test report that will show our findings.  All of our verifications are completed per the manufacturer’s specification on your vaporizer.

Why do you not calibrate the veterinary vaporizers on-site?

The long and short of it is that the full calibration process involves taking the veterinary vaporizer apart, installing a new wick and calibrating the vaporizer in a temperature control environment to specific set points.  The calibration process is complicated and time-consuming, which is why no one will offer the calibration process on-site.

What happens if the veterinary vaporizers fail verification?

Not to worry, if your veterinary vaporizer fails verification, we will work with you to provide a solution that meets your needs.  We have many different options for each customer, ranging from pulling your vaporizer to calibrate it in our depot to replacing your vaporizer with a certified refurbished veterinary vaporizer or replacing it with a brand new unit.  Our sales and service team will work with you to find the best option for your clinic.

What to ask when hiring a company to complete the work on your veterinary vaporizers?

• What is your background of our technologists? The answer should be a Biomedical Technologist specializing in anesthetics to complete this work.  Manufacturer training is an asset, but at the very least, they need to be trained Biomedical technologists and ideally work under someone who is certified.  Eligible certifications can include CET and CBET.  All of our Field Biomedical Technologists have a Biomedical Technologist Diploma or are Biomedical Engineers while working under the CET certified of Tyler Hasenpflug.
• What test equipment are you using, and is it calibrated? The answer should be at the very least an agent monitoring that is calibrated to a NIST standard or equivalent once a year.  This question ensures that whoever you hire has the right equipment and that an external company has verified it.  Our test equipment is calibrated once a year, and it is calibrated to a NIST standard by an external company.
• Does the service company have liability insurance? This may seem like a silly question to ask, but the answer should be yes, and the minimum liability insurance required to complete work like this in Canada would be two million dollars.  Here at TRH Services, we carry liability insurance for 5 Million dollars, which exceeds the minimum requirements.  Don’t always go by what the companies are saying; make sure to ask them for proof of insurance.  Proof of insurance will come in an insurance certificate insured by a broker or the insurance company that shows the company is insured.  We would be able to have our insurance company issue this certificate.
• Does the service company have WSIB insurance? The answer should be yes.  Here at TRH Services, we carry WSIB insurance, and we can always give you our firm our account number to look up so that you can look up our clearance certificate, or we can provide you one as well.

The added value of having TRH Services service your veterinary vaporizer is that we can fully test your complete anesthetic system.  The testing process can include your scavenging system (active or passive) and your veterinary anesthetic gas machine, all in one stop. So not only can we come on-site and complete our verification services, but we can also fully calibrate your vaporizer offsite if required.  TRH Services is your veterinary anesthetic service expert, so please let us know if you have any questions about our services.

Here are some vaporizers that we service regularly: