What Does “Medical Grade” Mean?

February 24, 2020March 12, 2020 Admin

You may see the term “Medical Grade” floated along by many manufacturers these days in your search for proper medical equipment. Everyone, from dentist chair manufacturers to medical grade computer manufacturers, lays claim to the term, implying that their product meets the true definition. While there is no central body that organizes the term “Medical Grade” and assigns it accordingly, there are some key elements that hospital supply buyers should look out for in their medical purchases. Most notably, the term “Medical Grade” when applied to computers should be scrutinized. Your Medical Grade Computer purchases should meet the following criteria:

UL60601 Certified

It almost goes without saying that any medical computers you purchases should be UL60601 Certified, but it is still worth mentioning. Among other things, this certification ensures that any Medical Grade Computers purchased by your hospital meet safety standards set by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC has set these guidelines to ensure that electrical equipment, such as medical grade computers, does not interfere with other medical technology used in proximity to it.

Medical Grade Computers Should Be Antimicrobial

Aside from UL60601 certification, ensuring that every medical grade computer purchased for your hospital is antimicrobial is the most important aspect to the meaning of being medical grade. Antimicrobial medical grade computers feature an antimicrobial coating. This coating makes the medical grade computer impervious to bacteria and other pathogens, mitigating their growth on its surfaces. When a medical grade computer features antimicrobial properties, it is as if the medical grade computer is constantly sanitizing itself with antibacterial wipes. This feature is an absolute necessity in a time where hospital acquired infections are so prevalent.

Backup Battery Enabled

Hospitals are facilities designed to treat both common colds and emergencies. When the latter happens, the equipment your hospital uses will need to be depended upon. Ensuring that the medical grade computers your hospital relies on can, in fact, be relied on is key to preventing potentially dangerous conditions for your patients. Medical grade computers with either hot-swap battery technology or uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) prevent your hospital’s computer network from going out when the power does.

Medical Grade: Tangent Meets The Mark

“Medical Grade” is so much more than a term, it’s a commitment. Tangent has pioneered this commitment and designed medical grade computers that constantly push the idea of “Medical Grade” further and further. Each one of Tangent’s numerous Medical Grade Computers meets or exceeds the standards listed above. It is this commitment to the Medical Grade that makes Tangent the top innovator of medical grade computer technology.

Around the clock urgent in the hospital demands medical grade pcs for 24/7 use

Medical All-In-One PCs for 24/7 Use

February 10, 2020February 10, 2020 Michelle

As one of the most trusted public services, healthcare facilities have an obligation to serve those in their community. Health emergencies can happen at any time, and as such hospitals are expected to be open 24/7. While medical staff can be shifted so that the hospital is constantly staffed and prepared for emergencies, the same cannot be said about the equipment they employ. Ensuring that your hospital has technology capable of being used on a 24/7 basis is crucial to providing quality healthcare to those in your community.

How To Keep Your Medical Carts Running 24/7

Medical carts with medical computers are one of the most important facets of any hospital. Medical carts with medical computers are capable of turning a stationary piece of medical equipment into a mobile workstation for use in multiple rooms of a hospital. However, medical carts with medical computers have one downfall: they need to be decommissioned regularly for charging. Medical carts can spend hours every day plugged into the wall instead of helping patients. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With medical computers from Tangent, your medical carts can operate on a 24/7 basis. Medical computers like the E24B from Tangent utilize hot-swap battery technology. While one battery is in use, two others can be charging. When the in-use battery gets low, simply insert another battery into one of the other two battery ports and the medical computer is completely recharge, all without being turned off!

Medical All-In-One PCs

Another way to ensure your facility’s medical computers are able to operate 24/7 is to make sure they are medical all-in-one PCs. Medical all-on-one PCs are medical grade computers where the entire computer contained behind their touchscreen. That means that medical all-in-one PCs like the Medix C19 from Tangent do not require mice or keyboards to operate. In addition, medical all-in-one PCs have the least amount of moving parts possible, driving down the amount of maintenance necessary substantially. Medical all-in-one PCs also can feature hot-swap battery technology, allowing them to be moved from one room to another without being unplugged and turned off. In an emergency, medical all-in-one PCs can also make use of their UPS battery backups to ensure that life-saving care can continue even without external power.

