M HANNOVER EDICAL CHOOL - Hardware-Lösungen …€¦ · patient data management system (PDMS). Electronic documenta-tion using ergonomic touch panel input eases the workload of the

MEDICAL PC

Focusing on efficiency and

process reliability

MEDICAL

HANNOVER MEDICAL SCHOOL

Focusing on efficiency and

process reliability

Around 100 Puchheimer Penta GmbH medical PCs are supporting

anaesthetists in their work in operations performed at the Hannover

Medical School (MHH). They are being used there in the anaesthe-

tists’ workplace as the basic hardware for documentation and for the

patient data management system (PDMS). Electronic documenta-

tion using ergonomic touch panel input eases the workload of the

medical staff and makes the workflow both more efficient and more

reliable.

Operators of hospitals are facing wide a variety of challenges these

days. On the one hand, patients expect, as their right, a very high

quality of treatment. And the word gets around about this and is

therefore also a decisive competitive factor. But, on the other hand,

hospitals - ever since the introduction of the billing system based

upon German Diagnosis Related Groups - are also facing increasing

cost pressure. In order to continue to remain profitable with a treat-

ment quality that has to be constantly improved, hospitals have to

continue to optimise the efficiency of their internal workflows –

something which is not exactly made any easier by the high de-

mands for documentation.

This is becoming particularly clear in the medically sensitive and

cost intensive areas of clinical operations. The documenting of every

stage in the treatment process - for example in the anaesthetists’

workplace - is a constantly occurring need and is also exceptionally

important for the further medication. Thanks to the application of PC

technology, these operational stages can be developed digitally

which can considerably simplify the amount of work involved. The

improvement in efficiency is particularly high in each case when the

user does not have to carefully input everything via (unhygienic)

keying, but can work on the patient registration for the most part via

100 Penta medical PCs provide

support for anaesthetists at the MHH

PENTA MEDICAL— HANNOVER MEDICAL SCHOOL -2-

MEDICAL

Around 100 Puchheimer Penta GmbH medical

PCs are supporting anaesthetists in their work in

operations performed at the Hannover

Medical School (MHH).

The Hannover Medical School is one of the

world´s leading university medical centres, with

more than 1,500 hospital beds and over 7,000

employees, including approximately, 1,200 doc-

tors, 1,400 nurses, and 400 research scientists.

(hygienic) touch panel menus and optionally also RFID or barcode

scanners. In addition, the PCs designed as medical PCs under DIN

EN 60601-1 or EN 60601-1-2 standards have galvanically separated

interfaces so that the vital data can be automatically read and elec-

tronically documented. Solutions can be devised in this respect in

which, in interaction with high-performance hardware and software,

the vital data is compared with that of the administration of narcot-

ics, the age and weight of the patient and thus the target data and

the actual data are already displayed and documented using IT

methods for the optimised administration of the narcotic. In addition,

the system can be rapidly and easily sterilised using strong disinfec-

tants, which is a major step forward in the efficiency of post-

operative cleaning up.

Simplified and comprehensive documentation

The Hannover Medical School (MHH), one of the largest hospitals

in Germany and one of the world's leading centres for transplant

medicine, has been using medical PCs like this for some time to

improve its efficiency and 100 Penta GmbH medical PCs are in-

stalled in anaesthetists‘ workplaces for the anaesthetic documenta-

tion system. Maximilian Weber, who is a graduate in Information

Technology and who is responsible within the MHH IT Department

for this selection of the medical PCs that are installed, confirms the

positive effects that have been achieved: "Since the medical PC

systems have been installed at MHH, process reliability and effi-

ciency has markedly improved".

Since the introduction of medical PCs, anaesthetic reporting has

been prepared and carried out entirely electronically. All relevant

patient data and processing stages such as, for example medica-

tion, batch recording at blood banks, etc. are recorded in the touch-

panel-supported input screen masks and filed in the PDMS data-

bank. When doing this, the validity of the data is automatically

checked by the software which increases data integrity and patient


support for anaesthetists at the MHH MEDICAL

The compact design of the Penta medical PC

enables space-saving installation directly onto the

anaesthesia tower, which is ideal for the narrow

confines of the operating theatre.


security. Data from vital monitors and ventilation equipment is also

automatically recorded by the Penta medical PCs.

