Interferential Current (IFC) Unit Preventative Maintenance

Interferential Current (IFC) Unit Preventative Maintenance

What is an IFC?

An Interferential Current unit (IFC) is a device that delivers a small amount of current to a patient through lead wires and electrodes.  Electrodes (Carbon or felt) are placed on the patients skin which helps conduct the interferential current through the patient’s body.  There are many different waveforms that can be used; the most common waveforms being Interferential, Pre-modulation, Russian, Biphasic, and High Voltage.  Any of these waveforms can be used to achieve the patient’s rehabilitation goals whether they are to deal with chronic pain, improving their movement in their joints, or trying to repair damaged tissue.  It does this by increasing blood flow in the treatment area that the current is applied to; rehabilitation is also achieved by improving strength and by stimulating the production of natural hormones.

Maintenance performed

During our preventative maintenance checkup we check items pertaining to patient safety, device functionality, and device longevity.  Like all medical equipment the first thing completed is an electrical safety test on the unit to ensure that the unit is electrically sound (Blog Entry: https://trhservices.ca/technical-insights/electrical-safety-testing/).  After the electrical safety is performed a physical inspection of the device and all accessories (power cord, electrodes, lead wires) is completed to ensure that there are no signs of wear and tear.  Lastly the device’s output current and waveforms are viewed on an oscilloscope to ensure that all channels are working properly.  The waveforms are viewed to ensure that the channels are outputting the same current and to ensure that there is minimal line noise on all waves.  The next attribute that we look for in the waveform is that the correct waveform is being applied for the correct treatment plan.  As always we test each output channel to ensure that the electrical current is consistent and it falls in line with the treatment plan that was chosen.

Common Failures

The most common failure on an IFC unit is the electrodes; typically this is due to the electrodes not being changed often enough.  There are two common electrodes used in IFC treatments, they are felt electrodes and carbon electrodes.  Typically felt electrodes should be used between 8-10 times before they are replaced; a good practice for this type of electrode is having a set of electrodes for each patient and labeling them each time they get used.  These electrodes should also be placed in a sealable plastic bag which will help prolong their life.  The other common electrodes that are used is a carbon electrode and they last about a month.  Potential risk factors of overusing the electrodes are impending the output to the patient, shocking your patients, and in some cases, causing a burn on the patient’s skin.  Aside from the electrodes failing the next most common failure in an IFC unit is the lead wires; most of the time the lead wires will begin to wear near the strain reliefs and from there a wire may be exposed which can lead to shocking or causing burns on a patient.  If properly maintained an IFC can yield impressive results for a patient with minimal to no risk.

The TRH Value

The added valve of choosing TRH Services to complete your maintenance and repairs on your interferential units is that we will ensure that your device will be in great working condition for you and your patients for the next year and it will be fully certified.  The next value option that we have is that you can easily drop the equipment off at our site which is located at 23-140 McGovern Dr., Cambridge, Ontario, or we can provide onsite service to your facility if you are located in South-Western Ontario (London, Toronto, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Hamilton, etc.).

Common Interferential Units

Listed below is a list of some common Interferential units that we work on a regular basses:

Written By: Greg Kishimoto

Edited By: Tyler Hasenpflug CET