28Jul

New project in Clínica Girona

July 28, 2022 tedisel

In Tedisel Medical, one of our last projects of installation of hospital equipment for hospitalization areas, critical areas and surgical block has taken place in Clínica Girona.

Clínica Girona: the before and the after

The new Clínica Girona is now up and running and at full capacity. After several years of work and effort, this health centre in the south of Girona, located on carrer Barcelona, has replaced the historic facilities on carrer Joan Maragall, which housed the city’s first clinic in the 1930s. The new building now has 41,000 m2 to provide the best healthcare service in Girona.

A refurbishment for the present and the future

The new private facility of Clínica Girona triples the surface area of the old headquarters, and has required a significant investment. The facility will employ 600 people, including medical and administrative staff and other services. In addition, it will boost the urban development of this sector and revalue the area, as the mayor, Marta Madrenas, pointed out, as it is the southern gateway to the city.

In short, a clinic with a lot of light, which is committed to the biophilic health model, and with modern, cutting-edge facilities that will help to improve the health of all Girona residents.

Reconfiguring rooms, operating theatres and floors

The new Clínica Girona building is distributed over 11 levels: three underground levels, the ground floor and seven two-level floors. In total, the new facilities have 120 hospital beds, eight high-definition intelligent operating theatres, three delivery rooms, three for endoscopies, eight ICU boxes and 10 for emergencies, a day hospital, oncology and pain medicine area with 20 individual boxes, an outpatient minor surgery room and haemodialysis rooms.

All of this is supported by permanent diagnostic imaging, clinical analysis and pathological anatomy services.

In this way, the renovated Clínica Girona has given special emphasis to outpatient surgery, the surgical area, cardiology and diagnostic imaging.

Commitment to the most innovative, high-precision technology for operating theatres

Throughout its history, Clínica Girona has been committed to innovation in hospital machinery and equipment. This has been no exception in the facilities inaugurated. In fact, practically all the equipment and devices are new.

Tedisel, at the forefront of equipment at Clínica Girona

OPERATING THEATRES – QPANEL

In the case of the operating theatres, the entire room has been centralised using Q-Panel technical panels, designed to meet the hospital’s needs. They have also been installed in the delivery room area with different configurations.

RESUSCITATION ROOMS – ARES

For their part, the resuscitation rooms have been equipped with Ares compact suspended systems to be able to supply patients while optimising space and providing easy and quick access to the patient.

ICU – ATLAS

As for the ICU boxes, various Atlas ceiling suspended systems have been installed to facilitate the mobility of medical staff and improve access for patient care.

MEDIUM PATIENT CARE – ADONIS

Finally, the facility has a separate large room for medium patient care, where to optimise space and to be able to serve two beds at the same time, the centre has several Adonis wall columns.

27Jun

Hospital bed head units of today and the future

June 27, 2022 tedisel

For some years now, hospital bed heads units, driven by the improvement in hospital equipment, have been providing an optimised, intuitive environment in accordance with the space in which they are located

That is to say: they are the perfect complement to hospital beds, forming a block that is designed and installed according to the type of patient who is going to use it and the medical speciality, floor or type of hospital.

In this post, Tedisel would like to talk about the main characteristics of hospital bed head units, their functions, trends in the health sector and what options are available in the market.

What are hospital headboards?

Hospital headboards, far from what they may indicate at first glance, are not the equivalent of the headboard of a normal, typical household bed.

They are part of the hospital bed, yes, but with a different function and design. Specifically, they are the structures, usually arranged vertically or horizontally, which are attached to the wall and are placed precisely on the headboard area of the bed or near the side of the bed.

ICARUS Model

What are they for?

We are referring to those elements that, when we have been patients in a hospital, we have used to warn the nurses of anything. These devices light up indirectly in case someone has to enter or leave the room.

Among their main characteristics is the fact that they have numerous sockets, each with different purposes, but especially electrical, data and gas sockets. On the other hand, we must distinguish between headboards designed for common hospitalisations, or those intended for ICU units, resuscitation rooms, post-operative units, etc. In this case, they are usually more sophisticated.

In any case, they are completely common and necessary elements in hospitals all over the world.

“Among their main characteristics is the fact that they have numerous sockets, each with different purposes, but especially electrical, data and gas sockets.

N270 Model

Characteristics and trends in headboards

Hospital bedside cabinets act as devices that have been conceived to provide the physician with close and simple access to supplies needed for therapy. As we said, this is the case of gases, vacuum or electrical energy, fundamentally. In addition, the bedside cabinets provide the patient with ‘extra’ services, such as lighting, alarms or communication systems.

These bed heads form an aesthetically and functionally harmonious whole with the bed, one of the most important parts of the patient unit. The function of the bed in the hospital is to accommodate the patient and has characteristics specifically adapted to his or her ailments. It must always be in perfect condition to ensure that the patient is comfortable, as this is where he or she will spend most of the day during hospitalisation.

Whether headboards are intended for Critical Care services (ICU, ICU, etc.), emergency / resuscitation services, wards of intermediate complexity, or other hospital sectors where their services are required, in the last decade headboards have taken on a new dimension at an aesthetic level, as a whole.

As a result of the greater importance given to the holistic and biophilic experience in hospitals, to the well-being not only of the patient but also of the medical staff, to facilitating their work and the hospitalisation periods of users, headboards have been adapted to blend in with their surroundings. What does this mean? That the type of hospital headboard of yesteryear, useful and efficient but alien to the style of the bed and the room, no longer applies in the new and remodelled hospitals.

Bed heads today are part of a whole: of the bed, of the room, of the type of hospital and of the type of patient. They are oriented and designed specifically for a particular profile, be it paediatric patients, VIP stays, etc.

AURA Model

An essential piece of hospital equipment

The hospital bedside goes far beyond the mere hook-up of electrical and diagnostic equipment and the basic functions of lighting, voice recognition and oxygen-enriched gas outlet.

This complex system is continuously being improved to be more omnichannel and adaptive than ever before with a single device. This means that the headboards are intended to facilitate services to all types of patients, from those able to alert the nurse at the push of a button to those who are intubated, sedated or temporarily immobile.

