Healthcare Wireless and Device Connectivity

Essential WLAN Client Testing

Integra Systems, Inc. is approaching the anniversary of a twenty year old company that has completed over ten medical device companies validation and verification projects for networked and co-existence testing for regulatory approval. This is a part of our business model that has major valuation. Our copyrighted © test plans and protocols have provided the baseline and detailed expertise to ensure the correct process for the required submittal. This process also provides the baseline for the development of deployment guidelines for ensuring the proper authentication, security and quality of service in WLAN medical device mobility deployments.

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DigitalHealth/WirelessMedicalDevices/default.htm#7

https://www.ixiacom.com/products/ixveriwave

http://www3.gehealthcare.com/en/education/clinical_education/cybersecurity_essentials_for_healthcare

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Cybersecurity for Medical Devices and Healthcare

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Zebra TC51/TC56 TOUCH COMPUTER SERIES in the Enterprise versus a Smart Phone

A true enterprise device that has the look, feel, and interface like a smart phone. The TC51 and TC56 has been introduced by Zebra. Lot of very cool features like the Snapdragon 650 64-bit hexa-core 1.8GHz ARM Cortex A72

We all have a smart phone today. The challenge for the consumer smart phone is that it was not really designed for the enterprise environment.

However, folks are trying make it work in healthcare it seems. For any type of enterprise Wi-Fi persistent connectivity with the proper security, you have to have excellent roaming algorithms.

Does your smart phone support the following security schemas WEP (40 or 104 bit); WPA/WPA2 Personal (TKIP, and AES); WPA/WPA2 Enterprise (TKIP and AES)
EAP-TTLS (PAP, MSCHAP, MSCHAPv2), EAP-TLS, PEAPv0-MSCHAPv2, PEAPv1-EAP-GTC3, EAP Fast3 and LEAP?

This is what is needed for security in today's enterprise space.

What about roaming algorithms such as PMKID caching; Cisco CCKM; 802.11r; OKC?

Have you validated that the device through testing that it will maintain a secure enterprise connection with active roaming?

The Wi-Fi radio that is in your smart phone is a secondary less priority wireless connection. It more than likely with the Wi-Fi connection you can connect to your home network the hotel or coffee shop, that is about it. The value proposition of the smart phone is a combination of text, email, and to a now a lesser extent voice communication via a cellular carrier of choice.

Finally, can your smart phone withstand and survive a drop to concrete from several feet without breaking the screen/case and then be watered down with a hose at high pressure and still function?

Drop, tumble, and vibration specifications should read like this.
Multiple 4 ft./1.2 m to tile over concrete over operating temperature range
Multiple 5 ft./1.5 m to concrete with the rugged boot accessory over operating temperature range
500 1.6 ft./0.5 m tumbles, meets or exceeds IEC tumble specification
4 g’s PK Sine (5 Hz to 2 kHz); 0.04 g 2/Hz Random (20 Hz to 2 kHz); 60 minute duration per axis, 3 axis

Download Tc51-tc56-specification-sheet-en-us

https://www.zebra.com/us/en/products/mobile-computers/handheld/tc51-tc56.html

Bluetooth 5.0

Bluetooth 5.0

Bluetooth and the advances to the technology just keep getting better each year. Late this year 2016 early 2017, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) will formalize 5.0. This revised specification will provide the ability of quadrupling of range for Bluetooth low energy devices compared to the Bluetooth 4.0 standard and will double the speed of data throughout from 1 to 2Mbits/second.

The whole value of BTLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), by the SIG is to retain the low power consumption. Having high data rates means that OTA (Over the Air) firmware updates are much faster and also their may be some cross over into the WLAN space.

The original IEEE 802.11 DSSS standard before 1999, was in effect 2MBits/second. In 1999, 802.11b, the extension of 802.11 was when we know as Wi-Fi, became known, i.e. at 10Mbits/second. This launched the WLAN revolution. Was fortunate to be on the ground floor of this working for a company that co-founded the Wi-Fi Alliance.

With BTLE 5.0 developers will have flexibility to take advantage of the 2Mbits/second rate and accept a reduced range. Another option for example is intelligent lighting where data rate is not important; you can simply use a data rate of 250 kbits/second with increased range of 50 meters.

Data rates and ranges can switch back and forth per the SIG 5.0 standard. You could use the high data rate for a OTA firmware upgrade, then switch back to very low data rates for increased distances.