"All of the documentation work is carried out electronically and is

automated as far as is possible and there is no longer any need for

paper records. This relieves us – above all thanks to the automated

data transfer – of the burden of expensive documentation work",

said Dr Terence Krauss, from the Clinic for Anaesthesiology and

Intensive Care Medicine at MHH. “The electronic data storage also

guarantees comprehensive documentation processing. There are in

addition no important items of information that are lost on, for in-

stance, billing-relevant work. These are in fact automatically made

available to the accounting function by the integration of the medical

PC into the organisation's internal network. “

Intuitive operation via touchscreen

The automatic data acquisition mentioned above simplifies the

documentation process enormously. However the data must further-

more be entered into the anaesthetic documentation. In order also

to enable efficiency improvements in this operational stage, the op-

erational design of the medical PC has to be particularly user-

friendly. In this respect MHH is recommending the use of medical

PCs with touchscreen. This operating method is clearly more intui-

tive than inputting data using a mouse or keyboard. By this means

orientation periods and input errors are kept to a minimum and the

efficiency of the operational processes increases.

However there are also several differences in the use of touch-

screens: for example there is a difference between resistive – i.e.

reacting to pressure – and capacitive touch technology, which again

produces an electrical modification in the touch field. On the basis of

its differing technological characteristics, this is – depending on the

application – a technology that is more adaptable than others. In this

way, the latest capacitive touchscreens enable a multitouch control,




MEDICAL

MHH is recommending the use of medical PCs

with touchscreen. This operating method is clearly

more intuitive than inputting data using a mouse

or keyboard. By this means orientation periods

and input errors are kept to a minimum and the

efficiency of the operational processes increases.

such as one finds for example on the latest smart phones, by means

of simple gestures like the enlargement of the screen sections by

pulling apart the applied fingertips. Multitouch control makes the

viewing of findings from imaging processes particularly efficient.

The advantage of the latest resistive touchscreens lies on the other

hand in the possibility of especially precise inputs, using for example

non-conductive items such as ballpoint pens. A highly sensory solu-

tion such as this is not yet available on the latest capacitive touch-

screens as we are still in the early stages of the finger being as-

sumed as a means of inputting.

In practice, the application of resistive touchscreen has been par-

ticularly well proven in the MHH, as the PDMS input screen masks

are constructed in a formula-oriented manner and are to some ex-

tent better operated with pens. The resistive touchscreens enable

reliable operation with gloves, which is a particularly relevant factor

in patient-related applications and above all during operations. In

this respect there is also the fact that these touchscreens are better

operated with non-conductive objects such as retracted ballpoint

pens. In practical terms, this is a feasible alternative above all when

using soiled gloves or for inputs needing special precision, as hap-

pens when working in the PDMS with reduced row spacing.

Efficient cleaning thanks to hygienic system design

Penta offers two solutions. But it is important with both solutions

that they are based on glass, as glass is ideal for use during opera-

tions. Finally a smooth glass surface is particularly easy to thor-

oughly clean and even when doing sousing highly efficient disinfec-

tants. This is because the durable glass front reliably protects the

touch panel that is beneath it against the harmful effects of aggres-

sive chemicals – also in day-to-day cleaning.




MEDICAL

The resistive glass touchscreens can be used

without any problems even with gloves or non-

conductive input aids such as ball point pens.

Above all, the latter method enables particularly

precise inputs such as when working in PDMS

with reduced row spacing.

