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Medical scales
In the medical community there are many reasons that a doctor needs to have an accurate weight for the patient. It helps determine risk for certain diseases due to an abundance of or lack of body fat. It also helps the doctor prescribe the correct amounts of medication, which is especially important in children whose weight is constantly changing. There are many different ways to weigh someone. Depending on the place or reason, there are many different medical scales that can be used.
In a pediatric environment there are specially calibrated scales for newborns and infants that can weigh small people who won’t be still. They typically have a bassinet type basket to keep the baby from rolling off while trying to get a weight measurement. The scales in most doctors’ offices can detect amounts as small as a quarter of an ounce and usually top out at around 40 pounds. However, hospital grade baby scales can detect an amount as small as one gram. Pediatric and baby scales sometimes have a scale in centimeters and inches on the side where the child will be laying to help the medical professional also get a length on the child at the same time.
For adults, most medical offices and hospitals use balance beam scales for greater accuracy. Balance beam scales are the most accurate and common method of measuring the weight of a person. These scales can usually hold a capacity of 500 pounds. Sometimes workout facilities also have these scales available so people can more accurately manage their weight loss goals.
In accordance with weight loss, it is important to be able to understand body fat ratios to muscle and bone. There are special medical scales that can help a doctor determine your body fat percentage. The accuracy of these scales is sometimes questioned and most doctors rely more on average weight to height ratios to determine health.
In critical hospital situations when a patient is not capable of walking onto a scale on their own, there are special scales that can be used. There are scales that can lift the bed and patient together. While most weigh the bed and/or stretcher with the patient lying on it, some are capable of weighing only the patient on a thin plastic sheet that is placed underneath them prior to weighing. This scale attaches to the plastic sheet only and lifts the patient from the bed to obtain his/her weight using a hanging scale. The touch of a button then gives a digital readout of the patient’s weight while zeroing out the weight of the bedding.
Under that same subject, there are special scales to weigh people that reside in wheelchairs. Sometimes these scales are simply chairs that the patient can be transferred into to gain a weight measurement. These usually have a capacity of 500 pounds and can be transferred to the patient so it can be put in whatever position is easiest for the patient. There are also scales that a wheelchair can be positioned on and weighed. These can then zero out the weight of the chair – but are usually not as accurate as placing the patient directly on a chair scale.
In many circumstances, medical scales are the key to some patient’s healthcare needs. It is necessary to keep these scales extremely accurate and reliable, as well as accessible to any patient.
Two Different Methods for Analyzing Moisture in a Given Substance
Most people do not worry about the amount of moisture in things. In fact, the amount of moisture in the air and the things around you are probably given little to no thought at all in the daily ins and outs of your life. But if you work in an industry where moisture matters analyzing the amount of moisture in a given substance can be a very important task in your life. Industries that may focus on the moisture content of various things include pharmaceutical manufacturing and development, food processing, construction, and industries involving the use of chemicals just to name a few. Moisture content is important to these industries for several reasons. Moisture can break down different chemicals causing them to become unstable or volatile. Moisture can encourage the growth of various bacteria and other unwanted microorganisms which can wreak havoc on the production of many pharmaceuticals and in the food processing industry as you can surely imagine. Moisture can also break down natural and man made materials which can have serious consequences in the construction industry, obviously threatening the integrity of building structures.
Moisture content in any given substance can be measured in several different ways. One way to measure moisture content is using the Loss on Drying, or LOD, method. This is a process in which the substance sample is weighed, heated for an appropriate amount of time to promote drying, cooled in a dry environment, and then weighed again. The difference in the weight before the drying of the substance and after the drying of the substance gives the test conductor an approximation of moisture content. Conducting this entire process manually in a laboratory using a traditional oven can be very time consuming. Because of the time consuming nature of this process, moisture analysis machines have been developed and are readily available. Two highly accurate and reliable manufacturers of moisture analyzers are the companies, A&D and Ohaus. Some of the features available on moisture analyzers include test parameter memory, digital calibration, halogen heating, timers, and programmable profiles and drying modes to name a few.
Another popular method for analyzing the amount of moisture in a sample substance is the Karl Fischer titration method. This is a method that only measures the amount of water in a given substance (as opposed to other methods, such as the Loss on Drying method which measures any type of moisture in a given substance). This method was developed by a German scientist by the name of Karl Fischer in the year 1935. Even though this method only detects water, it still has many advantages. This method is highly accurate and precise, it requires a relatively small sample of the substance being tested, the preparation of the sample substance is relatively easy, the amount of time required for the moisture analysis is fairly short, the measuring range is practically unlimited and this method is suitable for analyzing solids, liquids and gases.
The Analytical Balance, An Explanation and Usage Guide.
Analytical balances can be used by universities, pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers, and a wide range of laboratories and other manufacturing facilities. But what is an analytical balance? To describe an analytical balance by comparing it to something that is probably familiar to you, analytical balances are basically the opposite of doctors scales. Where doctors scales measure in a relatively crude form, analytical balances are highly precise.
An analytical balance is piece of equipment that is used to measure mass to a very high degree of accuracy. The precision of the balance is accomplished by maintaining a constant pressure on the balance beam, which is achieved by subtracting the mass on the same side of the beam to which the item or items to be weighed is added. A spring force is used in the final balance as opposed to subtracting fixed weights. The more precise analytical balances are equipped with small weighing platforms which are inside a see through enclosure with doors. This enclosure is necessary to keep dust and air currents in the room from affecting the operation of the analytical balance. Also, the item or items being weighed must be at room temperature to prevent natural convection from forming air currents inside the enclosure which will affect the weighing.
Due to the precise nature of the analytical balance, proper use and care of the analytical balance is of utmost importance to ensure an accurate reading and proper future functioning of the balance. Before weighing anything, the analytical balance must be prepared by leveling and zeroing the balance. Some balances have a manual level bubble that can be visually checked, while other balances have a more complicated leveling system. The same is true for the zeroing mechanism of the analytical balance. Some analytical balances have a simple zeroing method while others have a complex zeroing procedure. All balances can be different, so it is best to check the user guide for your particular analytical balance if you are unsure of how to zero or level your balance. If you do not have a user guide, you should contact the manufacturer to find this information. Make sure you do not bump or otherwise disturb the balance once it has been leveled and zeroed or you may need to repeat this process.
When weighing a substance that is either liquid, powder, or granular, you must always use a proper weighing container. The type of weighing container can be greatly varied and will depend on the sample you are weighing. Make sure you tare the container before proceeding with your weighing. To tare the container simply means that you are going to use the balance to determine the exact weight of the container before continuing with your weighing procedure so that the weight of the container may be subtracted from the total weight of the container and the substance. Some analytical balances will automatically subtract the tare weight for you, while other analytical balances require that the tare weight be subtracted manually.
If you happen to spill some of the substance you are weighing on or around the balance, make certain that you clean the balance and the area thoroughly. Any residual substances on the balance could throw off the accuracy of future measurements.
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