Service & Product Care
What We Offer
R A Medical Services are a family based Company started by Janet & Chris Pickles in the early 90’s, following Chris’s redundancy from Ohmeda during the final days of that Company’s presence in Steeton. Taking the extensive experience and knowledge base dating from the Cyprane years, they steadily built up a large customer base of NHS Trusts and High Street Dentistry to the present U.K. market leader position enjoyed today. The staff level has grown to meet the demands placed upon it, but turnover is low, our longest serving member of the office staff having been with us for 26 years. An old fashioned level of courteous service is offered, combined with great attention to detail and this winning formula works extremely well, customers remaining with us year upon succeeding year.
Products are constantly under review to ensure only top of the range items are offered, although length of placement on the marketplace is no bar – one of our flowmeters – the Quantiflex Analogue MDM Flowmeter – having been in production continuously from the 60’s! (see Our History section) and is endearingly popular, remaining one of the bestselling items, with newer equipment such as the Porter brown breathing system – only available in the UK since 1996, competing for the title!
From celebrating 25 years In February 2019, our winning formula has allowed the Company to grow, continuing to serve the dental profession in the U.K. and now branching out with the addition of a 510K manufacturing licence from the FDA, in May 2017, allowing us to manufacture and export the Miniscav™ for use in the American medical field.
Janet Pickles
Services
From time to time we do get people asking us “Should I have my machine serviced?”.
The answer is simple – Yes. Your R A machine is a ‘life-critical’ unit and should be treated as such. After all, you wouldn’t drive your car without checking the brakes, oil etc from time to time! An annual service of your R A flowmeter and any associated items such as a four cylinder stand or pipeline system will keep all functions in good working order including calibration and the hypoxic guard. Associated items of equipment such as regulators and hoses, which have MHRA recommendations attached, can also be inspected and replaced where necessary. Regular maintenance will prolong the life of your machine and ensure optimum performance when in use.
How often should I have my equipment serviced?
Equipment should be serviced according to the original manufacturer recommendation. In the U.K. this usually means one service visit per annum. Frequency of machine use may indicate six monthly service intervals. Medical gas hose assemblies are also inspected for wear and damage and replaced if necessary.
Do I need a pipeline check?
Where the flowmeter head is connected to a medical gas pipeline system it may be subject to variance in operating pressures. Flowmeters can be damaged by unstable regulators delivering incorrect or fluctuating psi (pounds per square inch). The engineers carry out a leak and pressure check, also thoroughly inspecting the regulators for wear or damage, replacing where necessary. Ref: MDA/2003/016 – Medical gas regulators and flowmeters
How do I organise a service visit?
When a request to attend the machine is received, the details are passed to our Service Coordinator. She will then identify the next available date in your area. Contact will be made, offering details of date and approximate time of day. Every endeavour is made to accommodate specific requests with regard to time of day and day of week, wherever possible. Following the service, an automatic annual visit will then be offered, unless otherwise instructed.
Postal Servicing
Instructions For Posting Stand:
Tools Adjustable spanner (supplied in box)
Preparing the stand to be posted to RA Medical for repair
1) Remove all breathing system and sundries plus cylinders and store in a safe location
2) Detach the supply hoses from the rear of the mdm and the regulators on the underside of the Yoke using an Adjustable spanner.
3) Remove MDM head from the mounting column
a. First release the silver locking nut from the bottom of the MDM Lift and support the weight of the MDM with one hand, then with the other hand twist the mounting column clockwise with your free hand until the mounting column falls free.
4) Knock the 5 pronged base off of the bottom of the stand column with a hammer or other blunt object and keep safe with the sundries.
5) Put packaging piece A on the left side of the yoke and packaging piece B on the right and insert this end into the box first (heavy side down).
6) Place packaging piece C on the open end of the column at t6he top of the box and seal.
7) Contact us when the box is sealed to arrange a collection.
There is also a video of how to put a stand package together that can be watched to show how these components are put together.
Yoke Removal (PMP)
Tools Adjustable spanner
Imperial Allen key ⅛”
Pliers
Removing the Yoke assembly from the stand column may need 2 people to complete.
- Remove all breathing system and sundries plus cylinders and store in a safe location
- Detach the supply hoses from the rear of the mdm and the regulators (pic 1-A) on the underside of the Yoke using an Adjustable spanner.
- Remove MDM head from the mounting column (a*) First release the silver locking nut from the bottom of the MDM (pic 1-D) (b*) Lift and support the weight of the MDM with one hand, then with the other hand twist the mounting column clockwise with your free hand until the mounting column falls free.
- To release the Yoke from the stand column you will need to loosen the ⅛” grub screws (pic 1-B) at the rear of the Yoke assembly located between the cylinder attachment points (with both screws loose the yoke should be able to spin on the stand column).
- (May take 2 people) on the mounting column there is a Circlip (pic 1-C) that stops the column falling into the stand column.
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- While constantly holding onto the mounting column remove the Circlip and keep within arms reach.
- With the Circlip removed, Person 1 still holding the mounting column, Person 2 should lift the Yoke assembly up until Person 1 can grip the mounting column under the Yoke assembly.
- Person 2 can now lift the Yoke off the mounting column once clear Person 1 can put the Circlip back on to the mounting column (not all the way but enough that the column cant fall through the stand column).
Attaching Yoke
- Lift and hold the mounting column then remove the Circlip.
- Place the other Yoke down over the mounting column in reverse order to removing with 2 people.
- Put Circlip back on
- Align Yoke with cylinder restraint and rear base leg (pic 2) then tighten 2 Grub screws
- Then reattach the MDM to the mounting column supporting the weight of the head with one hand twist the mounting column anti clockwise into the the bottom of them MDM and tighten the locking nut up to the bottom
- Attach the supply hoses to the Regulators first and then to the rear of the MDM (they only need to be just beyond hand tight so not to damage the fittings)
O.E.M. (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Letters of Authorization
Accutron
In February 2012, Accutron Inc confirmed R A Medical Services as their O.E.M. Service Provider and Distributor for the U.K. and Ireland – see attached Accutron letter.
Following O.E.M. service training at the Accutron factory in Phoenix, Arizona, our engineering team are now offering maintenance of the following equipment;
Ultra Flowmeter, Mobile 4 cylinder stand and the Newport flowmeter. Support and advice can be offered on the full range of Accutron products including other mounting options and scavenging components, including the new disposable Clearview nasal hoods.
R A Medical have been offering a partial range of Accutron products since 1997 and are pleased to enhance our relationship with Accutron in order to offer a better range of service and product to our customers in the U.K. and Ireland.
A further Training visit to the Factory was undertaken in November 2018, adding maintenance of the Accutron Digital Ultra Flowmeter to the list of supported products.
Parker by Porter
R A Medical Services have been the O.E.M. Appointed Distributor and Service Provider for Porter Instruments since 1996. Over that period, many visits have been made to the Factory in Hatfield, Philadelphia for updates on products and service training. The latest of these was in June 2019. Covid put a halt to these visits, but it is hoped that they can resume in 2023.