Safeguarding data integrity from power failure: the changing healthcare environment challenges large provider organizations to ensure a reliable power supply and protect patient data for all their facilities

Health Management Technology, March, 2005 by Ken Appelt

The complexity and power demands of specialized computer data storage and computerized medical equipment results in the need for a UPS solution that closely aligns with the manufacturer's specific power demands and meets a cost-effective, cost-avoidance criteria. For example, MRI and CT scanners require UPS units that can address the high in-rush currents required for proper imaging. Obtaining manufacturer specifications, examining the environmental space, and evaluating the electrical environment and capabilities are all essential in correct product placement. This involves communication and feedback with all individuals who will be impacted.

Current UPS Technology

UPS devices resolve utility power problems and supply continuous power to all downstream equipment--conditioned to within 3 percent of absolute voltage--whether the source is a battery, generator or utility power. UPSs for medical facilities typically range from 300 volt-amperes (VA) to more than 1,000 kilovolt-amperes (kVA). The smallest-sized UPS is typically reserved for individual PC applications such as operating room scheduling or a pharmacy ordering system. Midsize UPSs protect a system's central computer during a power disturbance and provide enough backup power to save data and preclude a hard shutdown. Larger UPSs provide a continuous flow of conditioned power to the entire system and enable normal functioning even during a total loss of power.

Three key types of UPSs are available today:

Standby UPSs ensure that the protected equipment runs on normal utility power until there is a problem. At that point, the UPS instantaneously activates an inverter that converts direct-current (DC) battery power into alternating-current (AC) power required by the equipment and operates it from the battery. This is the lowest form of power protection and does not address "dirty power" issues such as switching transients, line noise, harmonic distortion and frequency variations resulting in corrupted or missing files.

Line-interactive UPSs regulate voltage by boosting input utility voltage or reducing it as necessary before allowing it to pass on to the protected equipment. Line-interactive UPSs offer more protection than standbys and are generally used with network devices such as hubs and routers, small communications systems, servers and workstation environments.

True online UPSs offer the most robust power management and protection solutions. They continuously use an inverter to protect against power problems and to create clean, uninterrupted output power for downstream systems. Critical medical equipment and healthcare IT systems are completely isolated from raw utility power and all of its irregularities by using a double-conversion process. With online, double-conversion technology, incoming utility AC power is conditioned and converted to DC power, a small portion of which is used to charge the UPS battery. The remaining DC power travels to the inverter, which produces new; perfect sine wave AC power distributed to the connected hardware. With an online UPS, computer electronics perceive no switchover time between power sources.