I like Nordic Semiconductor and have used their hardware in the past on medical device projects. www.nordisemi.com Nordic had the first Bluetooth low energy part, was the first company with a SoC integrating a 32-bit ARM Cortex processor, the first with a multi-protocol device, and the first to offer over-the-air firmware upgrades.

www.bluetooth.com

See latest ULP Q4 2016 Report from Nordic - 15MB file

Download NS_ULP_WQ_Q316_Autumn

Innovative Infusion Technology Solves Identified Issues

This month the ECRI Institute of Plymouth Meeting, PA www.ecri.org named infusion errors the number one on top 10 technology hazards. “ Although today’s pumps incorporate features that reduce the risks of infusion errors, these safety mechanisms cannot eliminate all potential errors, and the mechanisms themselves have been known to fail”, the company said. “ECRI Institute continues to receive reports and investigate incidents of uncontrolled flow of medication to the patient – a potentially fatal circumstance known as ‘IV free flow’ and other infusion errors.

Over the past twenty years the design of infusion pumps has changed little. The basic fluid and pump mechanism relies on gravity to deliver medication.

The “smart pump” came into being over ten years ago when manufacturers started to incorporate wireless technology (WLAN) into infusion pumps. The purpose was to provide network communication to a server that could download drug libraries to the infusion pump. This was aimed at the reduction of errors at the point of care to provide high and low limits for each specific drug used. There also was the ability to store log files and upload those for improvements in clinical use. Still, to ensure accuracy of medication delivery, all infusion pumps had to be annually calibrated.

However, we still have twenty-year old pump technology that literally just got updated with Wi-Fi and software. How could technology be improved to prevent “IV free flow”?

First you need to take out a clean sheet of paper and design a new infusion pump that solves the real issues at hand, not just bolt on a Wi-Fi radio module and software and call this a smart pump!

For example, it would be ideal if infusion therapy could be delivered accurately and reliably regardless of bedside plumbing and also the height of the source of medication delivery on the I.V. pole.

A new company called Ivenix www.ivenix.com is accomplishing this. Instead of relying upon gravity it uses an adaptive design. This design (still pending FDA 510(k) approval) measures flow and automatically adjusts to maintain flow within a very small percentage of the set flow rate under all conditions. How does this new design lower risk?

1. Infusion therapy can now being able to be delivered accurately and reliably regardless of bedside plumbing and the height of the hanging bag of infused medication.
2. Eliminate the need for the calibration of infusion pumps.
3. Reduce air-in-line alarms because air is eliminated from the system.
4. An intuitive smart phone touch interface is provided to the user reducing time and potential errors.

Extreme Networks finalizes acquisition of Zebra WLAN Business

The following is the recent press release from Extreme Networks and is important for various reasons. Extreme acquired the WLAN business from Zebra. Previously Zebra purchased the mobile computing and WLAN business from Motorola, which had purchased Symbol Technologies earlier. In fact a lot of great innovation came out of the facility in San Jose, CA. Most folks do not understand that Symbol had wireless technologies in the 802.11 space before anybody else. In 1999 and 2000, they helped found the Wi-Fi Alliance. At that time I worked for Symbol during the initial days of Wi-Fi. The acquisition of the WLAN business from Zebra is truly a major win for Extreme.

www.extremenetworks.com

San Jose, Calif. — Oct. 31, 2016 – Extreme Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXTR) announced today that it has completed its acquisition of Zebra Technology Corporation’s (NASDAQ: ZBRA) wireless LAN (WLAN) business. The acquisition of the WLAN business strengthens and expands Extreme’s end-to-end, wired and wireless software-driven networking solutions and complements its vertical market focus.

“This exciting acquisition solidifies Extreme’s position as the third largest provider in our target enterprise campus market and creates numerous growth opportunities for expanded solutions and services offerings for our customers,” said Ed Meyercord, president and CEO of Extreme Networks. “The addition of the WLAN assets increases our total addressable market to $9.4 billion in one of the fastest growing segments of the networking industry and expands our bench with talented key management, experienced wireless industry experts and partners, and a strong base of blue-chip customers.”

Extreme acquired customers, personnel and technology assets from Zebra. The acquisition positions Extreme as a leader across the hospitality, education, healthcare, manufacturing and state and local government markets. With the addition of industry thought leaders, WiNG Wi-Fi technology, leading wireless security software, a next generation guest platform, a new managed services capability, and a strong customer base, Extreme extends into new verticals such as retail, transportation and logistics, and broader hospitality, creating additional opportunities for growth.

“Zebra Technologies’ wireless LAN business is a strategic fit for Extreme Networks that strengthens Extreme’s position in the enterprise campus market,” said Nolan Greene, senior research analyst, IDC. “The acquired technology complements Extreme’s existing portfolio of software-driven networking solutions and provides new opportunities for its entire ecosystem of partners, distributors, customers and employees. The enterprise WLAN market is one of the fastest growing networking segments globally and Extreme is solidifying its role as a major player in the marketplace through this deal.”

As previously announced, Extreme expects the transaction to be accretive to cash flow and earnings for its fiscal year 2017 and expects to generate over $115 million in annualized revenue from the acquired WLAN assets.