However the cleanliness of the PC was not the only factor consid-

ered in selecting the touchscreen. More importantly the whole sys-

tem design has to be tailored to the requirements of hygiene, be-

cause only in this way can the cleaning process be speeded up, the

changeover times between operations shortened and thereby the

utilisation and the efficiency of the operating theatre enhanced. In

contrast to certain other systems, the Penta medical PC has a fully

enclosed, smooth casing without any joints, which has no collecting

points for dirt and dust. The IP65 protection also prevents the in-

gress of liquids into the inside of the housing and reliably protects

the technological parts of the equipment during the cleaning process

against possible damage.

This system design makes the Penta medical PC’s cleaning process

not only thorough and effective but also hygienic. In addition, hy-

giene has again a significant influence one the quality of operation

and in the end any lack of hygiene is one of the most common

causes for post-operative complications.

"When performing an operation, hygiene is of the utmost impor-

tance. This applies naturally also for the medical PC that is used"

emphasised Maximilian Weber. "And the systems provided by Penta

have completely met our hygiene requirements." "The Penta medi-

cal PC system design enables its use in near-patient application. It's

then that we see the great advantage of the Penta systems", agrees

Dr von der Groeben, Medical PDMS Administrator at MHH. One

further advantage is that because the Penta medical PCs come

without an active fan, they operate almost completely silently, which

is ideal for near-patient applications in the operating theatre or at the

intensive care station.

Not every PC is OP suitable

The features, which a medical PC should have in order to make

work processes more efficient and to improve process quality, have




MEDICAL

The fully enclosed fanless casing of the Penta

medical PC has no collection points for dirt and

dust and enables thorough disinfection of the

systems for perfect near-patient application.

already been highlighted. However there are also in addition appli-

cable standards, which PCs must meet in order to be approved to

be installed in near-patient applications. Amongst these are for ex-

ample the guaranteeing of reliable protection of the patient and of

the medical personnel against any dangerous leakage currents such

as for example those that are due to faulty earth connections or volt-

age differences that may occur between the medical PC and for ex-

ample peripheral appliances or Ethernet networks connected to it.

For this reason, the Penta medical PCs that are certified under DIN

EN60601-1 or EN60601-1-2 have galvanically separated serial inter-

faces and network cards. In this way dangerous leakage currents

that can drain off onto patients or cause damage to the hardware

are prevented.

Not all PCs come through the surgical

endurance test

However, even when the specified standards may have been met,

the system also needs to be proven in practice. It is here that the

wheat is separated from the chaff in terms of medical PCs. The IT

department of the MHH tests numerous medical PCs from various

manufacturers extremely stringently in an extensive evaluation proc-

ess. The various systems have to undergo many days of endurance

testing under real application conditions. At this point several PCs

have already reached their limit and failed due to overheating,

amongst other things because of their added ventilation slots.

Standing out positively from the rest were the Penta medical PCs

which are designed for a mean time between failures (MTBF) of

around 50,000 hours and thus had no problems with the test. This

high reliability of the Penta medical PC is due to the decision to dis-

pense with vulnerable components such as rotating hard disks or

active fans. In the place of these, Penta exclusively installs reliable

HDD and solid-state storage media and a fully enclosed and highly

durable aluminium casing with a passive cooling concept. "The




MEDICAL

Located under the conveniently removable cable

cover (see image), the Penta medical PCs feature

galvanically separated interfaces. Via these inter-

faces the medical PCs acquire vital data from the

connected medical appliances and record this

automatically in the anaesthetic report.

Penta medical PCs are extremely robust and reliable in operation",

said Dr Terence Krauss and even if in spite of the high MTBF, a re-

pair should be needed, the IT Department of MHH are quite relaxed

about it. "Thanks to the long-term availability of the Penta systems,

extension or replacement procurement in identical configurations is

not a problem. And having that over many years is ideal for medical

I T" says Maximilian Weber.

Green IT plus point

The Penta medical PCs were therefore able to meet the basic crite-

ria of the extensive list of MHH’s requirements, which are: confor-

mity to applicable medical standards, robust design, lengthy reliable

operation, efficient and user-friendly operation and hygienic system

design. However Penta was able to convince the management of

the MHH with a further argument which was namely: the environ-

mental compatibility of its system.

