Healthcare Wireless and Device Connectivity

Market Consolidates in the Auto-ID Space

The term Auto-ID actually is the correct term for bar code scanning and to include all the flavors of RF-ID. Just like bar scanning is now being displaced by the CCD (charge coupled device) imager.

I know this because I worked for Symbol Technologies in the earlier years of 2000 as one of their technical field guys. Just like in the WLAN space, you are seeing consolidation in this space.

The WLAN is just the transport, but where the rubber meets the road is automating the "point of care" space. This will include mobile computers that will have the user interface of the I-Phone/Android, but the difference will be IP-56 rated use and well as enterprise grade highly secure wireless. (wireless will low Power Bluetooth, 802.11a/g/n and 3g/4g.) Oh yes, incorporating the use of the CCD camera to decode 1D/2D/Matrix bar codes and eventually RFID. RFID still is trying to find it's home because of cost and not a universally accepted standard.
This is not to say that the Android consumer device and/or iPad/iPhone will not be used at the "point of care", but they were never developed for the harsh industrial use environment.

It will be interesting to see how the market plays out in the next couple of years. Motorola purchased Symbol to obtain the mobile computing platforms, heritage in bar code scanning and the WLAN products. Before Cisco even thought of "wireless", Symbol was firmly in this space.

Honeywell then purchased the HHP (Hand-held products), division to obtain their CCD imagers, scan engines, and POS (point of sale terminals). Next time you go to Lowes and swipe your card and sign...that is now a Honeywell POS terminal. Most recently Honeywell announced their intent to purchase Intermec. Intermec was a direct competitor to Symbol..but struggled to compete as the market changed. However they have an array of mobile computing platforms.

Integra Systems and the Founder have worked for Symbol, Motorola, Welch Allyn and Intermec.

www.motorola.com
www.welchallyn.com
www.intermec.com

WLAN versus WMTS for Medical Telemetry - What Makes Sense?

This has been a huge debate for the past twelve plus years.

After 2000 and when 802.11b came approved in 1999 and a proven design became available for www.draeger.com via Integra Systems in 2005..it just makes sense for medical telemetry over the WLAN. This is not to say that WMTS is not the best way to go; but a converged WLAN solution does make perhaps the best financial and technical approach.

Integra Systems, Inc., has been recently comissioned to conduct a forensic analysis of a Department of Defense wireless voice over IP network design as well as a WMTS Integrated Delivery Network design for medical based telemetry in the past twenty four months.

Both the installed provided WLAN design and WMTS design and deployment were flawed from the get go. As a result this had huge ripple effects in application performance and associated risk of the use model.

So what is important here? Fundamental is good RF design?

Integra Systems, Inc. will be soon publishing a white paper from www.ixiacom.com the global leader in network design tools.

This should shed some light on the best practices of what both the medical device company and provider market should look at to decrease the risk of deployment and CAPEX and OPEX costs.

2.4GHZ versus 5.0GHz WLAN Medical Devices

I have most recently heard in the field that "well WLAN medical devices should use 802.11a not 802.11g, simply because the 5.0GHz spectrum is less crowded"...interesting. We should note that physics plays into the equation here. The higher the frequency of a wireless signal the shorter the range. 2.4GHz (802.11g) covers a substantial larger range than that of 5.0GHz (802.11a) and the higher frequency signals of 5.0GHz do not penetrate solid objects nearly as well as do 2.4GHz signals. The smaller wavelength of 5.0GHz allows a higher absorption rate by solid objects. If we think and compare we should look at the cellular industry...early days PCS at 1900MHz, now LTE or 4G at 700MHz. What should also be considered here also is the site survey. Did the integrator or design team conduct the site survey inside the patient rooms to take into account where the actual medical device will be used, or did they simply "walk the hallway"? The majority of site survey's were conducted and planned for 802.11a/b/g, with clients running 802.11b/g, not just 802.11a. So what if the network design was planned for 802.11b/g, and then if a 802.11a client is being used?...well I would expect a lot of signal drop out. Patient Monitoring data as well as infusion pump data (real time and batch), does not really impact the network load in a significant way. It is small amounts of data. The author recently finished up a design with www.vocera.com for probably the most challenging and unique RF environment in a mission critical and classified Department of Defense location. (They are using 802.11g). The voice solution by Vocera works great! (See infrastructure design guide). Go to pages 19-20 and 32-40.

Download InfrastructureGuide

Motorola MC40 and BYOD HIMSS 2013

Definitely on the radar big time at HIMMS was the whole aspect of BYOD. I used to to work for the former company that is now www.motorola.com. While the personal i-Phone may be desired to be used for point of care...it certainly can, but there are limitations. For instance the WLAN radio embedded in it is an afterthought and not really desired for the enterprise, let alone providing for FIPS. This includes also consumer grade Android devices. If you desire to add capabililities for bar-code scanning you have and an additional "sled". Any consumer grade device is not IP-56 rated, so if you drop it on a hard floor or or splash it with water...well. Finally, for infection control purposes folks have to think about using their own personal devices.
http://www.motorola.com/Business/US-EN/Business+Product+and+Services/Mobile+Computers/Handheld+Computers/MC40

HIMSS 2013 EnteraSys

For first time at this event separate from the www.siemens.com booth, their showing was nothing short of spectacular. Traffic was extremely high with not "tire kicking" kind of folks but CIO(s) and CFO(s), engaged in high level executive and financial discussions. Go to this URL to download the paper that Integra Systems, Inc., authored.
http://www.enterasys.com/solutions/healthcare.aspx

HIMSS 2013 Monday in New Orleans

It is the early start of the day of exhibits and many meetings. The RTLS and RFID meeting was interesting yesterday on Sunday. RTLS is really beginning to show the merit and widespread adoption by the recent announcement of www.centrak.com securing the VA implementation contract across all facilities. I did work with www.centrak.com from the start of this compny in the past few years as I felt they had the right "mousetrap", i.e. Gen 2 and now the integration with www.cisco.com RFID is having someone what a slower adoption. My opinion (because I worked for Symbol now Motorola), is that there is no universally accepted bar code or RFID technology. When the industry (like the military using PDF-417), does adopt a universally accepted RFID technology or even bar code symbology...this will really take off.