How electrical engineering ensures accurate calibration and patient safety
by Mesa Labs, Inc. · News-MedicalPlease tell us about yourself and your role at Mesa Labs.
I hold a PhD in Computer Science, along with both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Telecommunication Engineering. At my core, I am a hardware electrical engineer. Throughout my academic and professional career, I have focused on developing electrical and electronic solutions designed to monitor, safeguard, and improve human lives.
That mission aligns perfectly with Mesa Labs’ vision of protecting the vulnerable. My team contributes to that vision by designing, maintaining, and continuously improving electronic systems used in critical monitoring and calibration solutions.
What is electrical engineering, and how broad are its applications?
Electrical engineering is about creating solutions that generate, control, and transmit electrical signals. How do we send an electrical signal that results in a desired outcome or action? Electrical engineers design, build, and test electrical systems and improve system performance to ensure compliance.
Consider how essential electrical and electronic systems have become in our lives today. Computers and various electronic solutions are everywhere, including highly impactful industries such as biopharmaceutical, medical, food, and beverage, which could not produce or preserve their products without monitoring through electrical systems and sensors.
For example, electrical systems can convert a physical measurement, such as temperature, into a digital electrical signal that is transmitted via radio or wireless communications such as Wi-Fi. It can then be converted back into an electrical signal at the receiver side for visualization on a display or storage in memory.
How does electrical engineering impact vulnerable patient populations, such as dialysis patients?
Dialysis patients need treatments multiple times a week. From waking up to an alarm, to the dialysis machine itself and the meter used to verify that the machine is working properly, electronic systems are involved throughout the process.
Dialysis machines have intricate electrical systems that ensure an accurate dialysis prescription is delivered to the patient. At Mesa, meters are used to calibrate these dialysis machines to ensure proper and accurate performance.
My team and I work diligently to design electrical solutions that meet these needs with the highest level of accuracy because much more is at stake when products ultimately impact vulnerable patients. In addition, we provide service and calibration support for manufacturing and help plan the next generation of innovations through a culture of continuous improvement.
From an electrical engineering perspective, what is calibration?
I define calibration as the process required to ensure that an electrical product operates as intended and in accordance with the product specifications.
We follow ISO 17025. According to the standard, calibration determines how far a reading is from the standard, as defined by internationally recognized organizations such as NIST.
Why is calibration important if an instrument appears to be working properly?
For high-stakes electronic devices such as calibration meters, calibration is essential because we cannot verify a correct output without it.
Devices such as a remote control send coded commands and do not measure or report a value, so calibration is not meaningful in the same way. Meters, however, measure and report values, typically through an analog-to-digital interface. As electronic measuring devices are used over time, they may experience drift.
At Mesa, we recommend annual calibration and adjustment to ensure ongoing compliance with accuracy standards and regulatory requirements.
What types of instruments typically require calibration?
Mesa Labs recommends annual calibration. How was that interval determined?
What is sensor drift?
How can environmental conditions affect electronic measurement systems?
Electromagnetic sources such as televisions, radios, and other electronic devices can also interfere with measured signals and create device distortion. Harsh conditions may also shorten the lifespan of electronics by affecting the hardware's overall health.
What is the difference between calibration and adjustment?
According to ISO 17025, calibration is the process of measuring a device's performance and determining how close it is to a recognized standard.
Adjustment, on the other hand, is the correction applied to bring the device into alignment with that standard. It is typically applied to a specific component of the system rather than the entire system and is intended to correct measurement drift.
Many people use the terms interchangeably, but they are not the same. Adjustment can only be performed accurately by those who understand the device's exact system design and programming, such as the OEM.
At Mesa, we first calibrate to determine whether a device is within specification, then adjust for measurement drift if necessary. When I refer to calibration services, I generally mean both calibration and adjustment.
If a device is adjusted once, is that correction permanent?
What is the difference between OEM and non-OEM components?
There is a significant difference between the two.
OEM components are certified, reliable, and quality tested. Non-OEM components may only approximate the manufacturer’s specifications. For example, an OEM smartphone battery is engineered with the correct cell chemistry and protection circuitry to ensure safe charging and accurate battery reporting, while a non-OEM replacement battery may degrade faster or introduce safety risks.
Even when OEM and non-OEM parts show identical specifications on paper, hidden differences can affect measurement validity and long-term stability. These differences can include manufacturing controls, material quality, calibration methods, and lot-to-lot consistency.
For example, a non-OEM sensor may meet initial accuracy specifications but exhibit greater drift, increased noise, or poorer temperature stability over time due to different aging characteristics.
What advice would you give users on how to best care for their calibration devices?
Use, care for, and store devices according to the OEM’s recommendations.
Those recommendations are based on extensive testing and data. For customers using measurement meters, devices should also be calibrated regularly per the OEM's recommended schedule.
About Guido Gioberto
Guido Gioberto is an electrical engineer and technology specialist whose work focuses on electronic systems, sensing technologies, data acquisition, and measurement accuracy. He serves as a Subject Matter Expert in Electrical Engineering at Mesa Labs, where he supports the development and continuous improvement of electronic systems used in monitoring and calibration solutions that help protect vulnerable populations.
Dr. Gioberto earned a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota and also holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Electrical and Telecommunication Engineering. Throughout his career, he has combined expertise in hardware design, embedded systems, signal processing, and human-centered sensing technologies. His published research has explored wearable sensing systems, body-area networks, electronic measurement techniques, and innovative approaches for capturing physiological and environmental data.
His multidisciplinary background allows him to bridge the gap between advanced electronics, software systems, and real-world healthcare applications. At Mesa Labs, he applies this expertise to support the development of highly accurate measurement and calibration technologies that help ensure compliance, reliability, and patient safety across critical healthcare and life science environments.
About Mesa Labs, Inc.
At Mesa Labs, we apply technical expertise and technological innovation to improve quality of life for patients, workers, and consumers worldwide. Our products and services directly impact the critical environments that advance medical breakthroughs, keep industry moving, and ensure the safety of products we use every day.
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With more than 700 employees around the world, we’re passionate about connecting our skills to a bigger purpose. We approach every day with a uniquely customer-centric vision to protect the vulnerable by empowering every employee to make a real difference.
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