Consumer Grade vs. Medical Grade Displays

The importance of selecting Medical Grade Displays for your Healthcare Application

Although there is a wide availability of display solutions to meet the demands of hospital and diagnostic requirements, not every solution can provide the quality, consistency, or longevity necessary for successful operation and patient satisfaction. Hospital staff often do a double take when they see the price tag for medical grade displays, and then the obvious question rears its head: what is the difference between consumer grade and high-end medical grade displays? While medical-grade displays are recognized for providing higher quality screens compared to to consumer-grade alternatives, advances in commercial off-the-shelf display technology paired along with lower prices have understandably drawn the attention of many health care professionals. Is there really a noticeable difference between the two? Much debate has surrounded the issue, but the answer comes down to a solid confirmation that, yes, there are discernible and important differences.  

 

For one, medical grade monitors display more colors, about one billion colors compared to the consumer version that displays maybe around 16 million at best. Although the human eye is limited in how many colors it can see, providing more colors allows for greater accuracy, and doctors and surgeons use precise coloration-based assertions in medical procedures or when making a diagnosis. A minute difference is shades can make all the difference.  Another major difference between medical and consumer grade displays is the automation of the backlighting system, also known as the luminosity. Medical displays have a closed-loop control circuit to maintain stable luminance from cold start to full operational temperature. A medical display’s automated system can continuously adjust the desired peak luminance several times a second. On a consumer grade monitor, one has to use the brightness control to adjust luminosity which is manually set without any reference to a correct level of luminance.  A commercial display requires an unreasonable amount of manual calibration to provide the same consistency of a medical display. Another point of distinction is that the average certified medical display’s life span is generally rated to be four times longer than that of consumer displays.

So when considering all the factors of longevity, automated luminosity, and brilliant accuracy, a medical grade display is still miles and away more beneficial and cost effective compared to a consumer grade display. Tangent offers a 22″ Medical LCD monitor featuring a 16:9 aspect ratio widescreen display with PCAP 2-point touch screen, IP65 front panel and an antimicrobial enclosure. This medical display is certified with the EN/IEC 60601-1 standard of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Health Care Facilities Code (NFPA 99), under which monitors used within a patient care vicinity can’t exceed leakage current levels of 100 microamps or more. With VESA 75 mounting, this 22″ Medical LCD display can easily be installed in a variety of healthcare environments and still maintain the quality and performance expected of a professional medical device. It’s very easy to be attracted to good prices and promises of quality, but true professional and health-oriented clients require the assurance and certified superiority of medical grade displays.

 

Thin Client

thinclientblog

All About Thin Clients 

 

A thin client is a lightweight hardware created for VDI- virtual desktop infrastructure solutions. Instead of storing data on a PC, a thin client enables storage of data on a data center or server.

 

Benefits of a Thin Client:

 

A thin client allows for easy deployment and management. It is inexpensive and saves energy and space. Thin clients enable IT department professionals to troubleshoot end -points support end users in one centralized location, at times even offsite.  

 

Tangent Thin Clients:

 

Tangent currently offers three Thin Clients, the Z600, Z400 and Thin Client 160.

z600

Z600 Thin Client

This thin client comes is an HD 1080P monitor. It’s low wattage CPU saves energy and reduces consumption without sacrificing performance. Fanless in design, the Z600 thin client is silent. It comes complete with a Texas Instruments DM8148 1GHz Processor and supports Citrix ICA/HDX, VMWare View remote access protocols.

z400

Z400 Thin Client

Smaller than a pencil, low in cost and lightweight in design, this energy efficient thin client is an excellent option. The Z400 comes with dual monitor support, and High-performance TI ARM CPU at 1GHz.

tc160

 

Thin Client 160

Thin Client 160 features the integration of the powerful and energy efficient VIA 1GHz x86 processor into a compact and robust enclosure. Thin Client 160 provides a DVI (digital video interface) port and a VGA adapter for optimal display experience, and has an optional miniPCI adapter for internal wireless. With options for wireless networking and VESA-compliant mounting, Thin Client 160 is perfect for cable-free and space-saving applications. With durable, fanless construction, Thin Client 160 provides quiet and reliable operation and extended operating life, lowering the total cost of ownership.

Importance of 60601-1 Certification for Medical Tablets

Importance of 60601-1 Certification for Medical Tablets

In the medical field, the general standard IEC 60601-1 is a widely accepted benchmark for medical electrical equipment. It deals with the basic safety and essential performance functions of medical electrical equipment and aims to ensure that no electrical, mechanical, or functional failure poses an unacceptable risk to patients or operators.  Compliance with the standards described in the manual (including newer editions) has largely become a mandatory requirement for electrical medical equipment in many countries, so adherence to it is paramount to any company manufacturing or selling such equipment.

Tangent takes safety standards very seriously for its line of medical tablets, ensuring that they not only meet those requirements, but also offer durable, full-featured, and user-friendly devices. Tangent offers five different medical tables, made to suit a variety of hospital technology needs, and range from nine inches to thirteen inches. All come standard with anti-microbial surfaces, at least an IP54 rated casing, a sleek, but rugged design to withstand the demanding environment of medical facilities, and of course is certified on the 60601-1 standard for medical equipment safety.