Solutions such as push-button knob, voice activation, etc. are part of the hardware that takes care of the nurse-patient call. Which is ultimately one of the main functions that is not fixed or that can lead to the most uncertainty.

MAYA Model

The most complete catalogue of headboards

In Tedisel Medical we have a wide catalogue of hospital bed heads, integrated wall systems, for all types of patient rooms in hospitals.

Our headboards follow the trend in the health sector of fully integrating the headboard into the room design. Especially in new constructions and remodelling of health centres, this is what is being sought after, both for aesthetic reasons and for simplicity and ease. In short, headboards are elements that offer a very important service, that influence the well-being and recovery of the patient, and that are increasingly integrated at an aesthetic and formal level.

Among our headboards, the following stand out:

Aura
Our modular bed head
It can be customised to adapt to the needs of different areas: hospitalisation, critical areas, operating theatres, etc. It is the perfect equipment to hold different accessories. From a simple rail to a complete sliding system with infusion pumps and trays.

N270

Monobloc bed head
Our best known model in the world, the most sold and installed in thousands of projects; optimal for hospitalisation and general care areas.

Adonis
Known for its design and high load capacity, this is the optimal solution for confined spaces especially in critical areas. It can also serve two beds simultaneously in any area. Adonis allows multiple configurations, depending on the needs of the area where it is to be installed. Its structure integrates two tubes for the placement of various accessories.

Icarus
It is an attractive and futuristic headboard. Its innovative design is mainly customised for hospitalisation and VIP.

Maya
With the little ones in mind, Maya is our paediatric bed head created to provide a cosier and more pleasant space to facilitate the stay of the little ones in hospital.

Ais
Artistic bed head
A bed head, which allows you to customise the front to give a more welcoming atmosphere to the area where you want to install it: maternity, paediatrics, hospitalisation, VIP, etc. Ais, with a minimalist and clean design, allows the placement of accessories by means of a technical rail to the wall.

Our latest project with AIS bed head

One of our latest projects is the installation of the AIS model in the Latorre Hospital, in Soria. This bed head with customisable front was integrated 100% at design level in the decorative wall vinyl of the room.

The AIS model adds an architectural touch. It allows you to customize the front to give a cosier atmosphere to the area where you want to install it: Maternity, Paediatrics, Hospitalisation, VIP, etc. Among its features, it stands out for its minimalist and clean design, allowing the placement of accessories by means of a wall-mounted technical rail, such as infusion pumps and IV pole holders, trays and drawers, monitor support arms, examination lamps or medical baskets, among others.

31May

The use of medical gases in hospitals

May 31, 2022 tedisel

The use of medical gases in hospital centres is a response to a solid implantation and a constant increase in consumption and type of therapies.

What are medical gases? Definition and characteristics

At present, the use of medical gases is on the rise, both in the hospital, pharmaceutical and health fields in general and in the home. To speak of medical gases is to speak of special medicines. This is how they are classified.

By medicinal gas we mean any product consisting of one or more gaseous components and whose purpose is direct contact with the human organism.

The use of gases is indispensable in a hospital for medical care in a multitude of units. For this reason, their use, supply and administration must be effective, efficient and safe.

It is important to divide what are medical gases, such as oxygen and nitrous oxide, supplied to patients in gaseous form, and gases used as medical devices, for medical care units, as facilitators or adjuncts. The difference is that only medicinal gases considered as drugs exert their action by pharmacological, immunological or metabolic means.

“It is important to divide what are medical gases, such as oxygen and nitrous oxide, supplied to patients in gaseous form, and gases used as medical devices, for medical care units, as facilitators or adjuncts. The difference is that only medicinal gases considered as drugs exert their action by pharmacological, immunological or metabolic means.

Practical applications of gases in hospitals

Medical gases are part of the landscape of any hospital. They constitute elementary and unavoidable tools and devices for the emergency room, operating theatre, ICU, ward, ambulance, etc…. In other words, their application is multiple and for any space.

Within the variety of medical gases needed in healthcare, we can talk about medical air, oxygen, helium, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, nitrogen or nitrogen monoxide.

The fact is that, on a regular basis, more and more requirements are arising for their use. Perhaps the most important application is oxygen/medical air for oxytherapy purposes. The important thing here is to know how much of the gas the patient inhales.

For breathing purposes, gases can be supplied directly from the cylinder or concentrator to the patient, while in hospital facilities the gas is usually piped from tanks, thermoses or cylinders to intakes at each location.

Specialty gases are key to many analytical equipment that study the chemical composition of a blood sample or other biological waste. In addition, in oncology, they can be used to find markers that indicate that a cancerous tumour is growing or under control. Special gases are also very useful for lasers in surgery or other treatments.

For equipment sterilisation, it is possible to make gas mixtures with ethylene oxide or other components that are toxic. In this respect, a very popular application is proton therapy for cancer treatments. On the other hand, nitric oxide is valid as a relaxing agent to dilate blood vessels, especially pulmonary vessels, in the case of prenatal respiratory failure.

And helium is mixable in medicinal applications to reduce the density of the oxygen mixture.

“The range of options for the use of medical gases is vast, and is constantly growing as new treatments and advanced technologies emerge.

And if we had to summarise their main uses and applications, it would be:

Facilitating respiratory function.
Support in diagnosis, anaesthesia, sterilisation, endoscopy techniques, laparoscopy, laser, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, ophthalmic surgery and conservation of samples and organs.
Calibration of measuring equipment in clinical laboratories.

Risks of gases in hospitals

One of the most important factors to take into account when it comes to medical gases and gases used in medical care is their risks. First and foremost, it is essential that the systems used for medical gases comply with the required safety regulations, and that the occupational risk prevention service of the hospital ensures compliance.

The installations of these gases must be designed and built by experts in the field and must comply with all the required regulations. But that is not all: healthcare personnel must know how to treat them, their characteristics and associated risks, in order to avoid any type of problem in the course of routine healthcare work.

Due to their physical and chemical conditions and characteristics, they therefore entail a series of risks that must always be monitored.

The most commonly used medical gases in hospitals

As we said, although they have been present in healthcare centres for centuries, the use of medical gases continues to gain more and more strength in the medical field. Research has led to the discovery of new applications in their use, thanks mainly to new technologies. However, there are a number of gases that are the most commonly used in hospitals, for different reasons and for different applications. These are listed below.

