Medical devices of which includes infusion pumps and patient monitoring and also other monitoring modalities as pulse oximetry, are in an increasing fashion moving their applications across the WLAN (Wireless LAN). As a result of this there will be an increasing need to develop the correct deployment model to scale the x number of medical wireless enabled devices (no matter the bandwidth); and further how they will establish the correct QoS, and also to exist within the right quality of service (QoS) for all applications. Also has to be factored into how these life critical applications will exist with other needed data and voice requirements on the WLAN, i.e. quality of service, as stated.
All medical device manufactures with WLAN client adapters do have to be tested and validated not only the described quality of service or should; but have to submit their testing data to internal regulatory, and finally pass muster with entire FDA process. This testing and design process of the WLAN has been based upon the well established and proven micro-cellular or proven (WLAN) architecture. Many of these medical device companies have relied upon www.veriwave.com as Veriwave is the gold standard in the industry for this type of testing Oh yes, the majority of WLAN companies use Veriwave for testing their internal radio designs.
Their seems to be discussions regarding the use model of these regulated WLAN devices that were validated on a industry best of designs for the WLAN industry to be utilized in a DAS infrastructure (Distributed Antenna System) architecture.
Several caveats need to potentially looked at or evaluated.
- Will the end hospital client or infrastructure provider assume the risk for the deviation from the approved and regulated model, that is the micro-cellular architecture (WLAN)?
- How will this infrastructure impact the proven quality of service model, and how acceptable will this be the the end user?
- What is the overall initial cost and total cost of ownership to go against a proven industry standard micro-cellular architecture (WLAN) of those companies that control a plus 85% of the WLAN industry?
- End users should get several quotes of which includes a converged design, a stand alone WLAN cost model, and a stand alone DAS model. They will be surprised at the cost deltas regarding a converged model, that is WLAN with a DAS.
- If the end client or infrastructure provider decides to drive this model, they should assume the costs of the additional infrastructure and any changes going forward, and yes what risks are involved?
- Finally, one has to ask themselves how a DAS will ever support 802.11n or MIMO, and what implications this has for cost of changes of DAS infrastructures that were originally designed for 802.11a/b/g. Not that medical devices are incorporting 802.11n now, but this is the natural migration.
- DAS designs are normally non-diversity, so how will this impact the S/N (signal to noise ratio) or help negate multi-path occurences that can be overcome with a diversity or MIMO micro-cellular infrastructure.
See of which is attached a most excellent article touching on several of the aforementioned topics by Dr. Steve Baker. Steve and I have authored an article before and I consider him one of; if not the most respected authority on challenging the correct use model of medical devices in the WLAN industry.
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