Innovative technology is crucial as the healthcare industry strives to deliver more personalized care, improve outcomes and simplify workflows. This has led to the spread of digital devices, from wearable health monitors to surgical robotics. By 2029, these solutions are helping the digital health market reach $772.46 billion, and the global robotic surgery market is expected to grow by more than 16% per year. This is partly due to the rapid adoption of wireless technology and AI-powered medical applications.
Wearables are not the only aspect of medical innovation. The operating room (OR) was digitally converted. Gone are the days of relying solely on sterile space. Today, digital may combine data, imaging and communication tools to help improve surgical workflow and patient safety. Information is transmitted in real time between devices, clinicians and hospital systems. These dynamic environments now feature a range of dense interconnect devices – robotics that enable more precise surgery, as well as smaller, more portable CT scans to enhance image quality and diagnosis, as well as endoscopes with ultra-high definition images. Supports modern or 4K data access and connectivity to support AI-powered image-guided care.
As the operating environment becomes more complex, every element and system must be reliable, secure and regulatory-compliant networks. Testing is the antidote to solve these problems. However, this has brought significant testing burdens to the industry, including:
1. Wireless connectivity and coexistence – OR now has a variety of wireless devices, from robots to monitors and imaging systems, operating in tight spaces, at different protocols and frequencies, and competing for limited spectrum. The FDA has issued guidance and specific standards, including ANSI C63.27, AAMI TIR 69, IEC 60601-1-2 and IEC 61326, to ensure that these devices operate safely and reliably. Since interference has the potential to affect surgical procedures and outcomes, coexistence testing is critical. This involves evaluating radio protocols, the operating environment of the equipment, and techniques to improve coexistence. To solve this problem, advanced wireless testing solutions for intensive device environments are needed.
2. Cybersecurity – As healthcare providers are firm in the crosshairs of cybercriminals, medical devices are a growing threat vector. Each technology in the OR is another node on the network, facing the same risks of ransomware, data breaches and unauthorized access. To protect patient data, the FDA requires the FDA to require strong testing of medical devices to ensure vulnerabilities are identified and mitigated before deployment. Integrating cybersecurity testing solutions into the development process can help achieve compliance faster.
3. High-speed data and imaging – High resolution images, i.e. auxiliary diagnostics, are key parts of numbers or numbers. To support AI's data needs and integrate with electronic health records, high-speed, low-latency networks are crucial. Network testing requires that throughput, signal integrity, latency and reliability be included under peak load. As imaging systems become more portable, they must maintain their performance in various environments, such as mobile stroke units or remote care clinics.
4. Regulatory compliance – As innovation accelerates, as regulatory burden accelerates, equipment manufacturers must balance sales time in terms of compliance with strict standards. This automates the tests in the driver's seat and deploys hardware verification to test hardware components that interact with the simulated environment. This accelerates product development and expands test coverage and repeatability, which is crucial for regulatory approval.
Tomorrow's operating room
Advanced analog technologies such as digital twins are increasingly adopted to meet the challenges outlined. The software provides a way to model and test numbers or complexity in each case. As the operating environment develops, it will consist of a complex network of intelligent systems that maximize efficiency, safety and surgical outcomes. AI, IoT, visualization, remote technology and more portable diagnostic tools will be commonplace and drive the driving force of small devices. Due to the complexity involved, testing will remain a strategic priority in achieving these goals.
Digital may have the ability to change care and introduce a new era of personalized healthcare. Before this, comprehensive testing and verification must be carried out to ensure that each medical device, network and system is performed reliably. As more devices and systems are integrated, standards will continue to evolve and, in turn, testing methods will need to advance to support dynamic ecosystems.
Photo: Phonlamaiphoto, Getty Images
Marie Hattar has over 20 years of leadership experience covering the security, routing, switching, telecom and mobility markets. Prior to joining Keysight Technologies, Marie worked as CMO and Check Point Software Technologies at IXIA. Prior to that, she served as vice president at Cisco, where she led the company’s corporate networking and security portfolio and helped drive its leadership in networking. Mary also worked for Nortel Networks, Alteon Websystems and Shasta Networks, where she worked in senior marketing and CTO positions. Marie holds an MBA from York University and receives a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto.
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