Course Overview
Module 1 (2 Weeks Online):
Students will develop a comprehensive understanding of oxygen blender systems commonly used in the healthcare environment. This module covers the fundamental principles of oxygen and air mixing, gas delivery theory, and the role oxygen blenders play in patient respiratory care. Students will learn how oxygen blenders operate, including internal components, order of operation, flow control, and safety features. Instruction also includes installation requirements, gas supply considerations, and regulatory standards. By the end of this module, students will be able to identify common issues, understand routine maintenance requirements, and safely evaluate blender performance.
Module 2 (1 Week in Person):
This hands-on module provides medical equipment technician students with practical, step-by-step experience in oxygen blender overhaul, preventative maintenance, and calibration. Through guided lab sessions, demonstrations, and supervised rebuilds, students will disassemble, inspect, service, reassemble, and calibrate oxygen blenders according to manufacturer specifications and industry standards. Emphasis is placed on proper PM procedures, gas accuracy verification, alarm testing, and troubleshooting to ensure safe and reliable operation in clinical settings.
As part of the hands-on module, students will receive training on widely used oxygen blender platforms commonly found in hospital and clinical environments, including Bird, Sechrist, and Precision.
Prerequisites
None.
Course Objectives
Module 1:
Enabling Learning Objective:
Students will demonstrate knowledge of oxygen blender systems commonly found in the healthcare environment. They will explain how oxygen blenders operate, including order of operation, gas mixing principles, safety mechanisms, and installation requirements such as gas supply connections and maintenance considerations.
Terminal Learning Objectives
Students will explain the fundamental principles of oxygen blending and gas delivery used in respiratory care applications.
Students will describe the function and purpose of oxygen blenders within various clinical environments, including critical care and neonatal settings.
Students will identify major oxygen blender components and explain their roles in airflow regulation, oxygen concentration control, and alarm functionality.
Students will describe how oxygen blenders operate, including setup, flow adjustment, FiO₂ delivery, and monitoring.
Students will understand installation requirements for oxygen blenders, including oxygen and air supply sources, connectors, and safety considerations.
Students will identify common operational issues associated with oxygen blenders and explain basic troubleshooting concepts.
Students will explain applicable regulatory and safety standards related to medical gas devices and oxygen delivery systems.
Module 2:
Enabling Learning Objective:
Students will demonstrate applied knowledge of oxygen blender systems by performing step-by-step preventative maintenance, overhaul procedures, calibration, and functional testing in accordance with service manuals and industry standards.
Terminal Learning Objectives:
Students will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of oxygen blender operational principles and perform operational checkout procedures per manufacturer service manuals and ISO standards.
Students will perform complete preventative maintenance on oxygen blenders, including disassembly, inspection, cleaning, parts replacement, and reassembly.
Students will conduct step-by-step oxygen blender overhauls, ensuring all components meet manufacturer and industry performance specifications.
Students will perform oxygen concentration calibration and flow accuracy testing using appropriate test equipment.
Students will verify alarm functionality and safety features to ensure proper operation under normal and fault conditions.
Students will demonstrate proper documentation of PM, calibration, and service results using provided checklists.
Students will troubleshoot introduced faults using service manuals and diagnostic procedures to return equipment to operational standards.