24/7 U.S. Based Technical Support for Medical All-In-One PCs

Just like how your hospital operates 24/7, Tangent’s U.S. based technical support team is available 24/7. Tangent’s trained technical support operatives are knowledgeable about all tangent medical computer and medical all-in-one PC products. With remote assist tools, advance exchange services, and image pre-loading, Tangent’s U.S. based technical support team will find a solution to your issue.

Medical Computers From Tangent: Built For 24/7 Use

Hospitals are designed to run around the clock, and the computers they employ should be too. Medical computers from Tangent are built to be used 24/7, ensuring your hospital provides the quality care your patients depend on, day and night.

Medical Grade Computers For Operating Room Use

Fanless Medical Computers For Operating Room Use

January 30, 2020January 30, 2020 Admin

Of the 27 million surgeries performed every year in the United States, 5% result in a Surgical site infection (SSI). A SSI is labeled as such when an infection occurs within 30 days of surgery or within one year of a foreign object being implanted in the body. While this number may seem low, the 5% amounts to 1.35 million SSIs per year. These infections can cause serious detriment to patients, longer hospitals stays, and even drastic healthcare costs to the hospital treating said patient. Reducing the amount of SSIs in your hospital can lead to decreased costs, fewer repeat patients, and a healthier workplace.

How To Reduce Surgical Site Infections In The Hospital

While it is nearly impossible to create a perfectly sterile environment to perform surgeries in, there are promising remedies that can help reduce the amount of SSI causing bacteria in the operating room. One remedy is the use of fanless medical computers. Fanless medical computers are medical computers that do not feature fan-based cooling systems. Instead, they employ passive cooling systems that work just as good, if not better than, fan-based cooling systems.

The main benefit of fanless medical computers is that since they do not require outside air be brought in as a coolant, they can have fully enclosed casings. This means that most fanless medical computers are water resistant in addition to being fanless. It also means that no there is no dust build up in the medical computer. This is important because dust buildup in medical computers can lead to the creation of bacteria breeding grounds. We all know that bacteria love warm places, and what better place for bacteria to thrive than in the heatsink of a fan constantly circulating warm air and organic dust particles. Fanless medical computers completely eliminate this festering possibility, leading to a much safer and cleaner medical computer.

Fanless Medical Computers Are Antimicrobial

In addition to being rid of a breeding ground for bacteria, fanless medical computers from Tangent are antimicrobial computers. The touchscreen of every Tangent fanless medical computer features an antimicrobial coating with mitigates the growth of bacteria on its surface. So in addition to not creating a breeding ground for bacteria, fanless medical computers also eliminate any bacteria growth on their surfaces. This one-two punch makes fanless medical computers the perfect medical computers for operating room use, as they can drastically reduce the bacteria present in the room and reduce the likelihood of a SSI from occurring.

Fanless Medical Computers: Perfect For The Operating Room

Every year, 1.35 million SSIs occur. These SSIs are not only a detriment to the wellbeing of the afflicted patient, but to the hospital serving them. Fanless medical grade computers from Tangent can help reduce the likelihood of these infections from every occurring, saving hospitals time and money and saving patients from further suffering.

Medical Grade Computers For Emergency Room Use

Medical Computers For Emergency Room Use

January 20, 2020January 20, 2020 Michelle

In 2016, U.S. emergency rooms treated 145.6 million Americans for their emergency conditions according to the Center for Disease Control. This number has been steadily rising since the 1990s, and can be expected to continue increasing with each passing year. With such a high demand for emergency services, it is important to keep your hospital’s emergency room as up to date as possible. With the latest medical computers at your physician’s side, emergency room wait times can drastically decrease and patients can get the life-saving care they need.

Medix E22B | E24B

E22B and E24B from Tangent: built for emergency room use

The Medix line of medical computers from Tangent are some of the most valuable assets that an emergency room can contain. With a wide touchscreen, busy emergency room personnel can quickly input a patient’s data and get right to helping them. Unlike other computers, the Medix E22B does not quit. With hot-swap battery technology, the Medix E22B can be safely unplugged from a wall outlet and still operate normally. In an emergency situation, the last thing you want to be worrying about is how to transfer medical data around with a patient. The Meddix E22B allows doctors to unplug their medical computer and follow their patient with the same data they admitted them with.

