Transcript The uses of wireless technologies and hand held devices in a hospital

WIFI
 WIFI (wireless-fidelity) is used in hospitals to connect
multiple computers and tablets to the same network so
that doctors can access their patients files and details
anywhere in the hospital. They use WIFI so that the
tablets can move from room to room to visit different
patients and still be connected
Some examples of Hand held
devices used in the medical
industry
Plug-In Technology For Mobile
Phones Diagnoses Pneumonia
 Researchers are adapting mobile phones to help health workers quickly diagnose
pneumonia. The team has developed a low-cost oximeter, a device that measures the
oxygen content in red blood cells. This can be plugged into a smartphone with special
diagnostic software to analyse readings obtained from the sensor and determine a
patient’s health. The next step is expanding the prototype to work with simpler cell
phones.
Off-The-Shelf Camera Sees Cancer
In Real-Time
 Using a $400 Olympus digital camera, biomedical researchers are able to
distinguish between healthy and cancerous cells with the addition of a small
bundle of fiber-optic cable. The tip of the cable is placed against the inside of a
patient’s cheek, which has been treated with a common fluorescent dye to glow
for better imaging. The pictures captured can then be examined on the
camera’s LCD screen to detect if abnormal cells are present. In the future,
software upgrades could be developed to perform this analysis automatically.
Lens-Less Digital Microscope Plugs
Into Mobile Phones
 UCLA’s Ozcan Research Group has developed a small digital microscope that
can plug into a cell phone through a USB cable and perform basic medical
diagnostics. This inexpensive, lightweight microscope doesn’t use a lens, but
instead incorporates a LED to illuminate the sample along with a light-sensing
chip to capture images from slides. This helps ensure quicker access to
medication and treatment.
 Technology has increased patient mobility, both at
the hospital and at home. A patient can leave their
hospital bed while still having their vital signs,
including blood pressure, electrocardiogram and
temperature, continuously monitored through the
hospital's access points. As an added benefit, a patient
can be tracked through the hospital.
 For example, there are now implantable devices that
monitor glucose levels without a patient having to
puncture themselves with needles several times a day.
The resulting data can be transmitted to a networked
computer in the patient's home, allowing a healthcare
professional to monitor the patient data without the
patient having to set foot in a hospital.
Other examples
 Handheld electronic devices enable clinical staff to
carry medication reference
information to the point of care. These devices are
small enough to keep in
pockets or on belts, leaving hands free for other duties.
 Information on drug indications, doses, interactions
and other considerations can be downloaded to these
devices for quick reference.
 Many hospitals are piloting the use of handheld
electronic devices linked via wireless networks to the
main hospital network.
 Implications
 Patients in remote areas can receive basic diagnosis
without having to travel to health clinics.
 Mobile Phone As Tool – Basic phones enable them to
provide mobile care.
 Anywhere Diagnosis -Temporary, ad-hoc hospitals can be
set up for doctors to monitor larger groups of people who
don’t have easy access to medical facilities.0
 Frequent Check-ups, Early Detection – Mobile devices can
be used to monitor healthy patients and larger populations
identifying and preventing pandemics by treating people
before disease spreads.
Costs
 Technology devices are expensive; no hospital can
afford to buy what it won’t use.
 It's important to determine the
devices that will clearly help physicians, nurses and
other professionals.
 Correctly estimating the number of devices needed is
also vital.