[Future perspectives for equipment maintenance and servicing]

Based on the Equipment Safety Law, the Medical Technical Regulations in force since 1 January 1986, and the German Standard DIN 13252: "Inhalational anesthetic Apparatus--requirements for safety and testing", a maintenance system for medical equipment is presented. The maintenance system comprises the check of the equipment by the user before clinical use, maintenance procedures when the equipment is in daily clinical use (maintenance system I), inspection of the equipment at fixed intervals (maintenance system II), and the repair of the equipment should it break down (maintenance system III). Possibilities and perspectives for rationalizing test procedures by means of test simulators are shown. The initial or repeated instruction on medical equipment with life-supporting functions can be performed more systematically when appropriately designed test simulators are used.