Nitrogen (medical liquid nitrogen)

Nitrogen is a medical gas used for the cryosurgical removal of some cancers and skin lesions.

It is in liquid form and at very low temperatures, so it is also used to store and freeze tissues, cells and blood at cryogenic temperatures to prevent oxidation of samples. For example, the pharmaceutical industry uses this medicinal gas in the manufacture of medicines. Gaseous nitrogen, the largest component of our atmosphere, is used in medicine mainly to propel surgical tools.

Medicinal Oxygen

This gas makes life possible and is indispensable for combustion, which is why it is one of the most widely used gases in hospitals, mainly as artificial respiration when patients are short of air.

Odorless, colourless and tasteless, it is used for resuscitation and inhalation therapy. It is also used in anaesthesia before any intervention, in the treatment of burns or in hyperbaric therapy to treat numerous diseases.

Carbon dioxide

Used especially for medical gas insufflation in less invasive surgeries, such as laparoscopy, arthroscopy, endoscopy and cryotherapy, as well as for respiratory stimulation during and after anaesthesia.

Nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide is very useful in many surgical procedures as an anaesthetic and analgesic. It is known as “laughing gas”.

Medicinal air

In medicine, compressed medical air is used in conjunction with high humidity treatments with atomisers, paediatric treatments and in all types of respiratory therapies where increased atmospheric oxygen content is contraindicated. In other words: medical air is mainly used in ICU and NICU areas because it allows for the mobilisation of compressed air driven respirations, or as a diluent for administered O2, since O2 in concentrations of 100% is toxic to the body.

It is also used in anaesthesia equipment as a transport element to atomise water, administered to the airways and as a propellant for surgical equipment.

Helium

Helium belongs to the family of inert gases and is the second lightest element. Odorless, colourless, tasteless, non-toxic and non-flammable, it is normally used in a liquid state for tomography cooling systems, as it reaches a low temperature of -259°C. It is also used in the field of medical devices.

In addition, its application is focused on the diagnosis of diseases through magnetic resonance imaging, since MRI equipment needs liquid helium to maintain a low temperature that allows the superconductivity of the magnets.

Installation, use and concepts to keep in mind

Knowing the most common types of gases, understanding how each is used and for what purpose, and keeping the systems optimised, is a must for hospital and medical staff. But even more important is to understand the particularities of their installation.

First of all, it is important to know that the gas production and storage plant is owned by the gas supplier, which has important implications for responsibilities and maintenance. They have a consumption that maintenance managers cannot speculate on or reduce for the sake of lower costs. In turn, it demands associated services such as cylinder delivery, traceability, increased maintenance, etc.

It is a logically vital and priority service, as a hospital can’t function without it. In addition, and this is where the hospital engineer comes into play. Gases require different forms of storage and distribution, whether portable bottles, insulated batteries, cryogenic tanks, self-production for medical use… Therefore, a good hospital design will be crucial to avoid future problems.

18May

The IoMT revolution in the healthcare sector

May 18, 2022 tedisel

IoMT is the fastest and most optimal way to make hospitals more efficient, provide doctors with the most relevant patient information, and speed up medical processes.

Technology applied to healthcare has reached a new dimension with the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). The evolution of technology over the last decade has led the healthcare sector to a tremendous improvement in many of its procedures, devices and medicines. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, Big Data and the internet of things are making a decisive contribution to this. The use of medical devices capable of monitoring patients and sending patient data in real time, being able to assess their state of health and intervening even before a problem occurs, has changed the future of medicine and healthcare forever.

In this article, we take a closer look at IoMT to find out exactly what it is, its possibilities in healthcare today, its benefits and the risks that come with it.

What is IoMT?

The healthcare sector is undergoing a unique and unstoppable transformation, and its future will be more consumer-centric, results-driven and prevention-oriented than ever before.

Key concepts in this transformation include digitalisation, personalised medical care with tools for predictive, participatory and preventive care, and the issue of rising costs due to an ageing population. This is why healthcare organisations are already focusing primarily on optimising costs, simplifying processes, optimising sizing and using cutting-edge technology to make everything more efficient.

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has a big part to play in this transformation of the healthcare sector. What is IoMT in concrete terms? It is about medical devices capable of communicating via the internet to transfer patient information. They are medical devices and applications dedicated to the digitisation and transformation of healthcare processes.

“Its potential to transform healthcare comes from its ability to change forever the shape and volume of data collected in hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities, combining leading technical and technological trends in mobility, automation and data analytics to improve patient care.

How IoMT works and its potential

What IoT does for the medical sector is to leverage networks of physical objects through the use of embedded sensors, actuators and other devices capable of capturing and transmitting information about network activity in real time. How? Through this connected infrastructure of medical devices, software applications and healthcare systems and services.

There are currently more than 500,000 active medical technologies available. That gives a glimpse of the tremendous potential. And according to a study by Zebra Technologies, 9 out of 10 companies are ready to implement this technology, and more than half of the organisations in the industry have already acquired IoT solutions or are in the process of doing so.

The Internet of Things in the medical sector is inevitable, and it’s only going to get bigger. In fact, according to Business Insider, the IoT market will grow to $400 billion by the end of 2022 due to increased demand, better network coverage and 5G connectivity, and improved technology at all levels.

In this transformation process, healthcare IoT devices will also become very important over the next five years. Juniper Research has stated that by 2026 hospitals will deploy 7.4 million Internet of Medical Things devices, a total growth of 231% over 2021.

“IoMT is a full-fledged revolution in the field of medicine that allows for more precise knowledge of the patient’s situation, more effective treatment and significant savings in healthcare.

Benefits and advantages of IoMT

The medical sector is constantly growing and innovating, and in the coming years this trend will be marked mainly by the development of new diseases and the growth and ageing of the population.

Against this backdrop, IoMT is increasingly gaining ground for its efficiency, service optimisation and potential. In short, for improving healthcare and speeding up the work of medical professionals.

The benefits of intelligent analysis of the data generated by IoMT devices include early detection of diseases, speeding up diagnosis and providing the most appropriate treatment, and identifying risk factors for suicide, alcohol abuse or drug use.

