With new efficiencies and benefits come new design challenges.
We look at the top challenges and our suggestions for the best technologies and solutions to keep in mind when designing Medical IoT applications.
With digital transformation opening a world of possibilities in medicine, the internet of things (IoT) is making a wave of improvements by connecting devices that can benefit both healthcare providers and patients. The market is still gaining momentum, with healthcare IoT predicted to triple, giving medical engineers huge opportunities for innovative wireless connected technologies and further investment for their implementation to provide precise, result-orientated healthcare, manage any bottlenecks in care, bridge a gap between providers and patients and reduce overall costs.
Medical devices can collect additional invaluable data, more insight into symptoms and trends and give patients more control over treatments and remote care. Healthcare device manufacturers are now looking to IoT devices for more precise, results-orientated healthcare, serving more patients, reducing overall hospital visits and improving costs.
Complete IoT connectivity solutions
We can help you understand the evolving technologies that underpin current and future wireless connectivity, which means we can recommend the best technologies to overcome challenges and build a tailored proposal that will bring your concept into reality.
We offer a specialist portfolio of market-leading standard and custom products and services that are ideal for the needs of medical applications and meet EN 60601-1’s standards. And with a comprehensive range and expertise across every stage of connectivity to help you integrate solutions into your designs – we can get you to market faster without the need to source from multiple suppliers.
These are our suggestions for the best technologies and solutions to keep in mind when designing Medical IoT applications:
Sensor solutions
At the start of any IoT journey is data generation, whether that’s collecting data from multiple points and consolidating into one central hub, or sharing data from one point with multiple users. The decreasing cost of sensor technologies has encouraged healthcare manufacturers to build smarter, more efficient, economical products.
Perfectly complementing our IoT offer is a comprehensive range of specialist industrial-grade sensors. Capable of measuring almost any physical parameter, our miniature and low-power sensors allow for multiple and combined parameters to be measured and shared with the cloud within one compact component, so you can measure almost anything from almost anywhere. With these sensors you can be sure the data measured is of high quality, accurate and reliable.
Airflow and pressure sensors
Honeywell’s sensors offer advanced chip design, manufacturing techniques and technology, allowing them to be faster, smaller and more sensitive – perfectly suited to medical applications.
For higher performance, improved productivity, and increased safety, Honeywell’s Airflow and Trustability™ pressure sensors guarantee enhanced accuracy and performance, whilst maintaining reliability in demanding applications.
With a wide range of ports, connectors, outputs and pressure ranges, these sensors are suitable for applications needing enhanced precision, repeatability and ruggedness, ranging from basic to complex applications such as dialysis equipment, blood analysis, oxygen and nitrogen gas distribution, HVAC devices, process controls, industrial machinery, pumps, and robotics.
High-power lasers
Ideal for the most demanding medical applications, we have a range of diode-pumped-solid-state (DPSS) lasers with pulse width ranges from just 0.4ns to 80ns. They are designed for processing hard and delicate materials that are easily affected by thermal stresses. Designed for high-end applications requiring both excellent beam quality, low thermal transfer and high peak power they are insensitive to vibrations and suited to harsh environments.
Wireless connectivity
For the data to be useful it must be accessible, which means connectivity is at the heart of IoT. Devices talking to each other, the cloud and beyond are creating a new digital universe of inter-connected technology. Today there are multiple ways of connecting to multiple networks.
The distance, connection time and amount of data transferred all necessitate different solutions. Designing an appropriate network structure with mobility and management on a large scale need not be overwhelming – we offer a complete portfolio of wireless modules, system-in-package components and airtime options.
Each technology provides its own strengths and is perfectly suited to medical applications. To find the right solution for you, browse the options below or contact our technical team of experts who are ready to support, advise and provide a solution perfectly suited to your needs.
SOC (System-on-chip) solutions
For cost-effective and simple integrations for projects, a SOC will reduce risk and accelerate time to market – expanding opportunities for developers to build complete ecosystems through their range of power-efficient Wi-Fi products. with built-in embedded input/ output interfaces, control units, processors and data-processing elements, advanced security and rich peripheral interface, these chips support everything from simple plugs to sophisticated smart appliances.
SIP (System-in-package) modules
For medium and high-volume opportunities, we offer wireless SiP modules from USI. Based on the Broadcom WICED™ chipset, these modules are highly user-configurable with the use of the WICED™ development tools. Typically, users of the SIP modules would use the protocol stacks supplied with the SDK and then develop their own application layer using the SDK tools which would run on the module.
Embedded wireless modules
For robust embedded intelligence and simple installation and operation, build lightweight, compact solutions using Semtech AirPrime modules that deliver mission-critical data performance, low power consumption and the lowest total-cost-of-ownership in the industry.
With a wide range of modules to choose from with low power consumption and advanced battery optimisation features, also allowing you to future-proof IoT designs with one size, one design common flexible form factor (CF3) that are pre-certified for use across LPWA, 4G, 3G, 2G and are 5G ready for a faster time to market.
Healthcare solution providers can count on Semtech for secure, 24/7, real-time wireless connectivity. It’s no accident that Sierra Wireless solutions are widely used by emergency services and first responders.
Industrial Wi-Fi/ USB / PCIe / mini-card modules
We have a wide range of industrial Wi-Fi cards from world-leading manufacturers in the most commonly used form factors. Our factory-trained Field Application Engineers can recommend the most appropriate solution based on your preferred form factor and price vs performance trade-offs.
