ENGINEERING INSIGHT
 |
A line of medical-grade PCs is fully enclosed and protected to IP 65. The products can be wet cleaned and disinfected.
|
Computers that are part of a medical device must comply with the EN 60601-1 or EN 60601-2 standard. These norms address technical issues such as permissible current leakage and the power supply, but they do not apply to the equally important matter of hygiene. For Penta GmbH (Puchheim, Germany), a maker of custom PCs and monitors for medical use, hygiene is a growing concern as computers are becoming ubiquitous in healthcare environments. Traditional PCs, notes the firm, generate dust and can contribute to nosocomial infections.
More than three-quarters of all information technology systems used in operating rooms and other sterile areas have ventilation slots, according to Penta, and more than half have an active fan. Vents create safe havens where dust can settle, while the fans can send it swirling about, according to Penta. Fanless systems and adequately designed PC housings can reduce the proliferation of pathogens, says the company.
Pesky Fans
Dust typically collects in ventilation areas and on fans. When a PC is turned on, ventilation mechanisms can scatter the dust throughout the room; fan-cooled systems cause air turbulence that may spread around particles or germs. This may create a risk of infection in sensitive areas such as the operating theatre. Eliminating fans and vents is an obvious solution to this problem.
 |
Computers without fans or vents are suited for use in medical
environments.
|
Fanless systems have another advantage over conventional PCs, according to Penta: an improvement in the mean time between failure (MTBF). Because these products have fewer mechanical components, the MTBF can be as much as five times greater than PCs with a fan. The absence of ventilation slots also contributes to a long operating life since contaminants cannot find their way into the system. Moreover, eliminating the fan also lowers the operating noise level.
Designing all of the surfaces and frequently used contact points of the PC and peripherals to resist contamination is equally important, notes Penta. All PCs in patient contact areas, says the firm, should meet the same strict conditions that are in force in the operating theatre. For example, housings and monitors should withstand exposure to disinfectants, and the design should avoid inaccessible joints and corners. According to Penta, a unit suitable for use in a healthcare environment should meet IP 65 specifications, be designed without ventilation slots, and be fabricated from satined stainless steel that has a depth of roughness less than 0.8 µm. Other grades of stainless steel or aluminium may be used, but they should have a protective coating.
Clean Result
In February 2006, Penta commissioned a study of its line of PCs at the Clinical Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology at the Medical University of Vienna. Professor Rotter, who supervised the study, wrote that the “PC and monitor are . . . fully enclosed. The monitor has a laminated glass screen or touch screen that is well suited for cleaning and disinfection. The keyboard and mouse are also without joints and can be wet cleaned and disinfected. These devices can be considered exceptionally well suited for use in medical institutions.”
To learn more about Penta GmbH, select #7 on the reader service card, or go to RequestLink at www.devicelink.com/emdm.