There is much more: blood glucose meters that send data directly to the healthcare professional, smart inhalers to improve respiratory treatments, drug delivery systems to send alerts to patients about their treatments… the potential is immense, beyond the possibility of more accurate diagnoses, fewer errors and lower care costs.

In health care, IoT holds the key to relieve healthcare facilities and provide a better work-life balance, as well as helping to reduce the number of patients suffering from chronic diseases. Through IoMT and smart sensors connected to its network, everyday lifestyles, health and environmental conditions can be analysed and monitored…

By reducing clerical work, we reduce errors in diagnosis and treatment at the same time, as health centres can verify the patient’s history without relying on the patient to first call their other doctors to check and verify their medical history.

In summary, the main items that condense the major advantages of the Internet of Things in the health sector are:

Better care for the patient by being able to provide personalised and more in-depth follow-up.
Increased efficiency of health care workers and available medical resources.
Better identification of the patient’s diagnosis and the most appropriate treatment.
Disease prevention, which reduces the need for future health care and health costs.
Support in patient monitoring.

IoMT issues and challenges

As we can see, IoMT brings an unprecedented flow of data. This logically creates challenges in terms of performance, operations, network infrastructure management and security risks. Therefore, all healthcare facilities will need a connected infrastructure (wifi, power grid, bluetooth, barcodes, security sensors…) capable of meeting security and privacy requirements and managing huge data flows, while remaining easy to manage and operate.

Perhaps the biggest problem faced, due to the numerous devices and sensors in the IoT network, is security. Reducing the risks of cybercrime is crucial. As the Internet of Things can revolutionise the medical industry, it is also an open invitation to cybercriminals who want to blackmail hospitals and patients, steal data and cause real harm.

Another important issue is the possibility of power outages in connected equipment. Especially in the case of IoMT systems, we cannot omit any software or hardware updates, for example.

“Perhaps the biggest problem faced, due to the numerous devices and sensors in the IoT network, is security. Reducing the risks of cybercrime is crucial. As the Internet of Things can revolutionise the medical industry, it is also an open invitation to cybercriminals who want to blackmail hospitals and patients, steal data and cause real harm.

IoT applications in the health sector

The IoT solutions being implemented in the healthcare sector cover a wide range of areas, including:

Monitoring
Thanks to this technology, we can use sensors that report valuable physiological information about the individual, knowing much more about the hospitalised patient’s condition.

Telemedicine
The IoT allows the remote provision of healthcare services by medical professionals, using information and communication technologies, to break down countless barriers in order to attend to patients and provide a response to their pathology. We are talking about monitoring patients with chronic illnesses from their homes, making video calls to ask questions or follow their condition in real time…

Wearables
These devices continuously collect data on the activity and functions of each individual/patient, so that medical equipment can know their vital signs and identify the evolution of their condition, providing information on the quality of sleep, calorie expenditure, etc.

Patient well-being during hospitalisation

Thanks to IoT, there are applications in hospitals that allow patients to control the brightness and temperature of their room, the inclination of their bed, order food or call the doctor from their smartphones.

Drones
They are used to speed up the delivery of medical supplies and products such as medicines, samples (blood, urine, or skin, for example), and other medical supplies.

Augmented reality
By combining elements of virtual reality and real environments, we help improve patient safety, perform major operations more easily and successfully, and provide better training for healthcare staff.

IoMT case studies

One of the first industries to embrace IoMT was pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical companies use the Internet of Things to remotely monitor temperature during the transport and storage of vaccines.

Some hospitals use these devices to locate all patients at all times, even from home, which allows them to better control and organise their staff, help patients avoid subsequent hospital visits through a symptom tracking app, etc.

Today we also have electronic medication products that remind the user to take their medication again, which are even equipped with digestible sensors that trigger a notification to the user if they have skipped taking the medication or did not take it on time.

On the other hand, these smart devices recommend the best time and the right dose for the next insulin injection in diabetics.

In turn, devices such as smart wristbands and other wearables monitor patients in real time to reduce waiting times, administer drugs, manage the hospital pharmacy and improve care, with the goal of achieving Zero Risk.

26Apr

Control software for operating theatres and critical areas

April 26, 2022 tedisel

Nowadays, hospital software is an essential support in hospital management. By automating numerous tasks and centralising information, we can reduce effort, time and errors. A technology that will allow the hospital, and especially the operating theatres, to achieve excellence in terms of patient care and maximum efficiency.

Full integration in operating theatres: what is hospital software?

The challenges of surgical integration are the order of the day. An operating room is a highly complex environment, whether it is a traditional operating room, a hybrid operating room… To solve and address these challenges, we have technological advances that are increasing the volume of devices in the operating room designed to solve all kinds of problems.

Operating theatres accumulate independent devices, monitors, complementary systems and other materials. Each with its own interface or hardware. And therein lies one of the main problems: the lack of a global vision of the data and the situation, with the consequent loss of time, increased costs, inefficiency, saturation, lack of security?

This is where hospital software comes in.

This is a computer system that integrates the management of the different areas that make up a health centre, such as the medical appointments agenda, patient hospitalisation, medical orders, administrative management, etc.

In the case of operating theatres and critical hospital areas, these systems facilitate their automation and control. Under a single element, they encompass all the data and access to audio, screens, videos, lighting or controls, allowing greater efficiency for the surgical staff.

“Integrating systems for the automation and control of operating rooms facilitates, at the same time, turning off / suspending monitors and other devices at will, such as lighting, surgical screens, camera systems, image capture devices, monitors and medical printers within the operating room, eliminating possible stumbling blocks caused by wiring.

Hospital software functions

These programmes provide extremely useful data to support decision making, unifying and organising all the information handled by a complex centre such as a hospital, and allowing all types of queries and reports. Thanks to them, within the operating theatre and critical areas, we can manage in a single element:

Clinical records: Having access to the clinical records with detailed information on patients, whether personal data, prescriptions, interventions, medical condition, treatments, diagnoses, etc. We will also be able to monitor the patient’s evolution and generate reports, images of diagnostic practices or consult laboratory results.
Control of the facilities: We will have information about the operating room in real time, consult the history of the operations carried out in each of the rooms and guarantee the good condition of the facilities.