Medix T24B

The T24B with Hot-Swap batteries for Emergency Room use

The Medix T24B from Tangent features the same hot-swap battery technology as the Medix E22b, also with three built in slots for batteries. This allows the Medix T24B to not only access the power of three batteries at once, but continuously run 24/7 without being plugged in. The Medix T24B is perfect for medical carts that are constantly in demand and cannot afford to be put out of commission for charging. With 6th generation Intel processors, this medical computer is as fast as it is reliable and can handle any medical program thrown at it.

Medix KW 15

Medical grade computer for emergency room us, the KW line from Tangent — Medical grade computer for emergency room use, the KW 15 from Tangent

As hospital emergency rooms become increasingly more crowded, every square inch of space will become ever more valuable. That’s why smaller medical computers such as the Medix KW 15 are a vital tool for any emergency room. While examination and surgery rooms can afford the luxury of a widescreen medical computer, the same may not be true for emergency rooms. The Medix KW 15 features all the power of a traditional medical computer but in a sleeker, smaller package. This allows doctors more space to treat patients, while still maintaining the computational power needed to do their job to the fullest.

Reduce Emergency Room Times With Medical Computers

With emergency room wait times only expected to rise, the time to plan for a crowded emergency waiting room is now. Medical computers from Tangent can help reduce wait times, improve emergency room computing power, and help those truly in need of help.

Medical computers by Tangent are also Antimicrobial computers

The Importance Of Antimicrobial Medical PCs

January 13, 2020January 14, 2020 Michelle

We all like to think of hospitals as places in society where people go to get healthier, and for the most part this is true. However, this is not always the case as hospitals can inadvertently become breeding grounds for harmful diseases. The CDC estimates that each and every day, 1 in 31 hospitals will see a healthcare-associated infection (HAI).

Coinciding with a decrease in the viability of antibiotics, HAIs can turn hospitals into hazardous areas for those who are prone to infection. Often, these same individuals are the ones most in need of a hospital’s services. So what can be done?

Antimicrobial Computers Offer A Compelling Solution

While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to HAIs, antimicrobial computers offer one way to minimize the risk of such infections from occurring. Antimicrobial computers are medical computers that are coated with an antimicrobial treatment. This coating causes the medical computer to be deadly to harmful bacteria, much like how the natural properties of copper make the metal germ-phobic. Typically, every medical computer is an antimicrobial computer, but it is important to check beforehand if this is the case. Luckily, at Tangent all of our medical computers are antimicrobial computers and UL60601-Certified.

Are Antimicrobial Computers Safe?

Antimicrobial computers are not only safe, they are some of the safest medical computers out there. Their antimicrobial coating prevents bacteria from breeding and growing on the medical computer’s surface without being harmful to doctors and patients. Antimicrobial computers are perfectly safe to touch, which is one of the reasons why Tangent’s lineup of medical grade computers are all touchscreen enabled. This allows doctors to use these antimicrobial computers without worrying about the bacteria on their hands. Unlike computers reliant on mice and keyboards, antimicrobial medical computers will not become breeding grounds for bacteria.

Are Antimicrobial Computers Easy To Clean?

Not only are antimicrobial computers easy to clean, they are built to be cleaned! While other computers and computer monitors require specialty cleaning agents in order to not be damaged, antimicrobial medical computers are able to be cleaned with traditional cleaning supplies. Regular cleaning does not remove the antimicrobial coating either, ensuring that these medical computers last well past their warranty. What’s more, antimicrobial computers mitigate the growth of harmful bacteria on their surface, meaning that with a cleaning they become nearly germ free.

Antimicrobial Computers: Reduce Your HAIs

If reducing the amount of HAIs in your hospital is a priority, then antimicrobial medical computers may be the solution you are looking for. These advanced medical computers come in various sizes and styles, and can quickly and easily become an indispensable tool for your facility.

How To Better Use Your Medical Grade Computer

How To Prevent Critical Electronic Health Records Mistakes

January 6, 2020January 7, 2020 Michelle

There’s no doubt that medical grade computers have made hospitals safer, more productive environments to treat patients. From their antimicrobial coating which mitigates the growth of nosocomial infection causing bacteria to their robust IP certified water resistance, medical grade computers have made a lasting impact on the quality of care provided to patients.

