Development of Interoperability Standards for Medical Devices Used in Operating Rooms

A Collaborative Research Project Between the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UNH and IXXAT, Inc.

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UNH is working in conjunction with IXXAT, Inc. in the development of interoperability standards for medical devices used in operating rooms.  IXXAT, Inc. has been working on the Medical Device Plug-and-Play (MD PnP) program with Massachusetts General Hospital and the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT), based in Cambridge, MA.  CIMIT, an organization within Partners HealthCare in Boston, MA, facilitates the introduction of innovative technology into healthcare environments.  MD PnP is one of the programs sponsored by CIMIT and has a goal of developing an infrastructure for international interoperability standards for medical devices used in operating rooms and other healthcare environments.

The long-term scope of this project is to develop an open MD PnP standard for interoperability of medical devices that effectively communicate essential physical and control data.  The output data  from one device is used as input data to another device to effect automatic control of a surgical procedure.

The short term goal, and the goal of this collaborative effort, is limited to a particular use case that will automatically calibrate an invasive blood pressure monitor based on changes in a patient's elevation and angle as the result of repositioning a surgical table.  The completion of this project will document communication protocols needed to develop MD PnP standards for invasive blood pressure monitors and surgical tables.  Communication protocols developed will also serve as open MD PnP standards for future use cases.

If you would like additional information about this project or would like to contribute to the development of the interoperability standards contact:

 

John R. LaCourse, Ph.D., CPE, CEES
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
University of New Hampshire

Kingsbury Hall
Durham, New Hampshire  03824-3591

603.862.1324