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Medical device manufacturers should take advantage of valuable market opportunities by updating legacy devices. Augmenting an existing medical device can extend the life of your product and can be accomplished by connecting to a gateway module equipped with wifi, Bluetooth, and cell connectivity. This will enable the device to connect to a mobile device (such as a smartphone or tablet) and provide customers with a modern user interface, cloud connectivity, and a plethora of other advantages. Here we will explore important questions associated with expanding connectivity to an existing medical device.
Q: Is your medical device stable and reliable but lacking a modern look and user interface?
A: You can improve usability and extend your medical device lifespan by connecting it to mobile devices. Mobile devices are widely used and offer a modern user interface, which makes them ideal options for device updates without the need for completely refactoring your existing software.
Q: Has your competition leapt past you in connected capabilities?
A: Adding wifi, bluetooth, and cellular connectivity to your existing medical device is easier than you might think. Gateway modules can connect serially to your device and open up the possibilities of remote connectivity. We often use the Espressif ESP32 as a simple way to provide this capability.
Q: Are you missing opportunities to serve your customers because your devices are not cloud connected?
A: The power of Internet of Things (IoT) is being realized as medical devices are improved to add cloud connectivity. From analyzing collected data to tracking device usage, connecting your device to the cloud can help future-proof your product.
Q: What is required to use a medical device in an at-home setting?
A: As medical care increasingly transitions to the home, it has become more crucial to add connectivity to your existing device. Using a patient’s mobile phone as a gateway to the cloud provides for real-time data processing and collection, pivotal capabilities for devices utilized in preventative care and early diagnostics.
Q: What are some advantages of connecting to a patient’s personal phone?
A: Adding the capability to use a patient’s mobile phone as the sleek user interface of a medical device will provide several advantages, including cost savings, patient familiarity with the device, mobile connectivity, and telemedicine.
Q: What are the security concerns to adding connectivity to medical devices?
A: It is imperative to secure all data and communications related to personal health information (PHI). Deep subject matter expertise is required to navigate the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape. Our team at Promenade Software are experts in this area, and we have pre-built solutions that connect to the cloud and provide the necessary cybersecurity management.
