IEC TR 60878 Updated – Graphical Symbols for Medical Practice Electrical Equipment

IEC TR 60878, “Graphical symbols for electrical equipment in medical practice,” has just been updated.  The new Edition 3.0 cancels and replaces the 2nd Edition from 2003 since it is a technical revision.  Since it contains new symbols and safety signs, you’ll want to get your copy of the new Edition if you use this standard.

The IEC TR 60878 is a bilingual edition, with text in French on the left and text in English on the right.  Only the pages with symbols have text in both English and French.  Should the technical report be released in an English only edition, please be aware that sometimes only the odd numbered pages would be included at the beginning and the end of the document.  This protocol can sometimes confuse users…

What is included in the IEC TR 60878?  The technical report is a compliation of graphical symbols used on medical electrical equipment.  So if you use a certain symbol and need to find related ones, it’s very easy.  Also, all these symbols have been developed using the drafting rules of ISO/IEC 80416.  They present symbol elements in a consistent manner so that they can be easily understood by your user population.  And they have been drafted in a way to make them different enough one from the other to avoid confusion.

This means that the bulk of the publication is actually pages of related symbols, then a discussion of each symbol and it’s meaning along with alphabetical indexes included at the end.   What symbols will you find?  Adjustable lower and upper limits, do not cover, non-sterile, “on/off” (push button), and power plug are just a few.  They are used for such products as patient monitoring, dental equipment, ultrasound equipment, nuclear medicine, active implantable medical devices and so on.

How large a publication is IEC TR 60878?  Currently Edition 3.0 clocks in at 288 pages.  Of course, you’ll need to get your copy of this new release from an authorized distributor like Document Center Inc.  Order at our webstore, www.document-center.com.  Or go directly to the order page for IEC TR 60878.  If you have additional questions or need information on multi-user access, contact our staff by phone (650-591-7600) or email (info@document-center.com).  We’ve been working with standards since 1982.  Make us your Standards Experts!