How SDC maximizes your Medical Device Interoperability
For many years the number and complexity of medical devices in operating rooms, isolation units, and other hospital departments have been increasing. Especially in the acute-care, there is a need for sharing information through enhanced communication, higher flexibility as well as access to critical parameters on demand.
Furthermore, to help reduce the workload on the overburdened healthcare staff, automation is becoming a critical factor to improve safety, effectiveness, and security.
However, today medical devices are mostly monolithic solutions, with very limited, one-way interoperability, and may be supported by vendor-locked proprietary integrated operating room systems. Sometimes only legacy interfaces are available, which are not always compatible with modern hospital networks.
Why do we need interoperability?
According to the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST): “The lack of interoperability between medical devices can lead to preventable medical errors and potentially serious inefficiencies that would otherwise be avoided".
Next to this, the FDA issued a guidance report describing design considerations “to promote the development and availability of safe and effective interoperable medical devices”.
It is clear, that when actual lives are at stake it is crucial that medical devices in any (hospital) network have the ability to exchange data effectively and in an organized way.
This is where Service-oriented Device Connectivity (SDC) comes in!
What is SDC?
Vendor-independent medical device networking has been standardized as the new IEEE 11073 SDC (Service-oriented Device Connectivity) family. Within an SDC-enabled network medical equipment can automatically discover other devices, share their services, provide access to medical sensor data, and allow remote alerting and control settings. All interactions are standardized and allow two-way interoperability among medical equipment from different suppliers.
A critical design factor of SDC has been that all data transactions are secure and authenticated, using the latest technologies for message encryption and cybersecurity. This ensures that the medical devices can be connected to the hospital network or other networks while guaranteeing safe and secure communication.
Your Benefits
The SDC protocol targets medical equipment in acute-care environments such as operating rooms (OR), intensive care units (ICU), emergency wards, or isolation rooms. Examples of medical devices that benefit from SDC support are patient monitors, ventilators, infusion pumps, endoscopes, foot control pedals, surgical tables, and lights. Furthermore, SDC supports medical sensors and actuators, nurse call systems, central ward remote control panels, and alarm systems. In addition, SDC is considered the safe and secure network solution for remote care equipment, ambulances, and telehealth applications.
AimValley integration services for Medical Device Operability
Aimvalley provides development and integration services to medical device manufacturers that need to enhance their equipment and systems with an improved cybersecurity profile and networked interoperability, using protocols such as the #IEEE 11073 SDC.
Examples of various solutions
Learn More
AimValley is a member of OR.NET e.V. , a registered association that combines industrial specialists, clinical staff, and researchers to facilitate safe and dynamic device-to-device communication, using state-of-the-art information and communication technology.
If SDC has piqued your interest, contact one of our HealthTech experts to learn how AimValley's SDC solutions help you with your medical device interoperability.
Read the full article: 'Maximize your medical device interoperability'.
Slava Khramovskikh - AimValley 's HealthTech Business Development
We are engineers - we can do anything!