Category: Product Review, Shanghai Kohden Patient Monitors, Nihon Kohden SVM-7000 series monitors
It is the first being designed and with all parts sourced in China |
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Do note it is not NIHON KOHDEN Life Scope SVM-7000 series monitors but just NIHON KOHDEN SVM-7000 series monitors.
The SVM-7000 series has the following models from China
1. SVM-7501 10.4-inch monitor
2. SVM-7503 10.4-inch monitor
3. SVM-7521 12.1-inch monitor
4. SVM-7523 12.1-inch monitor
The SVM-7000 series monitors are the first being designed by a team from Shanghai Kohden with all the parts sourced entirely in China; SVM stands for "Shanghai (Kohden) Vital (Signs) Monitor". Compare the statement with that of the Vismo PVM-2700 series which are designed in Japan while the parts are sourced in China. Vismo stands for "Vital signs monitor". Before the Vismo monitors, the Life Scope BSM-2300 series monitors was designed in Japan with parts sourced in Japan.
The SVM-7000
series multi-parameter patient monitors are the first in the series;
this means all components, quality control and design are handled from
China. The quality of the product is of course similar to manufacturers
in China who are getting their components from the same sources as NIHON
KOHDEN.
Why are Free Sales Certificates not available for exports from China? |
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Notice
there are two models with Invasive IBP parameter, and these need
clinical trials in China for approval to sell in the country. The models with invasive IBP parameter are therefore not allowed for sales in China
This means Certificate of Free Sales from China cannot be provided
for all models; these models are offered only Certificate of Export Sales. An alternative assembling site must be found to solve this problem.
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Standard models from CHINA |
In
Malaysia, there is a loophole to get regulatory approval for models with invasive BP parameter even though there is no regulatory approval from China or Japan.
The models assembled in Malaysia are assigned a different number from that assembled in China and they are all approved for sales in Malaysia:
1. SVM-7601 10.4-inch monitor
2. SVM-7603 10.4-inch monitor
3. SVM-7621 12.1-inch monitor
4. SVM-7623 12.1-inch monitor
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Standard models from MALAYSIA |
Two types of colored frames
The standard color of the frame is white
while the models with black frame are reserved models for OEM negotiation with interested parties.
This
effectively means distributors who are successful with the standard
white frame models face the possibility of additional supply coming into
the market in the form of the black frame models as competitors.
Standard frame is the white one while versions with black frame are open for OEM negotiation |
To
bring down the cost of a product, manufacturers typically reduce the
amount of total hardware used and also saving cost by using cheaper
components which are of a lower MTBF (mean time between failures).
Contrasting against the SVM-7000 series monitors by Nihon Kohden are
products from Edan Instruments, Inc. from China whom we are aware could offer monitors with high MTBF comparable to those produced in Japan.
The eight models of SVM-7500 and SVM-7600 series patient monitors |
The
operation of the monitors is only by touchscreen and with two
display sizes, at 10.4 and 12.1 inches with a 800x 600 resolution.
Below table shows the details of various models from China and Malaysia respectively (including the versions with black frames); there are two models for 10.4 inch display screen and another two models for 12.1 inch display screen. According to the table there is no difference between SVM-7501 (China) and SVM-7601K (Malaysia) for example, only the assembly location.
Below table shows the details of various models from China and Malaysia respectively (including the versions with black frames); there are two models for 10.4 inch display screen and another two models for 12.1 inch display screen. According to the table there is no difference between SVM-7501 (China) and SVM-7601K (Malaysia) for example, only the assembly location.
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SVM-7500 series models from CHINA and SVM-7600 series from MALAYSIA |
You should find more assembling sites than just China and Malaysia
How to check if the country of origin is Japan? |
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Officially,
you should know the country of origin in writing for an export; the product label is another source of information from the factory.
Below picture shows the product label for ECG-1150 ECG machine, whose production site is in China. The product label does not indicate the country of origin is Japan, since there is no specific mention of "Made in Japan". Do not mistake the corporate address as production site.
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The Product Label for above ECG-1150 whose Country of Origin is China has no "Made in Japan" declaration |
In next picture,
the product label for BSM-1102 similarly has no indication "Made in Japan"
because this was a third-party product made outside of Japan. The
address just indicates ownership of the product model. In the same
picture, the lower label for Telemetry Central Monitor WEP-4208A
clearly show the product was made in Japan.
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If Country of Origin is Japan, it is indicated on the product label "Made in Japan" |
The monitors are not for sales in Japan |
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There is no provision of interface for the digital telemetry networking
which is standard for a Life Scope Patient Monitor. Clearly,
this range is not sold in the Japanese domestic market and there cannot
be any Free Sales Certificate from Japan MHLW.

