Artromick International, Inc. is a company that develops various medication management and healthcare technology solutions for hospitals and long-term care facilities. So, unlike Waterloo, which solely specializes in developing medical carts, this company produces a wide variety of LTC/assisted living medication systems, meaning that anesthesia carts are not their main area of specialization.
For instance, the company also produces mobile computer cart solutions that include all-in-one computers, thin-client systems, and methods to incorporate laptop computers. On the other hand, Waterloo Healthcare has been exclusively focused on manufacturing medical carts for more than 50 years. They have carts in the medical field that were developed in the 1970s and are still functioning properly today. This goes to show how much Waterloo Healthcare values quality over mass production and big profit margins.
Differences in Cart Sizes
Unit sizes and configurations also vary considerably between Artromick and Waterloo. The size of an anesthesia cart is very important because even a few inches of width, height, or depth can make all the difference in terms of usability over the long term. Artromick anesthesia carts are only available with three drawer sizes : 3″, 6″, and 10″ drawers. Compared to Waterloo carts, which have 3”, 6”, 9”, and 12” drawers available, the Artromick offering is fairly small.
Waterloo anesthesia carts are available in two main models: standard width and junior width. The standard width carts have drawers that are 22” wide and 16.4” deep, while the drawers in junior width carts are 16” wide and 16.5” deep. This means that Waterloo carts are more spacious than their Artromick counterparts. Furthermore, Artromick anesthesia carts have a small work surface of approximately 16″ x 18″ and 16″ x 28″. Waterloo carts, on the other hand, have dual pull-out shelves that double your work surface.
Also, the standard models of Artromick anesthesia carts have four and five drawers, while some Waterloo models have up to ten drawers. This gives you enough space to store your medical tools and supplies. And while Artromick carts come with various accessories that are easy to mount, unlike Waterloo, their accessory mounting system is not universal.
Available Work Space
Since most operating and radiological rooms cannot accommodate all the equipment needs and preferences of the anesthesiologists, anesthesia carts are often the key workstation and working surface available for medical staff. Similarly, the amount of usable writing and working service area available on the cart can significantly affect how well the anesthesia cart complements different work environments. Therefore, your anesthesia cart should have a standard slide-out shelf to provide you with an extra work surface for writing and performing other tasks as needed.
Security Features
Before you get carried away by the quality and extent of the security features offered by the Artromick, you need to check what other brands, such as Waterloo, offer. The truth is that Artromick has various security options, most of which are extremely simplistic and mainly mechanically driven. Other brands like Waterloo feature advanced locking and security systems, including refined keypad locking and unlocking features that include memory-based systems with the ability to be set up with alert functions, and synched with electronic medical record systems. These tamper-proof locking systems and auto relock features are essential for keeping sensitive medication safe.
High-Quality Materials
Another notable aspect of Artromick anesthesia carts is the quality and everyday usage. Although these carts are designed to meet most of your everyday medical needs, their real sturdiness and quality may not show up until you put them into rigorous use. Although this point may seem stale to some people, it is always important to look a little closer to see the variances in quality construction and versatility when comparing these carts to other brands. Nevertheless, rough handling together with overloaded drawers can be the reasons why you will need to replace your carts sooner than initially expected.
Versatility and Customization
The other key point to mention about Artromick anesthesia carts is the lack of variability in being able to reconfigure the carts to different uses. Waterloo Healthcare, on the other hand, has provided various options for altering things around inside the drawers and offers different methods of storing your medical tools and supplies. For instance, Waterloo carts come with adjustable metal dividers included in each drawer and 3″ divider trays within the dividers. These dividers make it easy to change the usage of your drawers, plus Waterloo carts can easily be reconfigured without the need for extra tools.
Summary
While Artromick anesthesia carts are designed to make the work of your medical staff easy and hassle-free, they lack the synergy of function and technology. But with Waterloo carts, your anesthesia department will enjoy the combined effect of high performance and technology designed to meet all your anesthetic needs.