Gateways
Secure IoT connectivity for both legacy equipment and new devices. The Lantronix portfolio of IoT Gateways includes a range of secure wired and wireless enterprise solutions for virtually any device providing OEMs and system integrators with secure enterprise-class solutions that provide network connectivity, remote device management, cloud connectivity, and edge analytics for brownfield equipment and next generation connected devices.
Their highly versatile, secure, and IEC-60601 certified Lantronix® SGX 5150 MD Wireless IoT Gateway is specifically for Medical Devices. Its advanced turnkey design provides everything you need to benefit from tracking hospital assets to managing critical patient data.
RF and frequency solutions
Every IoT and wireless solution requires a form of frequency control. With more than three decades of experience supporting RF design engineers on some of the most innovative designs in Europe, our unique frequency solutions portfolio is provided with the latest technical expertise. Together, you have access to frequency control products from some of the world’s leading manufacturers with direct technical support from our experts. Our engineers will quickly and efficiently solve any design challenge, using the right frequency product for your application to provide the most cost-effective solution.
Antennas
Antenna design is critical to a solution’s overall performance and having the right antenna can literally make or break your design. The best design and component decisions can be made during the early development stages. We work with carefully selected antenna partners Johanson and Abracon to source the most appropriate antenna solutions for your application and frequency, whether internal or external, standard or custom.
By using us, you also have access to Abracons cutting-edge, fully equipped test laboratory. Complete with VNAs and spectrum analysers, ProAnt’s unique anechoic chamber allows testing of antennas from 150MHz up to 6GHz. The lab offers simulation capabilities, short-lead-time prototyping and measurement and testing of passive and active antenna designs
Our antenna range includes:
• Single and multi-band • External connectorised antennas • Internal chip, patch, PIFA and PCB antennas • Customised antennas
FEMs
Front End Modules boost the performance of your chosen SoC and deliver stronger wireless signals at a greater range, and can bring a host of other benefits to a medical design. The performance benefits of using a FEM means you can also use a more cost-effective SoC with a more reliable, efficient design reducing the amount of power consumed.
Check with our team of experts to discover the latest range FEM solutions.
Fibre Optics
Providing versatility and durability to medical applications, fibre optic cables are critical for ensuring the reliability of communication networks. At its most basic, a fibre optic cable is composed of glass threads, each of which can transmit messages modulated onto light waves, and have quickly become the go-to cable solution for communications.
We partner with world leader, OFS to provide specialty high-strength fibre optic cables that are ISO13485 certified, FDA registered, and tested to USP Class VI standards and ISO10993 for biocompatibility and traceability.
HMI
As well as wireless IoT and connectivity, we also have a range of HMI solutions ranging from mechanical and wireless footswitches and hand controls, so that we really can support medical design engineers with every step in the connectivity process.
Herga Footswitches & hand controls
Suited to multiple applications within the medical market, Herga have a comprehensive range of Bluetooth, electric and pneumatic actuated foot and hand switching controls that meet a wide range of international approvals.
- UL and IEC 60601-1 approved, and IPX2, IPX7 and IPX8 rated for medical applications
- Low-profile footswitches (only 10mm) for prolonged use
- USB, Bluetooth, bellows and multi-pedal footswitches available
Microbial Cabling
Cleanliness, quality and compliance are of great importance in the medical industry, our sister company, Contour Electronics’ industry experience of medical-grade cable assemblies and clean room manufacturing is paving the way.
Their microbial cables have been incorporating SteriTouch® masterbatch into their assemblies for several years and are based on ionic silver as organisms find it difficult to develop resistance this material, making it a useful tool in areas where resistance to organic biocides may be a problem such as operating theatres and clean rooms. The SteriTouch® masterbatch added at the extrusion process has no adverse effect on the performance of the base material and will remain effective for the life of the product.
An innovative and reliable manufacturer of cable assemblies and full box build electronics with ISO 13485 accreditation, specialise in the design and manufacture of over-moulded cable assemblies using bio-compatible materials, sterilizable by autoclave, EO or irradiation.
Power Supplies
Every medical device needs power, and with a wide variety of options on the market to choose from, the features each component includes (ie. arc limits, tight line, load regulation and voltage monitoring) can make a huge difference to the overall efficiency and reliability of the end device.
Standard & High power AC/DC
Our portfolio of Industrial-grade AC/DC and DC/DC converters includes some of the industry’s most respected and innovative power supply manufacturers. Our standard range starts at 1W DC/DC converters, includes open-frame components and goes up to 100kW AC/DC for customised power-supply units. Our in-house design and customisation capabilities and network of expert partners enables us to help you find, customise or design an efficient power supply for your application.
Modular
Our modular power supplies give you the flexibility to create your own, user-configurable power supply. The range includes market-leading fan-less, modular power supplies which can be customised with several card modules to create the exact power supply you need. You can flexibly choose from dual output options, various voltages, currents and more.
You can also, effectively change the character of the power supply from being a classic power supply, to become a constant current source or charger. We are uniquely positioned, with our in-house design engineers to pre-configure modules, providing you with a bespoke, plug-and-play solution.
Need help with a custom design?
We offer more than just off the shelf products. We have several custom design services, plus access to R&D teams behind the most advanced technologies. With our Technology Centres offering custom support and design for wireless applications, we can give you access to a specialist design team, reviewing services and system design for both RF hardware and software, plus prototyping services. So not only can you source leading products from us you can also ensure your solutions are competitive with our value-added services.
