Aachen 09.21.1999 - Panic in the surgery room. All lights show "red"! The sound of shrill alarm signals: "Failure of oxygen operation pressure".
Thanks god that this scenario only appears in movies: Medical gas in a hospital is reliably monitored and documented by most modern high-tech systems. One of these sophisticated solutions has lately been realized technically by Gesytec GmbH, Aachen, for Dräger Medizintechnik GmbH, Lübeck.
Does the gas supply reach a limit value or in case of supply failures the systems immediately generates a message and remedial action is taken.
Supply and monitoring of technical gas in a hospital has to be ensured at many locations. From the normal patients room to the intensive cares unit and the surgery room, all are in need of different kinds of gas such as oxygen and laughing gas. Requirements to the periphery are naturally high in places where the most modern medical technology is supposed to save life. Dräger Medizintechnik GmbH offers a LonWorks and Embedded PC based monitoring network. Specialized in LonWorks and Embedded PC technology, Gesytec has developed hard- and software for this system and is responsible for manufaturing and delivery.
The filling level of all gas containers and the regular switching-over to spare tanks are monitored by the new gas management system and reported to a control room, in case of emergency (e.g. pressure drop) as alarm. In addition, units including displays are in use as on-site information in the respective locations (surgery room, patients rooms etc.).
Further to monitoring and display devices, the system is equipped with a "network control center" developed on Embedded PC basis, taking over tasks such as establishment of statistics, monitoring of the gas management system itself and already providing all functions for future remote monitoring and remote diagnosis.
Openness to the future and flexible expandability are characteristics of the Dräger data network. LonWorks, currently established as standard for intelligent, interoperable building automation combined with the Embedded PC running Windows CE for potential remote monitoring meet the latest communication requirements.
The scalability of the system is supported as well by the flexible LonWorks technology as by a complete range of devices allowing individual, modular assembly of matching units for hospitals of different sizes.