Environmental protection is an important subject for the Hannover

Medical School. Hospitals after all generate numerous environ-

mental impacts and - with 1.2 million tonnes of refuse per annum-

are the fifth largest refuse generators in Germany. Making a contri-

bution to environmental protection is also always an important and

competitively relevant image criterion for hospitals. Puchheimer

medical PCs with the patented Penta G.R.E.E.N product range offer

to hospitals a way of improving their environmental impact equation.

Because this integrated Green IT takes into account the complete

life cycle of the PCs from production through the life cycle of the

system D up until recycling. In this way the RoHS- conforming pro-

duction reduces the environmental impact in production and recy-

cling due to the discontinuation of the use of environmentally dam-

aging materials. In order to enable the energy-efficient operation of

the PC, Penta only installs particularly economical processors which

can operate on a 2 Watt power consumption based on the design.




MEDICAL

Penta medical PCs are designed for a mean time

between failures (MTBF) of around 50,000 hours.

This high reliability of the Penta medical PC is

due to the decision to dispense with vulnerable

components such as rotating hard disks or active

fans. In the place of these, Penta exclusively in-

stalls reliable HDD and solid-state storage media

and a fully enclosed and highly durable aluminium

casing with a passive cooling concept.

In contrast to other often short life IT items, the Penta PCs - thanks

to their extremely robust construction and to their reliable compo-

nents - remain in operation for many years. In addition, the modular

design enables performance upgrades via the exchanging of individ-

ual components. This is not only ecological sustainable, as it re-

duces the volumes of electronic waste and is resource-saving as

well as ecological meaningful: the exchanging of modules costs up

to 75% less than the new purchase of a complete PC.

It is in addition relevant for hospitals as, thanks to the hygienic

cleaning-friendly system, the medical PCs do not have to be cov-

ered with one-time cloth covers but can be cleaned by disinfection

wipes. This also reduces the volume of rubbish and saves costs as

well. "The Penta systems have met all of our requirements for many

years and have been reliably performing their services in our operat-

ing theatres and in other areas of the MHH, such as for example the

intensive care stations" summarised Weber. "And the environmen-

tally friendly design of the Penta G.R.E.E.N. product range is in ad-

dition good for the image of our company and helps to save costs. It

was this feature that we found convincing in addition. We are there-

fore planning also to install Penta medical PCs in the future".




MEDICAL

GREEN PC

Penta G.R.E.E.N. is a product label which Penta

awards to its products which are especially eco-

friendly. Green stands for:

Germfree,

Resource-saving,

Ecological,

Economical,

Noiseless.

This acronym underlines the fact that green IT at

Penta is much more that just the integration of

more economical processors. More than anything,

the Penta GREEN PCs are based on a holistic,

sustainable environmental concept which not only

takes the energy consumption of the device into

consideration but also its environmentally-friendly

manufacturing, disposal and maintenance. With

the germ- and dust-free enclosure and their fan-

less and quiet operation, the Penta GREEN PCs

additionally reduce negative impacts on their im-

mediate surroundings.

About Penta

Penta GmbH, with its headquarters in Puch-

heim, Germany, and numerous worldwide

sales representative offices and agencies,

is the leading producer of fanless PC sys-

tems for medical technology and other

industries requiring fanless, hygienic,

completely closed, and robust IPC technolo-

gies. The company was founded in 1995

and has among its medical customers Carl

Zeiss, Hippokratec, Olympus, B-Braun /

Aesculap and Agfa Healthcare as well as

numerous hospitals and medical centres.

MEDICAL PC HANNOVER MEDICAL SCHOOL

PENTA GmbH Zeppelinstrasse 2 82178 Puchheim Tel.: +49 (0) 89 / 800 722 - 0 Fax: +49 (0) 89 / 800 722 - 28 [email protected] text & layout: www.sams-network.com

MEDICAL

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M HANNOVER EDICAL CHOOL - Hardware-Lösungen …€¦ · patient data management system (PDMS). Electronic documenta-tion using ergonomic touch panel input eases the workload of the