Solutions: Medical / Healthcare

Reduced staffing, facility closures and cost containment pressures are just a few of the issues hospitals, laboratories and medical device manufacturers face daily. Device networking can play a major role in automating and safeguarding data collection and dissemination, remote patient monitoring, asset tracking and reducing service costs.

With Lantronix device servers, patient monitoring devices, mobile EKG units, glucose analyzers, blood analyzers, infusion pumps, ventilators and virtually any other diagnostic tool with serial capability can be networked and managed over the Internet.

Data Collection & Dissemination
Because it can flow directly from a device to a central location, such as the nurses’ station or physician’s office, information is available to be shared locally or remotely by doctors and specialists, shortening diagnosis times, and ultimately, saving lives. Test results can be transmitted securely over the network and centrally maintained by the hospital IT department. The time required for record keeping is reduced and inaccuracies caused by handwritten information or erroneous transcription are eliminated.

Companies like I-Stat, Agilent and Welch Allyn incorporate Lantronix device servers into their medical devices. For example, to improve the data collection process, reduce the potential for error and maximize staff mobility i-STAT incorporated Lantronix Micro device servers into the recharger base units for their handheld blood analyzers. After collecting samples nurses dock the devices into the base unit at the nurses’ station. The data is automatically transmitted directly over the network to the patient management system, the lab and/or the doctor’s office.

Remote Patient Monitoring and Device Management
Device networking also enables remote monitoring in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, doctor’s offices and patients’ homes. With network-enabled equipment, medical professionals can instantly get an update on the patient’s condition, from anywhere at any time via a network or the Internet.

Field service calls and the likelihood of instrument malfunctions decrease dramatically when instruments can be monitored over a network. Instead of repairing instruments after they break down, service personnel are able to monitor devices in real time, perform predictive maintenance, and greatly reduce service calls and downtime.

Wireless Solutions
Lantronix offers embedded wired and wireless (802-11b) solutions that can be easily incorporated into new equipment designs, as well as solutions that can network-enable existing equipment in a matter of minutes. Wireless affords the benefit of not having to run wire through the hospital or laboratory and adds a great deal of flexibility by making equipment truly mobile components of the Ethernet network. In every large hospital, there are huge numbers of mobile diagnostic devices that are frequently moved, often without notification of where they are going, or moved with a patient. Often these are leased or short-term rental devices. Putting devices on the network gives staff an easy way to track equipment eliminating wasted time spent trying to locate or account for missing devices.

Whatever your need, with thousands of different types of medical devices already networked in hospitals and healthcare facilities around the world, Lantronix has the solution.

^ Back to Top