In addition to these two main functions, the most common software in hospitals include other options such as:

The optimisation of stock and the allocation of boxes and operating theatres.
Document action
Control of prescriptions between departments
Equipment maintenance
Information flow between specialists
Admissions, history and diagnoses of each patient
Communication with the patient via email, message…
Create invoices and control costs
Organisation of healthcare staff

Advantages of hospital software

On a general level within a hospital, the advantages of installing a hospital software include:

Optimising the capacity to respond to hospital innovations.
Streamlining and monitoring of hospital management processes
High-quality, personalised service that differentiates you from your competitors
Minimising costs and patient waiting times
Accurately collect and analyse data from medical records
Support decision making through the use of data analytics

If we extrapolate these benefits to operating theatres, we will see that one of the main advantages of opting for these systems is that they adapt to both low-complexity operating theatres and complex, high-volume operating theatres, hybrid operating theatres, etc.

In addition, the systems for the automation and control of operating theatres allow healthcare personnel to perfectly locate the equipment in the operating theatre space.

Moreover, by designing an integrated OR, space is maximised to allow staff to operate around the OR more effectively. It is also a crucial element in organising all patient data for surgical staff during a procedure, minimising congestion and simplifying information across platforms. This translates into greater productivity, safety and efficiency in patient care.

Within this global and integrated vision, these systems are optimal from pre-surgical management itself, as they provide the necessary tools to verify the state of preparation of the operating room and the necessary resources of the operating room, through intraoperative management and into the postoperative phase, where patient documentation can be completed and reviewed and the care to be received can be recorded.

Reimagining the control of the operating room with Hermes

At Tedisel Medical, as expert manufacturers of hospital equipment for hospitalisation areas, critical areas and surgical blocks, we know the importance of choosing the right software for hospitals. This is the case of Hermes, the digital brain that allows centralising all the controls and obtaining data and analysis of the operating theatre or critical area.

This software, present in hospitals all over the world, is compatible with all our technical panels, so if you need to integrate this technological solution in your hospital, we will inform you, advise you and undertake the whole project according to your needs.

“Hermes is able to supervise the operating theatre and provide all the necessary data for optimal and economical use, managing the operating theatre controls and screens from a single place through an intuitive interface that allows access to all functions with a single touch.

Así, este software incluye las siguientes características y funciones:

Controlar y centralizar todo el quirófano en una pantalla
Análisis y control de datos
Varios cronómetros
Alarma de gases
Control de la música
Fácil de usar
Pantalla táctil y de visualización

The best hospital management software for operating theatres

Now that you know the main uses and benefits of hospital software, it is no less important to know that 6 out of 10 companies fail to choose such solutions for their operating theatres and critical areas.

With Hermes in the OR, equipment and devices will be managed in unison, centrally, creating a safer and cleaner OR environment. Hermes is specifically designed and tested for use in the critical wards of healthcare facilities.

If you want to get it right first time and find the right software for your hospital, contact us.

04Apr

Motor arm systems for critical areas and operating rooms

April 4, 2022 tedisel

Technology achieves what humans cannot. Also in the field of health. There are countless tools to facilitate and complement the experience and work of medical professionals in hospitals and health centers, also achieving better, higher quality, more efficient and safer patient care.

Technology is the engine that drives the development and evolution of many sectors, including the healthcare industry. For decades, we have seen how innovation and technology in hospitals give a boost to health systems, improving their processes.

The main objective of tools for the health sector is usually to facilitate the work of doctors and the medical team and, of course, reduce human error. In this sense, an example of technology in hospitals are motor arm systems, especially in critical areas and operating rooms.

What are motor arm systems?

One of the most common medical instruments in hospitals are motor arm systems or articulated arm systems, whose advantages and benefits are multiple.

This system is an instrument made with innovative technology to facilitate surgical interventions and, at the same time, help in the recovery and well-being process of patients who have undergone surgery.

This type of medical equipment is composed of a modern mechanical structure that works, as its name indicates, as a kind of mechanical, articulated or motorized arms.

It is a modular system that offers surgeons and doctors the possibility of carrying out an infinite number of large, specific and immediate movements. Therefore, its use is common both in operating rooms and critical areas to carry out surgerys, intensive therapies, etc.

What are motor arm systems for?

This medical instrument has several functionalities that are concentrated in a single machine:

Serves as a source of electrical energy
Supplies gases and lighting
It can rotate on its own axis, facilitating its handling by the specialized medical team

Thanks to these characteristics and a versatile profile, motor arm systems are an added value and a guarantee for patients and doctors. Its qualities make it possible to significantly reduce possible complications in an operation. And therefore, they contribute to the successful completion of the surgery. In fact, on occasion, the use of this system can save the life of a patient.

Main functions of motor arm systems

These instruments for hospital use go beyond acting as arms. We are going to highlight what its basic functions are:

Adaptability and ergonomics

Due to its characteristics and versatility, it could be considered that the use of articulated arm systems requires a lot of space. However, this is not the case. This medical equipment allows to regulate the range of mobility depending on the available space. In addition, the different modules are removable and, once installed, the configuration can be changed easily in order to improve its operability according to the needs of the surgery and the healthcare personnel.

It is important that both the installation and configuration of this device for medical use is carried out by qualified personnel, with experience and knowledge of its operation.

In addition to adapting to space, thanks to its ergonomic design, it also adapts to the physique (height, for example) of the doctor. In addition, the change of positions also helps the staff not have to adopt uncomfortable positions that can cause damage or some type of pathology or injury.

Heads

It has a whole series of heads, so the motorized arms adapt to them. It also has hospital accessories and medical components and various supply modules. For all this, they facilitate the application and implementation of all kinds of medical strategies and techniques in operating rooms and critical areas.

These heads also provide the motor arm system with great agility and maneuverability to easily and immediately reach places where the human arm cannot.

On the other hand, it should be noted that, thanks to its intelligent design, the main head of this system has a command center that controls all the systems that are connected to it.

Illumination

Although the most attractive thing about this type of system is its ability to move and position, it is also important to highlight the high quality of its professional lighting system.

Supply modules

They allow the realization of medical connections in order to use all kinds of medical elements and equipment as well as medicinal gases. In addition, it should be reiterated that the provision of these modules is immediate, so that any surgical procedure has all the medical and safety guarantees.

