IIoT in Healthcare Sector
Published on : Tuesday 05-10-2021
Jasbir Singh on how the use of IIoT is becoming a reality and accepted part of medicine and healthcare systems.
Devices like a PC, laptop or a smartphone are considered to be part of the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem as these devices can be connected to the internet versus a large number of industrial/healthcare devices that normally wouldn't be expected to be connected to the internet. The things that can communicate with a network with/without human action selectively used as IoT for significant improvement in the system performance.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the linkage of all physical industrial items, which can transmit a flow of data or critical information that can be analysed by software and integrated for fast, derive to decisions, flexible for manufacturing, and optimised the unit workflows for desired product output. The IoT, integrated with artificial intelligence functions, cloud technology and machine learning become significant and most important trends for its integration to the improved machine performance. IIoT has been developing rapidly, with changes in form/functions being accepted in new and quite unexpected applications.
Upcoming growth of 5G technology
The rapid growth in 5G technology is at the forefront in the development of mobile communications and offers new possibilities for IoT expansion in every field of automated machines, due to better networks. By induction of 5G, large data can be gathered quickly, analysed in real time, virtually without delays, and managed in required format, which would greatly expand the potential use of IoT in more applications, opening up new avenues to add to the technological innovation.
Integrating IIoT in manufacturing and healthcare
The use of IIoT transforms manufacturing, building automation, healthcare sector and so on in many other fields. Smart sensors are becoming more powerful in terms of data collection and communication to server and controller. Advancement in devices is enhancing capabilities at every stage of the production process starting from product development, manufacturing to supply chain management. Factory managers are able to avoid delays, increase production output, reduce machine downtime, and manage inventory better.
In the healthcare sector, many organisations have adopted IoT technology in many of their functions and equipment. This area has endless possibilities – smart home care, electronic health records, personal healthcare management and specialty hospitals.
IIoT is becoming a reality and accepted part of medicine and healthcare systems and it is enhancing the ability to treat patients physically and remotely. Using this upgraded IoT technology reduces the probability of medical errors by minimising manual data entry. The IoT device makes it easier to verify a patient’s identity and facilitates more effective tracking of individual patient’s information and administer treatment. IIoT in healthcare embraces a wide variety of healthcare applications and devices. Devices with IIoT functions and applications, like glucose monitors, heart health monitors, EKG monitors, and tools for users to collect data, consume drugs and support doctors of his health/illness studies. With the IoT medical devices, users can track their health conditions and initiate alerts both for themselves and remotely by medical healthcare experts/professionals when its values deviate widely from the normal. The current data are stored to track historical change in conditions over time and help caregivers for decision making to administer the drug or treatment.
IIoT improves the quality of patient care and treatment by reducing the errors in drug administration and providing real-time monitoring, especially for the elderly and disabled patients. It also supports accessibility of patient’s critical information, including characteristics on a regular basis such as blood pressure, glucose levels, and imaging. Latest IIoT medical imaging equipment also transmits real time data far faster exchange of information, stored in the Cloud, making it easily accessible to dedicated healthcare providers in a prompt manner. IIoT medical imaging data with artificial intelligence will aid healthcare experts accessing data, analyse it and provide diagnoses using machine learning.
Smart sensors and application of robots
IIoT is largely dependent on smart sensors, wireless data transmission in high-bandwidth, and support multiple communication protocols, help for analysis, system visualisation and health monitoring. IIoT is rapidly becoming a precious thing and deterministic tool in the healthcare and medical manufacturing sector. Developments in robotic/cobotic support in pharmacies are becoming a reality. Robots with artificial intelligence used to carry out automated defined tasks in manufacturing and laboratories for storage and retrieval or pipetting as well as areas like quality inspection of medical items (medicine, equipment and logistic) in the manufacturing sector are proving useful.
Increased security concerns
Use of IoT promises to make our life easier by effortless collection of data and control on information exchange and at the same time more susceptible to an attack of virus. The malware infection meant just partially/complete data lost or corrupt the stored information in the past. The development of the IoT based system means that a virus or ransomware infection can incapacitate the vital functions and derail the services.
The latest advances, applications, and trends in the continually evolving IoT technology with the promise of creating a new ease of doing our activities in time to come. At the same time, hackers develop their capability with IoT capability and artificial intelligence to capsize civilisation by ransomware attack.
Latest news on ransomware attacks have experienced a resurgence, with recent attacks focused on international healthcare, local government and education sectors. A ransomware cyber-attack occurs by a malicious software which is placed in a system to deny a user or business access to a computer system or data server.
Ransomware attacks have targeted Colonial Pipeline, an oil pipeline system; JBS Foods, and other major organisations internationally. In Atlanta, ransomware crippled the city’s water services and ticket payments systems. Hackers behind a mass extortion attack via Kaseya that affected hundreds of companies worldwide have demanded $70 million to restore the data they are holding ransom, according to a posting on a dark website.
In 2019, hardware manufacturers like Cisco, HPE, Dell and more are building specific infrastructure for micro-centres to be more physically rugged and secure, and security vendors are starting to offer endpoint security solutions to their existing services to prevent data loss and give suggestions about threat protection and network health.
IIoT devices and their requirement
There are four aspects of IIoT introduction in a healthcare environment:
1. Transmission of data
2. Storage and fast retrieval of data
3. Analysing data, and
4. Seamlessly data transmission across network/platforms.
IIoT device: Continuous parameter monitors
Continuous monitors of health performance data are an example of an IIoT-empowered medical device. The system uses a small sensor even beneath the skin and wirelessly transmits that data to smart devices. This data can be tracked in real-time on smart devices, such as in phones, tablets, and can be shared among medical staff, nurses and doctors. Such IIoT devices have to include a sensor, transmitter and sometimes a receiver. The sensor collects readings from the patient and wirelessly transmits the data using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transceiver. Data analysis is also being done on the intelligent receiver or smart device, or external server/computer for display with better clarity and dashboard prompt. This online software system provides a flexible platform to transmit the data to healthcare providers.
Smart medicine infusion pumps
Wireless infusion pumps are another critical life saver example of the use of IIoT devices in healthcare/hospitals. Infusion pumps provide patients with intravenous medicine or nutrition in the form of consistent flow of fluids. Infusion pumps support healthcare workers for attending multiple patients at the same time, as it includes an alarm function indicating the fluid has been properly being administered or that a blockage appears. With wireless IIoT infusion pumps, even greatly help the maintenance staff the relative ease to update software and firmware from time to time.
Manufacturers provide wireless infusion pumps, which are integrated with a patient’s EMR (electronic medical records) to store/transmit data about drug administer rate, timestamp, quantity and treatment, and provide automated documentation as well as collect data for the patient’s medication orders by doctors. In addition, IIoT device provides access to drug administration history and automated updates for those histories, the Smart Pump provides an overview of analytics of a patient's clinical condition and history. The wireless receiver collects in required format information related to patient treatment, updates medication and wirelessly/remotely updates software. The wireless transmitter attached to the server sends data in regular internal or when prompted to the EMR system (notifications and alarms) to healthcare service providers responsible for the specific patient.
Jasbir Singh is an Automation Expert having long experience in Factory Automation, Line Automation, Implementation Strategist, Business Coach, Regular writer on automation, Artificial Intelligence, Robots/Cobots, Digital Technology, Network Communication, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Wireless Communication, Block Chain and use of advance digital technologies. He has established a long association with Business Houses/large production houses to improve factory automation in their production lines as well as productivity improvement in factories in India and overseas; and in advising and designing the units to transform into digital platforms by use of Artificial Intelligence. Email: [email protected]
