Medical equipment calibration services check that devices such as patient monitors, infusion pumps, defibrillators and scales measure and deliver what they display, and record the result on a certificate for every device. For hospitals and clinics, the hard part is rarely the measurement itself. It is knowing which device is due, where it is, and proving afterwards that it was done.
This article is for biomedical and technical departments in healthcare, and for service companies that calibrate medical equipment for them.
Calibration, testing and maintenance: the difference
| Activity | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| Calibration | Does the device measure or deliver accurately against a traceable reference? |
| Safety testing | Is the device electrically safe for patient and user? In Europe, recurrent testing of medical electrical equipment is commonly done according to IEC 62353. |
| Preventive maintenance | Are parts, batteries and consumables replaced before they fail? |
All three are planned per device and logged separately. The interval comes from the manufacturer’s instructions and the hospital’s own risk assessment.
What every calibration record must contain
- Device type, manufacturer, model and serial or asset number
- Department and exact location
- Reference equipment used and its own calibration status
- Measured values, tolerances and pass or fail
- Adjustments or repairs carried out
- Technician, date and next due date
- A certificate that can be retrieved in seconds during an audit
Common problems in hospitals
- Devices that move. Equipment travels between departments, so it cannot be found when it is due.
- Several service providers. In-house staff and external companies each keep their own records.
- Paper certificates. Proof exists, but not where the auditor or the department head can see it.
- No early warning. Departments hear that a device is overdue only when it is already out of compliance.
How to organise calibration properly
- Register every device with a unique number and link it to a department, location and responsible person.
- Assign each device group its own service protocol with the right steps and tolerances.
- Plan intervals per device and send reminders to the department before the due date.
- Let in-house and external technicians record results in the same system.
- Generate the certificate directly from the recorded result and keep the full history.
How Brytend supports medical equipment calibration
The Brytend Device Registration & Service module was developed for safety-critical equipment and works the same way for medical devices:
- Each device is linked to a person and an exact location per site.
- Every product group has its own service protocol with the form fields you need, and identical results can be recorded for many devices at once.
- Service reminders are sent automatically, with track and trace on delivery.
- Certificates are designed in HTML and CSS, saved as PDF and kept with full history.
- Main contractors and subcontractors can be recorded, so external service providers fit into the same records.
- Data can be exchanged through the REST API or as CSV and XML.
Brytend also builds software for hospitals, such as a patient information leaflet system for a hospital in Capelle aan den IJssel.
Frequently asked questions
What are medical equipment calibration services?
They check that medical devices measure or deliver accurately against a traceable reference and record the result on a certificate for each device.
How often should medical equipment be calibrated?
It depends on the manufacturer’s instructions and your own risk assessment. Many devices are checked yearly, but critical or heavily used equipment may need shorter intervals.
What is the difference between calibration and safety testing?
Calibration checks accuracy. Safety testing, often to IEC 62353, checks that the device is electrically safe for patients and users.
Can external service providers use the same system?
Yes. In Brytend, contractors and subcontractors can be recorded and their results stored with the same device record.
Bring all calibration records into one place. Start a free 90-day trial or call +31 (0)85 013 02 04.