Mobility

One of the great abilities and characteristics of the articulated arm systems is their rotary system, which allows total and absolute mobility in any type of space.

Its ability to perform all kinds of movements and adopt infinite positions, boosts the development of the operation and the movement of the medical team in the operating room. In this sense, we must not forget either the ease of use and directing it by specialists.

Brake system

Thanks to the brakes, the movement and position is adjusted to the exact point required by medical professionals quickly and easily.

At this point, functionality such as color coding to move or stop the instruments should also be highlighted.

A hygienic system

Hospitals in general, and operating rooms and critical areas in particular, are spaces that require a high level of hygiene and asepsis. In this sense, motor arm systems do not affect the hygiene of the space.

This hospital engineering system is made with materials that prevent the presence and proliferation of bacteria. At the same time, each of the plugins is designed regularly and hermetically. In addition, the surface is smooth, so its cleaning is not complex.

Due to all these characteristics, it is possible to confirm that this system reduces the possibility of cultivating risk microorganisms.

Versatility

This equipment has several functions and you can choose one or the other depending on the needs of the medical team. Furthermore, as it is modular it can be adapted to any type of space and to healthcare professionals. Thanks to this versatility, after installation, medical services often experience significant improvements and efficiency in relation to operations, etc.

Quick and remote control

In surgical operations, the outcome of the surgery or the lives of patients can become success or failure in a matter of seconds. That is why it is important that the control of this system is fast and remotely. This facilitates its use and agility.

In addition, rapid movements are often essential in any surgical process for its effectiveness and for the health of the person intervened.

Remote control makes it easy to handle motor arm systems remotely. Just by pressing a button, the arm rotates to the desired position without any need to move it manually or by applying force.

Benefits

Taking into account all the characteristics and main functions of motor arm systems, we could say that their main advantages are:

Its versatile profile: it supplies light, energy, gases …
It has great agility and ease of movements and positions.
It is easy to operate.
Professional and quality lighting.
Fast and rigorous motion control.

Conclusions

Like other hospital engineering instruments, motor arm systems have become an essential tool for the majority of hospitals that install them in their operating rooms and critical areas due to the many advantages that they represent for healthcare activities.

18Jan

Hospital engineering for the design of the hospitals of the future

January 18, 2022 tedisel

The work of hospital engineers is essential to introduce new technologies and materials in hospitals.

Hospital engineers are professionals whose recognition is usually not related to their importance in clinical management. These professionals play a key role in achieving centres that are more sustainable and adapted to the new social and health realities..

Nobody is aware that the future of hospitals lies in the development of the concept of smart hospitals. And it is in this evolution where efficiency, safety and well-being of the patient come into play as absolute priorities.

What is Hospital Engineering?

Hospital Engineering is a branch of health that is oriented towards the management, planning, analysis, design, development and implementation of technologies that offer alternatives and improved solutions to the problems of the hospital environment. How? Using the latest technologies, especially in the health sector.

The modernization of the hospital sector is a palpable reality of the last decades that, in this case, has generated the need for engineers specialized in medical equipment and sanitary facilities.

This hospital engineering related long ago to the mere maintenance and good use of hospital buildings, facilities and equipment, today it is already an obsolete concept. In fact, it is one of the professions that are evolving the most and that will evolve the most.

Thus, the hospital engineer has adopted a multidisciplinary and proactive role, collaborating and making decisions about the new hospital equipment and advanced technologies to be implemented in the centres. In this regard, the hospital engineer is in charge of aspects such as:

• Advise on investments and new facilities.
• Direct minor works and supervise contracts.
• Manage financial and human resources
• The technical-legal responsibility of the facilities.

Therefore, these professionals are increasingly important in clinical management, such as electrical safety solutions for hospital facilities.

Case study: the health management of Covid-19

Despite not being healthcare personnel, hospital engineers have played, play and will play a decisive role in centres and hospitals that have to deal with the fight against SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 epidemic.

The global pandemic has revealed how important the proper functioning of a hospital is in terms of electrical safety, infrastructure, supplies and equipment.

Thus, in hospitals, the engineering and maintenance departments are responsible for critical supplies such as medicinal gases, water, electricity or fuels.

Improvisation or lack of management is known to lead to both financial loss and poorer healthcare. For this reason, it is important to manage everything that these concepts encompass, starting with the electrical system, the central nucleus of the operation of a hospital. Hospital engineering works at this point to control, for example, that the electrical supply will be effective under any circumstance, that the fuel tanks of the generating sets are full, or that newly built hospitals have two electrical connections in case of fault.

More specifically with COVID-19 patients, their consumption of medicinal oxygen is very high, so it is vital that the supply is guaranteed and that the reserves are adequate. It is also necessary to control the elements that are not affected by the extreme variation in temperatures or other factors, as well as to try to avoid consumption by bottles, being more advisable in exceptional cases to use gas ramps.

Another strategic point is air conditioning, the final comfort of healthcare personnel and patients. For this reason, it is more than necessary to ensure the supplies of natural gas or diesel, or of the hot and cold batteries.

A process that has decisively affected the health management of Covid-19 and that will mark the future of future health is divestment. The lack of economic support experienced in recent years has been noted and more than in this pandemic, “increasing the effects of the crisis”, as indicated by Luis Mosquera, President of the Spanish Association of Hospital Engineering (AEIH).

Mosquera also points out that it is urgent to invest in hospitals to make them “lighter and more elastic”.

The role of hospital engineering in designing the hospitals of the future

Behind the maintenance and good use of the technology that is made in Spanish hospitals are the hospital engineers. In short, it is an essential element in the introduction of new technologies and materials in the health sector.

Engineers are partners in the new technologies that are going to be implemented in the hospital, their knowledge seems key for the management of this determinant technological component that goes hand in hand with the hospitals of the future.

Each equipment used in medicine will integrate an Engineering component, both software and hardware. A fact that is not trivial and to which the investment to update hospital centres must also respond accordingly.

Hospital engineering has arrived, as can be seen in the fact that several Spanish cities carry out their plans in terms of infrastructure for the next five and ten years, since an optimal planning of architecture in Hospital Engineering is needed.

