Healthcare Wireless and Device Connectivity

Wireless System Integrators

As said, I have been around the block or two and see some interesting changes in the system integration business. First it seems everybody wants to be in healthcare and they all say "well we do wireless". Second, the next thing is that they can do everything, WLAN, DAS, medical device testing, you name it.(oh yes we can pop popcorn..also!)

One of the most recent engagements that Integra Systems, Inc. was involved in was analyzing a "concept" that a system integrator proposed. Due the nature of construction the integrator proposed that access points should be used above the ceiling and outside the inner rooms of a scientific research facility. Being the type of work conducted...they did not want the APs in the rooms. Walls were 10" thick concrete with re-bar with multiple layers of epoxy coating. Their proposal was to use standard Cisco AP(s), and affix to them 6dBi and 12dBi directional antennas and max out the power settings on the APs. I just laughed when I heard this. The thought process was well as long as I can get -65dBm, I am good to go. They did not know about co-channel interference which with NO applications was around 80%. Think of engineering a point to point outdoor 3 mile link and pointing this at a steel door 4 ft away. Oh yes, it violated the manufacture's specs, EIRP exceeded FCC limits.

In evaluating integrators it is important to understand not only their certifications; but actual real life wireless experience. Finally the firm needs to have a large enough footprint that is scalable for support. For instance if a medical device company needs to accomplish ten different implementations in ten states...can they do this? Talk is cheap...when you have to execute. If for example if they say they can implement DAS (Distributed Antenna Systems), do they have folks on staff that can drive www.ibwave.com and have people in house with the appropriate FCC certifications?

The situation described above with the AP(s), directional antennas, etc., was the funniest thing I have ever seen in regards to indoor wireless. Quite comical (but serious), that the integrator actual told the customer everything would work fine for wireless voice over IP.

Integra Systems Wireless Medical Device Connectivity Speaking Engagement

We are in the process of preparing our presentation for July. Thanks for www.ixiacom.com for sponsoring this. Due to the content reviewed thus far for this conference...it will be very exciting and provide timely information for the medical device community at large.

Infinity Acute Care M540 Draeger Medical

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Draeger has released the Infinity Acute Care M540. Integra Systems, Inc., consulted with Draeger in 2004-2005 and we collectively with other business partners drove forward the orignal testing and methodology behind OneNet. (It was pretty novel at the time...real time patient monitoring on a "wireless enterprise network" with multiple other application traffic like voice, video, and data). Glad to see the value shown here is not additional technology that the clinician has to deal with; but actually patient monitoring to enhance the clinical worklow.

Technology to drive Wireless Disruption The Mobile Operators View

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This is a good article by Monica Paolini that gives a mobile operator view of changes in the wireless industry. Interesting seeing the growth and battle of data versus voice and the small cell strategy.

Motorola Presentation Integra Systems and Motorola

Download MotorolaHealthcareWebinarJune2012

While some could not have attended this web based presentation, I am providing the link to the archived version as well as the PDF. This is provided via courtesy of www.motorola.com

http://csvep.stream57.com/sl/integration/auth.aspx?enrollmentkey=APK2a08fb02d6354a408c936cc78966a912

EnteraSys One Fabric Architecture

Download Healthcare Use Cases and Patient Care

While every networking company has a similiar "healthcare case study", what I find unique about EnteraSys is it resonates with solving the pains in the healthcare industry today. For instance how can you make a complex networked environment simple, save costs, and decrease risk? I was front and center with them when I asked a "tough first question...wanted to see the reaction and if they became defensive"! So what makes your "plumbing so unique when networking is commoditized"? I equate a AP is a AP, a switch is a switch..thus my term "technical plumbing". Why should I spend time taking a look under the covers at EnteraSys? They remarked...that is an excellent question. I did give them the very deep, deep dive (discussions, interviews, meetings)..and was very impressed! Bottom line EnteraSys should be looked at..nothing to loose here. In fact ask for an actual real time demo with real data...not a fake simulated demo or fancy death by Power Point.