Sadly, the same cannot always be said about the software running on these devices. The misuse of medical software such as Electronic Health Records (EHR) can lead to shockingly wrong results. While neither the fault of the software or medical grade computer, mishaps by untrained medical staff using such tools can lead to dangerous outcomes. Here are a few tips to help medical staff prevent errors while using software on their medical grade computers.

Be Aware Of Default Settings On Your Electronic Health Record Program

Every EHR program running on a medical grade computer is different, but many have the same features. One similarity that goes unnoticed is their use of default settings and inputs for entry fields. Just like how a website may have a random date filled in for your birthday when signing up, some EHR programs have default numbers filled in for various entry fields. A default drug measurement setting may be present on your EHR program, either by the software provider or your IT department. Make sure that both you and your medical staff are aware of this , as it is entirely possible that they assume the default measurement is correct, and accidentally mis-prescribe a patient.

In addition, an unclear medication list present on your EHR program can similarly lead to mis-prescriptions. Medication lists that are hard to read, uninformative, or lack dosing information can lead to medical staff assuming that they are prescribing the correct dosage while in fact doing the opposite.

Train Your Medical Staff Rigorously

EHR programs running on medical grade computers are meant to aid physicians and medical staff, not harm them. While there are problems with these programs, they come from a lack of knowledge and training surrounding the programs. Educate your staff on the presence of default drug measurements, and have your IT department update the default setting to a nonviable integer (such as 0) if possible. Creating a detailed medication list that is both informative and easy to read can also greatly improve EHR usability on medical grade computers. Above all, make sure your staff is regularly refreshed on how to use their EHR program and medical grade computer to their full potential.

Avoid Critical Mistakes

Mistakes in the hospital carry consequences not seen in any other sector, and should be avoided at all costs. Making sure that your medical staff is trained to the fullest extent on the use of EHR programs is crucial to providing quality care to patients. Medical technology has always been a force for good, and it is important to treat EHR programs as the medical tools that they are.

Medical All-In-One PCs Can Greatly Aid Early Detection Efforts In Hospitals

How Touchscreen Computers Can Aid Early Detection Efforts

January 3, 2020January 7, 2020 Michelle

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are two of the leading causes of death globally, and the combat of these conditions is critical to improving general public health. The best methods of treating such diseases rely on the early detection of these medical issues, which is not always possible. Early detection efforts can be stalled by a lack of available medical personnel, slow medical computers, or a combination of both. However, a study by Yoong SL, Carey ML, Sanson-Fisher RW in BMJ Open sheds light on a promising technology that can aid early detection efforts:

Tangent CL24 Touch Screen Medical LCD Monitor

Touchscreen Medical Devices

The study found that a rise in the prominence of touchscreen computers, such as those featuring medical LCD monitors, increased the potential of these technologies to assist in health risk factor assessment as well as the delivery of healthcare advice. Patients and doctors found the use of touchscreen devices, such as medical lLCD monitor enabled touchscreen computers, to be of great use in taking down patient information, and it’s easy to see why.

Touchscreen Medical LCD Monitors: Built For The Hospital

The study sought to uncover whether or not both patients and doctors were comfortable with the use of touchscreen medical devices to take down information, as these devices prove to be a fast way of digitizing patient information. The simple reason that medical LCD monitors are valuable tools in aiding early detection efforts is the fact that they are built for the medical space and allow doctors the ergonomics of a commercial tablet and the compliance of medical grade equipment. Medical LCD monitors are IEC 60601-1-2 4th Edition Certified for use in the medical setting, and feature an antimicrobial enclosure that negates the growth of harmful pathogens. When using medical LCD monitors, the only thing doctors have to worry about is their patient’s well-being.

Many Sizes Of Medical LCD Monitors To Choose From

The study suggested that the small form factor of touchscreen medical devices allowed for robust and mobile use in early detection efforts, and there is good reason why. Touchscreen medical LCD monitors come in many different sizes to fit every need in the medical setting. Tangent’s lineup of medical grade tablets feature similar touchscreen medical LCD monitor displays that allow them to be used in such a mobile manner. Even Tangent’s desktop based medical grade computers feature touchscreen medical LCD monitors that allow for these all in one PCs to make full use of their innovative design, allowing doctors to easily access patient information with just a touch. Of course, all of these medical LCD monitor based computers and tablets are IEC 60601-1-2 Certified and feature antimicrobial enclosures.

