Connections and Misconnections

The Boston Globe just published a piece on the topic, describing the lack of connectivity between devices in an operating room, compared with consumer products.Most telling in the story is commentary from Massachusetts General anesthesiologist, Jesse Ehrenfeld: "My bank can notify me via text message if my account has a low balance, but medical devices can't let me know if my patient is having a critical event."John Conroy has written a piece for MD&DI on medical connectivity and the standard IEC 80001 that can help medical manufacturers incorporate connectivity into devices. Read the article in the January issue of MD&DI.Sandy Weininger, with FDA told the Globe that the turning point may be the arrival of a revolutionary application, such as a medical version of an iPod, that changes people's expectations of their devices. Weininger said. "As soon as you get the iPod . . . it just mushrooms."