This network of qualified professionals will help to obtain greater benefits from telemedicine, to promote methodologies to avoid providing medical services at a distance, to implement Big Data or Artificial Intelligence, etc.

In short, rethinking hospitals to make health buildings more sustainable and safer.

Hospital engineering is a global issue in which the United States and China are already putting a lot of effort, and in countries like India it will reach a new dimension: by 2024, its hospital spending is expected to reach 2,000 million euros per year.

Hospital engineering and electrical safety

Another area in which hospital engineering has a lot to contribute is in the electrical safety of hospitals.

The energy supply is essential not only in exceptional moments and of great hospital pressure such as the aforementioned pandemic, eventual natural disasters or critical situations. At such times critical areas such as operating rooms or ICUs have a high work rate, so electrical safety plays an essential role in the medical care of patients and, of course, to facilitate the work of healthcare professionals.

“The energy supply is essential not only in exceptional moments and of great hospital pressure such as the aforementioned pandemic, eventual natural disasters or critical situations.

On the other hand, considering that technology is increasingly present in hospitals and health centres through programs, software, machines, etc … It is important to have hospital electrical safety solutions that will ensure the proper functioning of all the medical services offered.

Planning the hospitals of the future

A light, adaptable hospital, with the appropriate infrastructures and prepared to adapt to the new and changing realities of the sector. This is the model of the health centre that will be established in the future.

A concept that has gained more acceptance than ever with the COVID-19 crisis: the global health structure is not prepared to face enemies and situations like that.

Therefore, the work of hospital engineering will be to ensure that hospitals are safe and intelligent spaces that adapt optimally and quickly to specific and temporary needs. To reduce the rate of improvisation, the work of hospital engineers to design contingency plans will be essential. And, fundamentally, guaranteeing electrical safety or making the design of hospitals more flexible, such as having spaces prepared to house mobile wards, hospitalization areas that can be transformed into ICUs, etc.

12Jan

Keys for the optimization of electrical safety in hospitals

January 12, 2022 tedisel

It’s helpful to know the keys for the optimization of electrical safety in hospitals, only then can you know what are the aspects to be taken into account when making sure you have the ideal conditions to reduce and eliminate risks.

Safety comes first, it is what is said in all work areas where the life of each worker is to be preserved. However, in the hospital context it represents an obligation also with patients.

Fortunately, we are experts in the field of electrical safety in hospitals, so we will talk to you from experience, letting you know the guidelines that we handle when we provide advice on electrical safety.

It is important to do conduct basic tests to know how is the electrical system

When we intend to do an audit in hospitals in order to know the current status of the electrical systems, we always apply a series of tests that give us results based on which an action plan can be developed to correct failures and risks.

In fact, there are a number of tests that help, and it’s necessary to start by checking the quality of the wiring, because that will depend on the proper functioning of the equipment and that the electrical energy supply can be stemmed.

The acumen of expert auditors in electrical safety for hospitals

Usually these tests are done using state of the art equipment. We rely on the best technology.

However, experience is also requested, because some of the tests consist of visual acuity.

To make the tests visually, you have to rely on experts, who are dedicated to conducting audits, and that represent success stories, that way you will ensure the quality of the inspection.

Correct distribution: another key to the optimization of electrical safety

The distribution of electrical energy is crucial for the electrical safety in hospitals.

That is why another key for the optimization of the electrical safety of hospitals is to know the best way to make the distribution of the supply, that way the regular procedures will be carried out effectively.

To do this, it’s essential to proceed to divide the alternating current in two levels, however, this is not something that should be done lightly, you need to rely on experts who are in charge of designing the ideal plan for the division and structure of the alternating current.

However, to give you an idea, the levels to be divided can be the following:

Electricity for an emergency system
Electricity for an equipment system

This is how safety circuits can be created and thus be able to safeguard the life and safety of each patient.

The equipment system must focus specifically on supplying power to the main equipments, which is vital for the care and continuous treatment of patients.

The best thing that can be done is rely on the experts. At ETKHO we advise you on electrical safety and offer the highest quality equipment for hospital critical areas.

11Jan

Patient safety in critical areas

January 11, 2022 tedisel

We can all learn from mistakes, but there are many mistakes that are fatal and must be avoided, especially when it comes to medical and health care. 4 out of 10 patients worldwide suffer damage in primary and outpatient healthcare.

80% of these damages can be prevented. In this context, patient safety is presented as a discipline in which all types of hospitals and health centers work. At the end of the day, caring and healing is its reason for being. However, little is said about how hospital electrical safety can help ensure the well-being of patients.

What is patient safety?

In 1948, the Declaration of Human Rights was promulgated, according to which, “everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living that ensures health and well-being, as well as their family…”.

Although health care is an unquestionable human right, the reality is that in many cases this care is deficient, especially when it comes to the poorest countries.

In this context, the culture of patient safety acquires relevance and governments, states and institutions around the world have put on the table a series of measures and recommendations with the aim of clarifying the parameters that define what patient safety is. And, in this way, work on safe and quality healthcare.

The World Health Organization defines patient safety as a discipline whose objective is “to prevent and reduce the risks, errors and damages suffered by patients during the provision of healthcare.” The WHO also supports that the cornerstone of safety culture is “the best continuous based on learning from errors and adverse events.”

Along the same lines, Cristián Rocco and Alejandro Garrido, authors of the publication Patient Safety and Safety Culture, consider that this discipline should pursue the objective of “reducing damage and reducing error since error is an inherent condition of human condition”.

In the case of Spain, the 2016 National Study on Adverse Effects linked to Hospitalization (ENEAS Study) reviewed 5,624 medical records, in which 8.4% of adverse events were found. 4.4% led to death and 42.8% were preventable. Once again, if we extrapolate this data to the 4.6 million hospitalizations in 2006, more than 7,300 deaths a year could be prevented.

Consequences of the lack of patient safety

In many cases, the most immediate consequence of unsafe patient care is death. There is a lot of news that we can read throughout the year about people who have died due to late care in collapsed health centers, for example. Along these lines, the Rocco and Garrido study mentions To Err is Human, a 1999 study published by the United States Institute of Medicine, as a reference.