The SVM-7000 series monitors cannot be mixed with Life Scope or Vismo monitors in a patient monitoring network
There is strangely no brand identity for the SVM-7000 series patient monitors since it is not associated with Vismo or Life Scope brands, just the generic parent brand. Brand identities of Vismo and Life Scope are not strong any way, they are mostly just known as Nihon Kohden monitors.
However, while Vismo and Life Scope patient monitors can work together in the same real-time network (inter-bed, central monitoring), the SVM-7500/ SVM-7600 series patient monitors do not share the latest networking protocols and cannot be on the same monitoring network.
A new monitor brand is clearly needed to identify this range of patient monitors to set them apart.
However, while Vismo and Life Scope patient monitors can work together in the same real-time network (inter-bed, central monitoring), the SVM-7500/ SVM-7600 series patient monitors do not share the latest networking protocols and cannot be on the same monitoring network.
A new monitor brand is clearly needed to identify this range of patient monitors to set them apart.
We also noted the iNIBP measurement is not deployed in the SVM-7500 and SVM-7600 series.
Beware the mandatory need for electrical safety of monitored patients |
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When networking a patient to a hardwired Ethernet network, the typical non-isolated Ethernet from NIHON KOHDEN is a danger to patient electrical safety. Network Isolation Units are mandatory to ensure safety of patient from electrical shocks.
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NIHON KOHDEN network isolation transformer |
When an isolated monitor with an non-isolated Ethernet port is connected to a hardwired network, it is no longer a medical device unless the above-shown network isolation transformer is introduced between the monitor and network. If the network isolation transformer is not installed, dangerous electric shocks can be delivered to a monitored patient through the wired Ethernet network. Such dangerous electric shocks are potentially lethal and no hospital should ignore this mandatory requirement.
WATCH OUT the dangerous use of semi-quantitative CO2 measurements and ignorantly displaying a flawed CO2 waveform |
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Nihon
Kohden lacks
sidestream CO2 sampling expertise and buys OEM units to offer them as
expensive standalone. The AG-400 CO2 unit as shown, for example, is technology from Oridion Medical. For monitoring such as post-surgery recovery,
integration of
the sidestream CO2 into the monitor is a mandatory requirement because
an external unit requires additional power socket besides necessitating
the use of a trolley.
For some unknown reason, Nihon Kohden monitors have never been able to offer benefits of integrated sidestream CO2 measurements.
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The inability to integrate the sidestream CO2 unit into the patient monitor main unit |
The adoption of semi-quantitative mainstream CO2 measurement was to reduce cost and its simplicity also help in miniaturization of the transducers. The first solution offered by Nihon
Kohden was the mainstream cap-ONE TG-920P CO2 sensor kit (order code P907) that can be used on non-intubated patients.
The
cap-ONE TG-920P CO2 sensor kit (order code P907) has very small sensors because semi-quantitative measurement is adopted, the method is not
commonly seen and many are not aware of the risks of obtained CO2 readings from the semi-quantitative CO2 kit sets, and to make matter worse, the semi-quantitative measurements are also being made used of to display a flawed continuous CO2 waveform.
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Nihon Kohden cap-ONE P907 (TG-920P) mainstream CO2 sensor kit |
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TG-921T4 semi-quantitative CO2 sensor kit for SVM-7000 series monitors |
How to remove a relatively big disposable adapter from the two tiny transducers after use? |
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It is not easy to separate the disposable adapter from the Cap-ONE transducers after use |
When
removing disposable adapter from the mini sensors,
users tend to just pull from the cables and this action quickly weakens
the joint holding the sensors and cables. The action will
cause stress to the two joints and quickly degenerate the performance of
the transducers. This means the transducers are unlikely to last.
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Users just doing the inevitable |
Shown
below is another TG-900P etCO2
kit set (order code P903) that makes semi-quantitative CO2 measurements on a traditional mainstream CO2 sensor. The TG-901T3 kit
set (order code P906) is the same thing but using a non-coded connection plug. The medical
devices from same manufacturer that make use of semi-quantitative CO2 kit
sets for patient CO2 measurements and waveform include:
- Life Scope patient monitors
- Vismo patient
monitors
- Cap-STAT OLG-2800
- CardioLife defibrillators
- Neurofax EEG
machines etc.
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Nihon Kohden semi-quantitative CO2 kit sets with traditional mainstream transducer |
Is the manufacturer aware that Semi-quantitative CO2 measurements are only estimates? |
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