Nervo-Scope® ETS Care & Maintenance

Nervo-Scope® Care and Maintenance

Electronic Development Laboratories, Inc. (EDL), has proudly manufactured the Nervo-Scope® for over 60 years, and the care and maintenance requirements for them have not changed a great deal. In the past, the most delicate part of the Nervo-Scope® was the Analog meter (the small coil assembly with the red pointer attached). In the newer electronic versions, we have been able to alter the delicate nature of the Analog meter and produce a more robust design that is much more durable and reliable.

User care and maintenance for the Analog meter includes cleaning the glass face with non-abrasive cleaners and not soaking or spraying a large amount of cleaning fluid on the face of the meter, since the meter is not hermetically sealed. The next most sensitive area of the Nervo-Scope® is the detector heads (the thermocouple tips). This area consists of wires that are precision welded, cleaned, formed, and cemented into place with ceramic filler. These wires should not be moved or wiggled and all cleaning operations should be done parallel with the direction of the wires.

Over the years, many questions have arisen as to what the correct cleaning solution should be and how often they require cleaning. Our recommendation is to clean them after every patient, with a product like Certrol® brand disinfectant. Certrol Pro Spray, which was chosen after extensive testing in our laboratory. In our tests it performed better than any alternative and caused no damage to any of the components of the Nervo-Scope®. Some people use alcohol for cleaning the Nervo-Scope® and although it may appear to be effective; it causes long-term damage to the detector heads and does not have the germicidal effect ofCertrol®. We offer Certrol® for purchase on our site.

The housing is made from a Nylon/ABS composite that is injection molded and machined to arrive at the final product. Although the case is chemically resistant, it is not impervious to chemical attack. The case should be cleaned and disinfected using Certrol® as well.

The Nervo-Scope® uses a battery. These instruments require one nine-volt battery, depending on usage; it is capable of powering the instrument for up to one year. You should always change the battery at a maximum of a one-year interval. Following a fixed replacement schedule will reduce the potential for battery leakage and damage to the Nervo-Scope®.

The switches in the Nervo-Scope® do not require any user maintenance; they are of an extremely reliable and long-lasting design. Never spray cleaning solution directly into a switch; it could wash contaminants into the contact area or wash away the internal lubrication and cause permanent damage to the switch.

On the ETS-7*, ETS-8*, and ETS-9A instruments, beneath the front end is the socket for connecting the Analagraph® cable. If you are using the instrument without the cable plugged in, we recommend putting a dummy (unused plug) in place. These connectors are the same connector that all telephones use, and you may use either a four-pin or a six-pin plug. This will keep dirt from accumulating in the socket and possibly creating poor or intermittent contact.

There are two potentiometer adjustments on the ETS-6*, ETS-7*, ETS-8*, ETS-9 and ETS-9A Nervo-Scopes®, but we do not recommend any user adjustments. If you are having a problem with your instrument, and it is not covered in the instruction booklet, please call our technical service department for support at: 434.799.0807, or refer to our Repair Information Page for information on how and where to send your instruments in for repair/calibration.