Analyser Interfacing – Serial to serial and ethernet Connectivity

Healthcare Management Technology is at the top of many healthcare strategic priority lists. This is a way to overcome the challenges and accelerate the changes that will bring about an efficient next-generation healthcare system.
The business case for the Analyzer Connection Server ‘Dev-Connect’ is strong and the operational and financial benefits are clear. These benefits include increased productivity, decreased errors, improved patient care, shorter billing cycles, and standards compliance.
There are two variations of medical devices management, in various medical environments. Serial-to-Serial communication and Ethernet networking.

1. Serial-to-Serial Interfacing

This is the traditional way of connecting a medical device that supports communications with a host computer.

2. Network-Enable Medical Devices

Serial Device Server allows for medical equipment with a serial port, such as diagnostic analyzers (or any device with an RS232 connection) to be network-enabled. The server software enables connection of equipment with an RS232, RS422 or RS485 serial port to Ethernet, so the device gets authentic serial communications across the Ethernet. Serial Device Server is the best choice for connecting asynchronous device equipment with serial based COM port, to UDP or TCP socket based applications.

Accurate patient information is at the heart of the industry and is dependent on information sharing and technological innovation. To build upon the progress already made in the area of health information technology, data collected at the patients’ bedside, in the operating theatre or the nurses’ station needs to be stored, transmitted and monitored securely. Ethernet is the best way to do this.

Serial Device Servers are available as:

1. hardware devices (serial to Ethernet adaptors)
2. purely software application that runs both at server and at the client level (PC connected to the medical device using just a classic RS232 cable)

This permits secure transmition of the results from the medical devices  over the Internet. As a result, update of patient data is  quick and accurate. An antiquated paper based procedure, cannot make the same claim. Transmition of data over the internet offers a secure access from anywhere such as the nurses’ stations, laboratories, pharmacies, patients’ homes, and doctors’ offices. As there is no human intervention in data transfer, there is also no room for human error.  Transmition by the ‘Dev-Connect’ is in real-time, making diagnosis faster – potentially saving lives.

Remote Monitoring and Management of Medical Devices over the Network

By connecting medical equipment directly to the network, using Analyzer interfacing  ‘Dev-Connect’, data can be securely transmitted to Laboratory Information System (LIS) and the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). Some hospitals continue to rely on their nursing staff to transcribe data from electronic devices to the electronic record. This is a waste of a nurse’s precious time – time better spent on patient care or monitoring. Some reports have shown a 4.4% error rate, when manually transcribing measurements into an electronic medical record.

Data Collection, LIS and EMR

CCS’s healthcare applications of today are ‘mobile’ ones with healthcare professionals practicing in numerous clinics, while critical information is being sent instantaneously to homes, laboratories and even across the globe.

Health care providers that store or transmit patient data electronically are under pressure to comply with standards. These regulations have a number of implementing effects that set a high standard for the health care provider. Specifically in regard to the security of digital networks used to transmit the healthcare data some networks are open to security weaknesses. Security of the healthcare networks needs a secure and reliable network management technology. Equipment must support strong authentication schemes and data encryption.

Selecting Solution

Clearly, the increased productivity, decreased errors, improved patient care, protocol compliance, and shorter billing cycles make for Ethernet enabling medical devices, a strong business case. The operational and clinical benefits of Ethernet-enabling medical devices are emphasized. 

For a cost-effective serial-to-Ethernet solution, maintaining serial device protocol integrity across Ethernet, Analyzer Interfacing ‘Dev-Connect’ is the best choice. The system provides the most authentic serial connections across Ethernet ensuring reliable and secure transmission of medical data across the network.