Early Detection Made Easy

Early detection efforts are crucial to creating a safer, healthier world. Touchscreen computers like those featuring medical LCD monitors are one way to expedite the early detection process, potentially saving lives, and time, in the process.

Preventing Doctor Burnout From Computer Usage

October 12, 2019October 12, 2019 Michelle

It’s no secret that the majority of doctors choose their profession because of one ideal: they truly want to help people. Being a doctor means meeting with patients face-to-face, listening to them, and comforting them. Sadly, in our digital age, people are increasingly becoming more and more isolated as screens take the place of people. This phenomenon has unfortunately spread to doctors, who are spending as much as twice the amount of time looking at screens as they do looking at patients. This can help lead to doctors suffering from occupational burnout, in which doctors may feel powerless or too stressed to work at optimal levels.

The World Health Organization has recognized occupation burnout as an actual medical condition, and taking the condition as seriously as they do can drastically help your hospital. A study by two Stanford researchers found that burnout costs the U.S. economy up to $190 billion dollars every year.

Better Access

This phenomenon is not unprecedented, as our technology advances so too does it’s complexity. As decision making on how medical computers are deployed and what software is on them shifts from doctors to management, it is important that doctor’s concerns are taken seriously and their input taken into consideration.

As doctors have to interact with multiple medical computers throughout the day, saving them the hassle of having to remember a litany of passwords may help ease their stress. Attempting to keep track of multiple passwords for separate medical computers, and then having to contact IT for a password reset can be a time intensive process that turns doctors off from using their medical computers as often as they need to. Medical computers like the Medix KW come equipped with both smart card readers and RFID readers, meaning that doctors can log into these medical computers in the blink of an eye.

Better Involvement

While it may seem like the IT department in charge of keeping your medical grade computers have little in common with the doctors using them, a strong relationship between these departments can go a long way. Making sure that the maintainers and users of medical grade computer systems are in touch can help communication of computer problems go much faster. After all, medical grade computers have a large amount of specialty software, and the quickly evolving landscape of digital medical care requires constant learning. Organize meetings between your IT department and medical staff regularly to ensure that all staff are on the same page about medical grade computer usage.

Better Usability

Doctors aren’t medical scribes, and their work hours shouldn’t be taken up trying to type on a keyboard hooked up to a medical grade computer. Touchscreen based medical grade computers can save doctors vast amounts of time, as their intuitive interface can be interacted with in the same way doctors use their own smartphones. These medical grade computers should have a strong antimicrobial coating, to ensure that use by multiple medical staff does not cause bacteria build up.

Don’t Give Up

Technology, and medical grade computers, aren’t going anywhere any time soon. While long periods of usage can cause medical grade computers to become a source of burnout, it doesn’t necessarily have to. Keeping your staff updated on how to use their medical grade computers can drastically help alleviate stress they may feel when using them. Updating your medical grade computers to ones with quality of life improvements such as smart card readers can also help. In the end, communication can make a huge difference in preventing occupational burnout.

Medical Grade Computers for 24/7 Use

October 1, 2019October 1, 2019 Michelle

In the hospital setting, emergencies can happen at any time. Not only should your medical personnel be ready to do their job at a moment’s notice, but so too should your equipment. Making sure that your medical PCs are able to operate on a 24/7 basis may be crucial to providing care to patients in critical condition.

Medical PCs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but all have key features that set them apart from commercial models. Firstly, medical PCs must be UL/IEC60601-1 certified for their electromagnetic leakage, which must be within safe levels for use around patients and medical equipment. Second, they should exhibit some level of dust and water resistance, as denoted by their IP rating. IP ratings vary, but medical PCs should at least be rated IP64, which denotes them as fully dust proof and resistant to water exposure and regular cleanings. Lastly, medical PCs should have an antimicrobial agent on their enclosure, which inhibits the growth of bacteria on the medical PC’s surface.

You may have noticed that the three key features of medical PCs do not include any metric for reliability. Reliability is not a standard in medical PC manufacturing, but is critical to ensuring that your hospital is able to provide safe and dependable care. Tangent’s lineup of medical PCs and medical all-in-one computers features PCs that are up to the challenge of a 24/7 work environment.

