INFORMATION
Useful Information For Biomed Technicians
AFFECTED MODEL: Flo-Lab 2100

This page was designed to provide basic information for Biomed technicians who are called in to work on the Flo-Lab 2100 but who may not have had any previous experience working with it.  You can view the product specifications here.

The Parks Flo-Lab 2100 is a complete portable, computerized non-invasive vascular lab.  Its basic components consist of the 2100 Top unit (the part that sits on top of the cart), a standard IBM-compatible PC running Windows, monitor and printer.  Optional accessories include the MPI (Multi-Port Inflator), DICOM and the handheld IR temperature gun.

The 2100 itself communicates to the PC using a standard RS-232 serial port.  The connecting cable uses a 25-pin male connector on the Flo-Lab end and a 9-pin female connector on the PC end.  The Flo-Lab uses COM1 on the PC.

If you have the MPI option (Multi-Port Inflator), then you will also have an external box with 2 hoses going in and 12 hoses coming out.  It is connected to its own proprietary power supply with a 25-pin cable with male connectors on both ends.  This power supply is mounted between the speakers, usually right behind the printer.  The power supply is connected to a PCI interface card in the PC through a 25-pin cable with a male connector on the PC end and a female connector on the power supply end.

At the base of the cart is a large power supply that provides medical-grade isolation (UL 6601-1 Spec.) to all devices used in the Flo-Lab.  Never use the Flo-Lab without the isolation power supply!  If you find that the Flo-Lab has no power and nothing will turn on, this is the first place the check - make sure all the connectors are plugged in securely, as the main power cable can occasionally become unplugged, and make sure the main power switch on the lower right side of the cart is turned "ON".

The 2100 cart utilizes two large wheels mounted in the rear for easy threshold clearance and two swivel wheels in front for easy positioning of the system.  A wheel lock is also incorporated.

The PC runs Sonova software for performing vascular studies.  As of version 3.51 / 3.52, Sonova is fully HIPAA-compliant and supports the DICOM protocol (optional).  The Sonova program requires a 1280x1024 monitor resolution, and therefore a monitor that is capable of that resolution (usually a 17-inch monitor).  Smaller monitors might be able to display 1280x1024, but the readout would be so small that nobody could read it.

Reports are printed out on the HP Deskjet color printer mounted in the cart.  If replacement is necessary, we recommend you replace the printer with the HP Deskjet 6122 (Parallel or USB, part number 333-0020-25, cost $212.00) if you're running VIP (DOS), or the HP Deskjet 5940 (USB only, part number 333-0020-26, cost $100.00) if you're running Sonova (Windows).  The Deskjet 6122 printer has been discontinued from HP so our stock is limited.

The Flo-Lab 2100 also features a remote control.  Depending on the age of your machine, you may have the 12-button wired remote, 12-button wireless remote or the 18-button wireless remote.  If you replace your 12-button remote with a new 18-button remote, you will need a new IR remote receiver to be able to use the extra 6 buttons (The original 12 buttons will, however, still function).  You also need to have the latest firmware loaded for those extra buttons to work.  Only Sonova supports all 18 buttons.

BASIC 2100 FEATURES (New systems)

True auto-setup

17" Planar color flat-panel monitor

Hewlett-Packard Deskjet 5940 color printer (USB)

Dual-frequency directional doppler

3.9 Mhz probe

8.3 Mhz probe

Photoplethysmograph (using two PPG probes)

Pneumoplethysmograph (volume pulse recording)

Three-channel programmable cuff inflator

User-defined pressure settings

Inflates one or two cuffs

Inflates larger cuffs typically used in venous tests

Bar graph flow direction display

Dual-channel chart recorder

Eighteen button wireless IR remote control

Auto scale for waveform displays

ADDED OPTIONS

Multi-Port Inflator

DICOM support

Infra-red temperature gun support

 

Many problems Biomed technicians come across can be resolved using the information on this technical support website.  For all other inquires, technical support is available Monday - Friday from 7 AM to 3:30 PM Pacific time.

A Biomed manual is available for the Flo-Lab 2100, which has information about calibration, maintenance, and all schematics related to the 2100.  To order the Biomed manual together with the Operator's manual, call 1-800-547-6427 and hit option 0 on the voice menu.  The part number is 050-2100-00 and the price is $25.00.