Page 118 - Proceedings of the 2017 ITU Kaleidoscope

2017 ITU Kaleidoscope Academic Conference

Therefore, beyond sensors creating data, Artificial IoT-related solutions are realistic and well-documented. The
Intelligence tools are needed, that can analyze the vast designed IoT-based Information-system, for the “non-
amount of acquired data and are able to identify meaningful directly Clinical” Hospital Services include presently:
interrelations, so that better clinical decisions are made and, Cleaning Disinfection and Asepsis: The “CDC-2008:
thus, the right treatment is provided. Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare
An advanced example [31], is the “da Vinci OnSite”, a Facilities” [35] was adopted and an IoT-based monitoring
service that allows for, the da Vinci Surgery Technical system is designed for the chemical disinfectants (ethylene-
Assistance Team (dVSTAT®), to remotely monitor the oxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide etc.), the
system-status for real-time diagnostic feedback. OnSite sterilization methods (steam sterilization, ethylene oxide,
utilizes any already existing 10/100/1000 Mb Ethernet hydrogen-peroxide, gas plasma etc.) and other related in-
connection/port or 802.11b or g-wireless network in the OR Hospital procedures.
that has access to the Internet and can be configured to the Hospital Incineration of Bioactive wastes: Incineration of
specifications provided by an organization’s IT department. hospital wastes has been banned in many European
The IoT is indispensable in Surgery, in the ICUs and in the countries, and there is generally a move towards larger,
Wards, offering monitoring services. The Heterogeneity and centralized facilities; our designed system is supporting the
the Scalability of the Devices is extremely multifaceted and logistics of “incineration outsourcing procedures”.
thus, connectivity becomes a difficult and costly task, Electro-mechanical Networks as Water and Power Supply,
however, necessary for a lean and less risky operation. Self- Heating, Air Conditioning etc. These networks can be
organization, Interoperability and Security, constitute as managed easier and less expensive, by employing BAC-net
well a major challenge, due to the necessity to incorporate (Building Automation & Control NETworks) approach, an
proper Clinical Decision Making modules, increasing the ASHRAE 135-2012 Data Communication Protocol that
reliability of the monitoring outcomes. Finally, Low Energy enables interoperability between different building systems
Data-exchange and Tracking is still implementable, and devices, in building automation and control
however, the multifarious systems and devices accumulated applications.
in these Departments, increases the necessary effort, to
avoid induced electronic noise and mutual interactions, Hospital Food Services: The designed system gives priority
in risk minimization, along with the other technical-
between them. managerial aspects of running a Hospital food-service, as
RFID-tagging and “smarter” IoT-devices, may control
3.4. In vitro Diagnostics Hematology and Cell Therapy better Temperature, Moisture etc.
Hospital protective clothing and gear Management: Clean
The traditional in vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Laboratories linen should be delivered in such a way, as to minimize
have more or less pioneered in the introduction of microbial contamination from surface contact and air borne
Computers and later of Networks in Laboratory practice. deposition. Linen transport carts should be sanitized in the
Therefore, a description of the established systems will be cart washer, after being emptied of soiled linen and prior to
omitted and we shall proceed directly to the emerging IoT- being filled with clean linen and be properly covered for
applications of IVD Point of Care Testing (PoCT) and the storage. A designed network of interconnected RFID and
emerging possibility of networking of hundreds of millions IoT-devices, enable easy and continuous monitoring of the
acts in Hospital, Medical Practice and at Home [32]-[34]. procedure.
PoCT is defined, as any analytical test performed for a Pharmacy Medicaments Reagents and Disposables: The
patient by himself, by a professional, or a third one, outside designed Hospital Pharmacy management system is
the conventional laboratory/clinical setting. Recent years supervising and documenting, the Medicaments, Reagents
have seen a rapid growth in the use of PoCT, largely as a and other Disposable purchasing and allocation procedures,
result of technological advances, such as the development in by employing a smart custom-developed combination, of
solid-phase Chemistry, Nano-sciences and µ-processors RFID and IoT-based tagging, tracing and monitoring
integration, resulting in equipment and cost minimization. procedures.
The implementation of PoCT should be the effective The non-Clinical Hospital Services have an important
response to a valid clinical need, and the outcome of the influence on the safe and smooth Hospital operation. The
clinical need for PoCT depends on, which groups of optimization of the function of these Facilities and the
patients need testing, what test(s) need to be performed and associated Services, require modern ICT- and gradually also
how the service currently provided meet the needs. IoT-technology installed in the Hospital.
However, the functional-managerial aspects of the Hospital
3.5. The various Supporting Facilities of the Hospital operation are not always up-to-date and sometimes are not
present at all.
This part addresses the usually disregarded non-Clinical Presently seven important functional-managerial services
Hospital Services, such as Cleaning-Disinfection, and aspects of a Hospital are included in our system and
Sterilization, Incineration, Electromechanical Networks, Figs. 2 & 3 display the innovation-trail reflected on IP-
Hospital Clothing & Gear, Pharmacy etc. and the proposed Documents.

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