Some facts that caused me to stop and evaluate!
- Acquistion costs can be reduced by 30% and OpEx by over 70%
- Ten time as many users per network administrator compared to the industry average.
- 30% or more capital savings through introducing a second network vendor "Introducing a Second Network Vendor Saves Money and Solidifies Operations" (Gatner ID G00165103
- Comprehensive, industry-leading lifetime warranty drives down TCO.
- Technology lifecycles of 7-10 years rather than industry-typical 2-3 year planned obsolescence.
- Globally recognized, award-winning services and support improves time to resolution.

* These are pretty important facts..that deserve one word..."interesting". Remember a parachute is like your mind...works best when "open".

Open Source Medical Devices - Article from The Economist

As a weekly subscriber of the Economist...I found this article quite interesting. Maybe this needs to also be looked at in the context of "proprietary and closed "wireless" medical device networks and/or "wireless infrastructure and why standards based "wireless networks" should be used for medical devices.

www.economist.com

Article for IT Horizons

Submitted my article for publication...www.aami.org. Here is the abstract
Validation and Verification of WLAN Medical Devices in the Healthcare Enterprise ©
v1.1 31 May 2012 – David H. Hoglund – Integra Systems, Inc. www.integrasystems.org

The quantification and qualification of the quality of service requirements for wireless medical devices as well as the provider WLAN market has been inconsistent. Until recently, there has been no valid ways of testing and validation of the quality of service requirements for WLAN enabled medical devices that will be deployed on a shared enterprise wireless network. This article will describe the test tools, validation and verification test protocols, and deployment methodologies that will ensure the safe and reliable design of WLAN enabled medical devices; but also their deployment in the provider space.

This article somewhat parallels the author’s article from IT Horizons 2008 “Wireless Broadband Management for the Integrated Healthcare Network; but it reflects current in 2012.

What are the overall drivers of change in 2012?
Virtually all medical device manufactures have embedded some 802.11 connectivity (802.11g/a) within their client devices. The “smart pump initiative” drove this in the past, but today it is all about getting that information in the EMR. However, not all embedded 802.11 client radios are the same, or is the protocol stack the same, let alone how the actual antenna element is designed into the medical device. Medical device companies have tended to think that a WLAN adapter for a medical device is just like a WLAN enabled laptop and thus they can use the same typical deployment model. However, this is not case as the majority of WLAN enabled medical devices do not have the same use model as a typical enterprise WLAN enabled laptop or wireless voice over IP phone. Taking this into account many medical device companies that do deploy their WLAN enabled medical devices in a shared wired/wireless enterprise environment may not take into account the correct or right
site design.

Motorola and Integra Systems, Inc., Joint Based Healthcare Wireless Connectivity Web Based Event

Integra Systems, Inc. will be conducting a web based event with Motorola Solutions on June 07, 2012 (See below the link).

(cut and paste this URL...in case the link does not work)

http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/web_seminars/-44449-1.html?st=Cust&s=motorola1

The focus of this web based event will be about "wireless connectivity in healthcare". While there is a lot of buzz surrounding BYOD (Bring your own "wireless" device); this event will cover this but also a wide range of other topics. These areas of discussions will include how IT folks and CIO(s) can look at new models of wireless security pertaining to BYOD as well as defining the right quality of service for WLAN enabled POC (point of care), and WLAN enabled medical devices. The ultimate goal of this event is to help CIO(s) and IT administrators look to new potential ways to lower costs of implementation and support and ultimately decrease risk.

Download Wp_Medical-grade_Life-critical_Wireless_Networks_SteveBaker

Medical Devices in Hospitals to Go Wireless

My long time professional friend John Cellucci sent this to me. The guy is a genius at business. Came out May 24 in the Wall Street Journal. Three comments.

1. Really? Where has the author been...wireless in hospitals has been around for thirty years...and 802.11 enabled medical devices since 2000. Also the whole M2M marketplace is taking off like gangbusters!

2. Interesting! Read between the lines, who paid for this write up. Also interesting, the below article..no co-incidence?

3. Wireless Design by Medical Device Companies. I guess we should ignore what some big companies have done in the wireless space., i.e. www.ti.com, www.intel.com. Wait years for medical device companies to develop proprietary products at high costs..while the rest of the wireless world moves on at warp speed.