Hot Swap Batteries

We’ve all been there, phone at 5% and miles away from an outlet to charge it. In the medical setting, having your medical PC run out of battery while in use is simply not an option. Medical PCs on medical carts have to be plugged in when not in use to ensure that they have a full battery when they are needed, but this charging process requires the whole medical cart be put out of commision during charging. Medical PCs like the Medix E22B feature hot-swap batteries that can be charged on a separate docking station and swapped out with minimal disruption of service. Hot-swap batteries make medical carts infinitely more productive, allowing them to be in use 24/7.

Medical Computers

Uninterrupted Power Supply

While it is not fun to think about worst-case scenarios, it is critical to create plans for emergency situations. A power outage can greatly affect your hospital’s ability to perform live support. While all hospitals today feature generators or battery banks as a contingency, not putting unnecessary stress on these emergency systems is critical to ensuring their longevity. Medical PCs like the Medix C22 can be equipped with an emergency battery supply that allows the computer to function during power outages. Having your medical PCs not strain your emergency power system allows for greater assurance that power is being used where it is most critically required. Medical all-in-one computers with emergency power supplies allow medical personnel to work without fear of draining your power system.

Medical PCs are built to keep your hospital a safe and healthy environment to work in, but not every medical PC is built to be a reliable tool for your hospital. Choosing medical PCs with reliability features built in is a key way to ensure that your hospital can meet any emergency at any time.

Fanless Computers: Progress in Silence and Longevity

July 11, 2018July 26, 2018 Michelle

Fanless Computers: Progress in Silence and Longevity

Prior to the mid 70s, computers were typically very large industrial or commercial machines, often housed in a dedicated room with an equally sized cooling system. Noise was not a notable issue for users because the computers were isolated industrial devices, viewed much like any other heavy duty machinery. The first personal/home computers that emerged in the 80s were quite low in power and could be run fanless, or with a low-speed fan that was used to cool only the power supply. However, as technology evolved and CPU clock speeds increased, the internals of computers started heating up and cooling was accomplished using a fan over the CPU heatsink, blowing air directly onto the processor. More years progressed and more fans were added to cases to provide cooling where heat dissipation was needed most, now including high powered graphics cards and power supplies.

Computer cases increasingly needed more fans to extract heat and this invariably meant more noise and potential for failure. Where there is air circulation, there a huge chance of dust and particle buildup. A normal ceiling fan is an excellent example; left long enough without a cleaning, massive amounts of dust will gather on the blades naturally. Similarly, computer cases are a magnet to collections of dust and contaminants that collect in the case and negate any cooling effects the fans may have. At some point, the fan is overworked and fails or the heat buildup causes other components to fail.

The claim to the world’s first noiseless and fanless computer case came in 2004 with Zalman’s Totally No Noise (TNN) series. This case was large, heavy, and expensive, but soon other manufacturers were following suit in developing and improving on fanless computers for quieter, dust-free operation. The demand for fanless and cleaner computers was clearly seen from the public. It’s been a long evolution to get fanless computers to meet performance needs, maintain a cool environment, and also be cost-effective, but Tangent’s line of rugged fanless PCs hits the mark at every point.

Take the Tangent Rugged G mini PC for example; it was designed to handle 12, 19, or 24V DC system power input and wide temperature operation, making ideal for dedicated video display or mobile computing. The Rugged G’s fanless design is essential for dusty environments.The fanless computer case is sturdy and has a fin-like surface that dissipates heat from the inside. The tested operating temperature on the Rugged G is 14°F to an incredible 131°F (-10° – 55°C). With no moving parts and an excellent performance record, the days of dust bunnies clogging up pivotal and expensive computer parts are long gone. The unit comes with a VESA 75/100 adapter plate and wall mounting brackets, offering a multitude of installation options on any work surface. A wide range of connectivity options also comes standard on this Rugged fanless computer. It is equipped with 4 COM ports, 6 USB ports, a Digital I/O port, and can be set up with optional Intel Wireless AC-7260 and Bluetooth. The desire for and development of noiseless, dustless, fanless computers have long been in play, but Tangent certainly has perfected their craft in the business.