IPfocus
Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute Reduces Losses and Administrative Overhead
Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute (MMCI) provides complete diagnostics, treatment, and preventive care in oncology for both Czech citizens and international patients. MMCI is the only health care provider in the Czech Republic that is a member of the OECI (Organisation of European Cancer Institutes).
MMCI has implemented the Ekahau Real Time Location System (RTLS) integrated with their Cisco Wireless LAN (WLAN) for optimizing patient care and tracking assets across its two pavilions . The same Cisco WLAN that supports RTLS for tracking patients and assets, such as infusion pumps, wheelchairs and defibrillators, is also used to access patient records and care information at the patient bedside. Unis Computers, a premiere partner of both Cisco and Ekahau, implemented the system at MMCI.
The Ekahau RTLS system is deployed over a Cisco Medical Grade Network (MGN) which allows hospital staff to not only access vital patient information electronically but to view images, video and other medical information anywhere within the footprint of the network. Patients are issued Ekahau wearable tags that track them throughout the WLAN covered premises, making it easy for caregivers to immediately locate them in case of an emergency or
administrative relief: thanks to the RTLS system medical staff now spend around 15 percent less time on administrative tasks” says Dr. Svoboda.
Petr Lacina, Director of the Technology Department at Unis Computers, is also satisfied with the results of the collaboration. “We were able to implement the installation of the WLAN-network within 3 months,” says Lacina. “We are particularly happy with the benefit for the patients who are now able to stay in contact with family and friends via WLAN.”
in time for a procedure. The tags also have a call button that the patient can press in case of an emergency. The system alerts staff if patients try to wander into areas they are not supposed to be in.
By tagging the mobile patient care equipment, MMCI has been able to reduce equipment losses from theft and accidental misplacement and has been able to increase the utilization of those devices resulting in more efficient, safe and timely patient care. “We were the first hospital in the Czech Republic to introduce a WLAN-based tracking system,” said Dr. Marek Svoboda, Deputy Director for Development, Science and Training for MMCI. “This new technology enables us to for example obtain laboratory results more quickly. The new system also provides
“We are glad to contribute, together with Cisco and Unis Computers, to the efficiency and safety at MMCI. This project already has a very positive reference effect in the Czech Republic and elsewhere,” says Dirk Lenz, Ekahau’s Regional Director Central and Eastern Europe.
Earlier this year Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute was awarded the “Most Innovative Mobility/Virtual Enterprise Project of the Year” category at the Innovation Awards at Cisco Live 2011 in London. The project aimed for improving the quality of medical care and cost management through the use of wireless technologies and related applications. This project was also supported by the European Union via the “Integrated Operational Programme for Regional Development.”
New A4 Tag Pinpoints Location of Assets to Within One Meter
Ekahau Inc., the worldwide leader in high performance Wi-Fi-based Real Time Location Systems (RTLS), have announced the launch of its newest Wi-Fi tracking Tag.
Ekahau Wi-Fi tags operate over any Wi-Fi network" Wi-Fi asset tracking tag – the A4 – which provides the most accurate tracking on the market today. The A4 tag supports precision location of less than one meter (3.5 feet), affordably, using existing enterprise Wi-Fi networks and infrared micro-zone technology.
The A4 is the latest in a line of innovative active Wi- Fi tags designed for tracking assets and individuals, developed by Ekahau, which introduced the first Wi- Fi-based tracking solution 10 years ago. The Ekahau’s RTLS system lets users turn location and status information of tagged items into actionable intelligence for improving asset utilization and operational efficiencies. Ekahau’s Wi-Fi-based RTLS solutions are the dominant choice for healthcare deployments as well as other environments ranging from manufacturing plants to retail environments.
As a part of the Ekahau RTLS system, the A4 tag is covered under Ekahau’s broad patent portfolio which includes several algorithms and methods for computing the location of tracked objects using electromagnetic environmental variables such as RF and IR signals.
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The Ekahau A4 tag is the first Wi-Fi RTLS asset tag in the industry to provide sub-one meter location accuracy. The increased accuracy is achieved by detecting both standard Wi-Fi network signals and signals emitted by Ekahau’s low-cost, battery- powered infra-red Location Beacons. The beacons can be placed in areas where micro-zone accuracy is required or areas where Wi-Fi coverage is not adequate, while still maintaining enterprise-wide visibility over the existing Wi-Fi network.
This increase in accuracy means the Ekahau RTLS system can now, for example, automatically detect which assets are near a particular hospital bed or patient in a semi-private room. Such granular information allows staff to find assets more quickly as well as track equipment for more accurate billing.
“The A4 is the industry’s first tag to combine ultra- high accuracy with low total cost of ownership. By using an existing Wi-Fi network, companies can track their assets to within 1 meter (3.5 feet) where needed,” said Arttu Huhtiniemi, Ekahau’s vice president of Product Management. “The infrared technology in the A4 tag enables affordable accuracy in selected locations, such as patient rooms or crowded storage areas.”
The A4 offers battery life of up to five years and includes an optical tamper sensor that sends alerts
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to notify that the tag has been removed from the object to which it is attached. The tag also contains two configurable buttons, which can be used for sending alarms or notifying users of events, such as asset availability. With a small form factor, that is dust- and splash-proof, the A4 tag can be attached to small and odd-shaped objects using a variety of mounting options. And unlike traditional RTLS tags, the A4 leverages the bi-directional communication capabilities of Wi-Fi to allow administrators to manage and reprogram thousands of tags anywhere on the enterprise network.
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