 

t13-13-inch-antimicrobial-tablet

The T13 thirteen inch medical tablet features the Intel Core i7 or i5 CPU, a projected capacitive touchscreen, full slot smart card and SD card readers. Optional features include RFID reader, front and back cameras, 2D barcode scanner, a 4G LTE module, detachable keyboard, charging cradle, and mounting accessories like a desktop charging cradle, and wall/vehicle mounts with VESA 100 ratings. Another great option for added mobility is a hand strap for the medical tablet and\or an integrated stand.  The IP54 rating on this means its protected from dirt, dust, oil, other non-corrosive substances and splashes of water. This workhorse is perfect for users that are on the move and need a reliable, clean, easy-to-read device.

M10i-10-inch-fully-rugged-tablet

The M10i ten inch medical tablet takes safety and durability ratings to a whole different level with being tested to MIL-STD-810G military standards and having an IP65 rated enclosure, making it safe to be sprayed and wiped clean without damaging the internal components. The MIL-STD-810G environmental testing proves that this tablet will excel throughout its service life in the medical industry by certifying that it can handle stress, vibration and shock. This is all in addition to the 60601-1 certification all Tangent medical tablets carry. This particular tablet features a 4th Generation Intel® Haswell Core™ i processor, and a high brightness multi-touch surface featuring a sun-readable Gorilla Glass panel and digitizer. Other features native to this impressive PC include a  hot-swap battery for 11-hours of uninterrupted operation, dual front and back cameras, TPM 1.2 support, WiFi and Bluetooth. It even has a docking port to easily make use of a monitor and keyboard. It’s an extremely full-featured medical tablet that’s ready to last a full day of work.

It’s tough keeping up with the rigorous standards of the day, especially in regards to medical equipment, but it’s a task that Tangent and its medical tablets happily take on and continuously work to improve.

The Surgical Environment and Noise-free Computers: A Complimentary Pair

 

Tangent’s fanless medical computers contain advanced cooling technology and SSD storage providing noise-free operation. While a silent computer is convenient and desirable, there are specific environments where the noise-free feature is not just a nice commodity, but also a requisite. This article covers the applications of noise-free computers in surgical environments.

 

Operating Rooms: Medical industries are highly dynamic environments filled with technological devices and people. Reducing noise pollution is a continuous common goal that improves the flow of the medical workplace. While silent devices are needed throughout health facilities, none is more important than the operating room, which carries with it the reputation of irrefutable respect- with reason.

Operation outcomes can be the determining factor of life or death. Open-heart surgery, liver transplants, and intestine transplants are just a few high-stake procedures that occur in the OR. Surgeon concentration is of utmost importance as is that of the entire OR team, often comprised of nurses, surgical technicians and anesthesiologists.

While music has proven to increase workflow by setting a nice pace and easing the tension of the surgical environment, distractions must be kept to a minimum. Unnecessary, obtrusive noise has no place in surgical environments and thus is why silent computers make the list of must-haves in them.

Post-Operative Patient Care: While the act of performing surgery is the high-pressured climax of a surgical environment, proper post-operative care is vital to ensure the hard work performed during surgery is successful. Sleep and rest assist to ensure proper post-operative healing. Among the concerns of post-operative patients, sensitivity to light, sound and smells top the list. So while proper functioning computers hold insurmountable value to patient care both in and out of surgery, the ability to do so silently shares equal merit.

Tangent noise-free computers are the perfect pair for the surgical environment delivering silent operation and optimizing sterility. Fanless in design, noise-free computers maintain a sterile environment because the elimination of a fan prevents the circulation of dust particles and airborne debris. The ventless enclosure of our noise-free, fanless computers means zero maintenance ensuring the surgical team can focus on what matters most: patient care.

 

 

The Significance of Anti-Microbial Keyboards and Mice

The Significance of Antimicrobial         Keyboards and Mice

Medical grade keyboards and mice are the gateway to secure, sterile, high-quality healthcare.

Healthcare computers, carts and tablets receive significant credit in the way they have improved healthcare environments producing more efficiency, sterility and better quality service. Nevertheless, as the adage states: a castle can only stand as strong as its foundation. Medical grade keyboards and mice are imperative foundational supporting accessories that must be on par with the other foreground components in order to sustain a superior work environment.

Hands: The gateway to healthcare professionals and their patients. Study after study demonstrates that hands are one of the leading causes in the spread of germs. We teach the importance of clean hands since childhood because if there is anything we have learned from historical plagues to modern day epidemics, sterile hands are paramount to the prevention of spreading disease. Proper hand hygiene is crucial in any healthcare department, let alone workplace. Therefore, the technological tools that hands most come into contact hold insurmountable importance.

While the healthcare industry improves with the incorporation of technological products, in order to maintain the most hygienic and exemplary health environment, medical grade keyboards and mice, the accessories, must meet high quality standards as well.

GATEWAY ACCESSORIES

 Medical grade keyboards and mice are referred to as gateway accessories as they are the channels through which germs and viruses are spread or NOT. At Tangent, all our medical grade keyboards and accompanying mice are SilverShield™ antimicrobial and SealShield ™ waterproof. This translates to fully washable medical grade keyboards and mice. Protect your healthcare workplace to the highest caliber by selecting premium grade healthcare accessories.

To view our medical grade keyboard and mice inventory, follow this link:

https://www.tangent.com/healthcare/antimicrobial-keyboards or click HERE