Pendant Configuration by Role: What to Specify for OR, Anaesthesia and ICU

Start from the role, not the catalogue

List the devices that will physically connect to the pendant: anaesthesia machine, monitors, infusion pumps, ventilator, suction, electrosurgical unit, insufflator, video tower. Group them by role. The anaesthesia pendant is dense in electrical and gas needs; the surgical pendant leans toward suction, drive gas and shelf space; the ICU pendant needs more outlets per bed and easy access from several sides.

Only then choose the head type and the arm. MZ Liberec's OK07 family shows how the role drives geometry: head A is for anaesthesia, head L for surgery, head Z has a holder for the anaesthesia machine and head H is a square head with shelves on all four sides.

Gas outlets and electrical sockets

For gases, define each type (oxygen, medical air, vacuum, scavenging, and others as clinically required), the number per head and the coupling standard. MZ Liberec lists DIN, AFNOR, BS, AGA and other national standards for its outlets, so state yours clearly. Confirm there are isolation valves and an accessible point for maintenance.

For power, count real simultaneous loads and the socket types. Solido pendants list 100-230 VAC, up to 2000 W per socket and IP20. Specify separate circuits if the clinical or electrical design requires them, equipotential bonding points, and clear colour or label coding. Remember the electrical safety framework of IEC 60601-1 and see the ISO 11197 standards guide.

• Gas type, number, position and coupling standard per head
• Sockets: number, type, circuit separation and protected supply where needed
• Equipotential bonding terminals
• Spare capacity for future devices

Data, IT and video

Modern pendants carry more than power. Decide on network ports, video inputs and outputs, nurse-call or monitoring interfaces and any conduit for fibre or coax. If the room will have an integration system, such as Lojer OpenOR, coordinate the pendant's data points with the integrator at the design stage, not afterwards.

Cable management is part of configuration. TAURUS includes built-in cable management that keeps wiring hidden, which matters for cleaning and for avoiding cable damage as arms move. Ask how cables are routed through each joint and what the maximum bend and travel are.

Shelves, drawers, IV poles and equipment rails

Shelves carry monitors, pumps or the anaesthesia machine's accessories, and rails give flexibility. TAURUS has a vertical rail on all four sides of the column that takes shelves up to 60 kg, monitor holders and IV-pole arms. Check the stated payload, how shelves are locked and whether a drawer is needed for consumables, especially in anaesthesia and ICU.

Sim.CARRY from SIMEON offers supply consoles L06, L10, L12 and L15, the horizontal A console, and on selected versions the Z console with lift for anaesthesia machines or endoscopy trolleys. See Sim.CARRY for the available models and arm lengths of 450, 600, 800 and 1,000 mm.

Hygiene, colour and mechanical features

Choose covers and finishes that tolerate your disinfectants. Solido has a seamless surface with no visible fixing screws and RAL colour options. TAURUS offers 360-degree LED RGB lighting with adjustable colour and intensity, which can be used for orientation or ambience. Check brake type: pneumatic or electromagnetic, plus a passive friction brake in each joint on TAURUS, and indicator lighting on Solido.

Finally, check the mechanical envelope against ceiling height and other equipment; see rigid and height-adjustable options. Confirm the configuration drawing is approved by the clinical team before ordering, because Solido and most other pendants are built to order.

Final checks and getting help

Before approving the order, walk through each role with a clinician and a mock-up: reach to every outlet, no cables crossing the sterile field, no collisions between pendants, lights and monitor arms. Keep the signed configuration sheet in the project file.

Beckfinity can help you draft configuration sheets for MZ Liberec, Lojer and SIMEON pendants and check them against your room plans. Contact our team for a consultation or quote.