Within the framework of this study, 30,000 medical records were reviewed, detecting 3.7% of adverse events, of which 58% were preventable and 13.6% resulted in death. The authors of the publication extrapolated these data to the volume of annual hospitalizations. They concluded that health care-related adverse events could cause between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths in the United States, at a cost of between $ 17 million and $ 28 million a year.

The conclusion is clear: as the American publication says, erring is human, but a culture of patient safety helps reduce this margin of error and save the lives of thousands of people.

Most common adverse events

The first step to an effective and quality patient safety culture is risk prevention and the detection and investigationof medical errors and common adverse events. In this sense, a 2005 ENEAS study established that the most common adverse events were related to:

Medication
Nosocomial infection
The cares
The procedure
The diagnosis

At a global level, the WHO also points out very similar worrisome situations:

Medication errors are among the leading causes of preventable harm and injury in healthcare.
Infections affect 7 out of 100 hospitalized people in high-income countries and 10 out of 100 in low- and middle-income countries.
25% of patients suffer complications due to unsafe surgical procedures. In most cases, the patient dies directly during the intervention or immediately afterwards.
Unsafe injection practices in healthcare settings.
Diagnostic errors affect about 5% of adults who go through ambulatory care.

On the other hand, there are other types of adverse events related to the facilities of the hospital or health center. In this case, we would be facing two main types of accidents:

Accidents related to the building and its facilities.
Natural disasters: accidents related to the environment and meteorological problems.

Is there a regulation on key aspects of patient safety?

As we said before, in the professional field patient safety has become a subject of study and on which to legislate both at the national and international level. In this sense, there are some important key events and documents for promoting a culture of patient safety:

In 2004, the World Alliance for Patient Safety (now the Patient Safety Program) was created. The main objective that is set is “above all, do no harm”, as its motto says.
Since 2005 there is the Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety, considered the first center in the world dedicated exclusively to patient safety and collaborating with the WHO.
In 2006, within the framework of the Warsaw Declaration on Patient Safety, the following needs were outlined: establish an Incident Notification System, promote a systematic approach to the culture of patient safety, and involve citizens and patients in improving this security.
In the case of Spain, the country has the National Health System Patient Safety Strategy, a document whose main objective is to promote and improve the culture of safety in health sector organizations.

In Colombia, for example, in the field of hospital security, they have the RETIE certificate (RETIE Technical Regulation of Electrical Installations). The objective of this certification is to guarantee “the protection of people, preventing, minimizing or eliminating risks of electrical origin”.

The importance of hospital safety

Although there is much legislation and interest in promoting a culture of patient safety, it focuses exclusively on the human sphere of action, focusing on how to avoid human errors that result in harm to the patient. However, there is not much scientific literature focused on hospital safety, a key pillar also in health care.

Hospitals are unique spaces, intended for the care of patients and sick people or those who require some type of surgery. For this reason, it is a health scenario where security must be applied in a concrete way both in relation to the facilities and to the medical work within the hospital center.

Although it is not common for electrical failures to occur in hospitals … So it can happen. This is demonstrated by data from the report Structure Fires in Health Care Facilities, prepared in 2017 in the United States by the National Fire Protection Association NFPA. The study collects information for the period 2011-2015 and detects an average of more than 5,700 fires in Health Centers. The second cause of these fires was failures in electrical installations.

Hospital protection and engineering: solutions

As experts in hospital engineering, we want to talk about some guidelines to take into account to guarantee the good state of the electrical safety of a hospital or healthcare center. They are as follows:

It is necessary to have an uninterruptible power supply system so that more critical areas such as the ICU or operating rooms always have specific loads in the event of the main power system failure.
For the automatic detection and location of electrical faults it is necessary to have an IT power supply system.
Have a team of experts who offer advice on electrical safety.
To avoid contact voltages in critical areas, the most sensitive areas of hospitals are the ground connections.

Conclusion

Patient safety is essential to provide efficient and quality medical care. However, in most cases the approach given to this culture of patient safety focuses on the human sphere, without taking into account the importance of avoiding risks in hospital electrical installations.

However, from ETKHO with this article we have wanted to value the importance of hospital engineering and of having high quality technological solutions to preserve patient safety.

10Jan

How to avoid risks in hospital electrical installations

January 10, 2022 tedisel

Risks in hospital electrical installations can lead to very serious situations. That is why care must be taken and a perfect electrical safety should be provided.

There are certain considerations that must be taken into account to know how to avoid risks in hospital electrical installations, so that accidents can be prevented.

In fact, we must bear in mind that the main causes of risks in hospital electrical installations are:

Defective wiring
Equipment in poor condition
Leakage currents in equipment
Do not follow the rules of good use of the equipment
Do not follow usage regulations of the equipment
Among others

According to experts, electrical problems represents the second cause of fire in hospitals.

All of the above reinforces the need for experts in electrical safety for these types of facilities in hospitals.

Why should hospital electrical installations in critical areas be audited?

Critical areas are exposed to two fundamental risks when electrical installations do not have the proper design and plan:

Macroshock

These can cause:

Severe burns
Death, due to the currents flowing through the skin, of the order of microamps
Muscle contractions

It is important that the risks produced by such scenarios in hospital electrical installations are eliminated.

Microshock

These are the currents that could flow through tissues and skin, of the order of microamps.

They occur mostly where they are used:

Pacemaker
Conductors such as catheters or others invasive

These could cause heart failure. In these faults, leakage currents are also involved. This type of risk can be avoided by using electrical insulation panels.

Aspects to understand how to avoid risks in hospital electrical installations

Some of the most frequent risks, which are identified when assessing the likelihood of accidents:

Direct contact with an active part without installation failure, these contacts with active part are 220 V
Incorrect handling of equipment, which could cause leakage currents
For this, an Isolated Power System is implemented, which is additional to the preventive maintenance plan that could avoid such leaks.
Indirect contact with an active part, when the installation fails, which can range from 25 to 220 V

So, a maintenance plan must be implemented, which can prevent the failure of both electrical installations due to deficiency, and of equipment from any cause.

It is possible to avoid risks in hospital electrical installations, and for this you need to have a good management.

You know the guidelines that we have shared can help you to understand how an assessment and the design of electrical installations should be carried out, that way you will know what to expect from a company that is responsible for eliminating all types of risk in electrical installations.

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