Keys to Successful Medical Practice Design

There has been a quite significant change in thinking and approach over the last couple of decades when it comes to our attitudes to the professions. There was a time when a solicitor was engaged without any cost query and then sent his account once the work had been completed.

It was not regarded as appropriate to ask him to quote for the work in advance and I remember causing considerable offence on one occasion when I asked for a price in advance of preparing the conveyance work on my house sale and purchase.

In like manner, Hospitals and Medical Practices have only relatively recently had to take account of their patients as "Customers", where the customer experience is regarded as an important factor in their overall service.

One significant consequence of this has been an attention to the detail involved in the design of Hospitals and Surgeries which have developed and become much more "customer" focussed. New hospital developments have come to look more like a high class shopping mall and progressively the areas of patient interaction in hospitals and surgeries have endeavoured to become more friendly in appearance.

Much of this move has been really positive as it seeks to establish a more respectful and egalitarian approach between professional and patient/client.

The challenge for the Medical Practitioner or Hospital Developer in this current climate is how to both establish this ambiance within the design of any development, whether minor or more major, and also account for the future - for one thing is certain: change is here with us to stay.

Trends in all areas of business and the professions are developing. If someone develops symptoms then a search on the internet is quite likely to be the first port of call. Likewise with an anticipated purchase. It is an easy first stage to carry out some on line research.

Ultimately, however, if the symptoms dictate, or the purchase need is there, there comes a time when there is no substitute for consulting a professional.

Having an understanding of current and future trends, knowing the detail of building construction, realising the needs of practical and ergonomic working practices, a feel for aesthetics, colour, shape and design are all essential elements of any development plan for Hospital or Medical Practice

Ultimately the only way to achieve the right result rather than end up with a mis-diagnosis is to deal with a professional. What is needful is to retain the services of an experienced and qualified designer who understands the needs from all angles, who accounts for customer experience and ergonomic demands. Who knows about colour, shape, lighting, furnishings such as seating, desking, treatment room requirements, building regulations and all the "professional" understandings that come with the experience of dealing with the needs of the "professional" services.

Ken Rand has 34 years of experience in designing and fitting interiors of Healthcare, Education, Retail and Commercial premises. Visit http://www.kenrandfurniture.co.uk/medical%20/7 to see something of the range of furniture they offer or contact him through http://www.kenrand.co.uk for design advice.

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How DC Micromotors Are Powering Advances in Medical Technology

The field of Endoscopy has been creating new medical techniques to perform minimally invasive procedures. Endoscopy refers to devices, broadly called endoscopes, which allow doctors to examine a patient's internals and perform surgery through the use of specialized, miniature tools instead of using large incisions. These instruments have helped reduce the chance of infection, increased patient recovery time, and given doctors high precision tools for delicate surgeries.

The ability to manufacture tools for complicated surgeries required high precision, miniaturized components. In particular, delivering power to these tools has been revolutionized with the use of DC micromotors.

For a particular example of how DC micromotors are advancing medical technology, take the automated cannula, a handheld device that can take tissue biopsies for cancer detection.

Technology Is Changing Medicine

Biopsies used to be a relatively invasive procedure performed by a surgeon. Incisions large enough to accommodate a surgeon's hand would be made in order to harvest a sample. Now, a cannula can take a series of samples with one single incision no larger than two centimeters and is programmed to be used in the hands of a technician rather than using the limited time of a skilled surgeon. This type of advance is vital to improving medicine for both the patient's care while lowering costs in one of the most expensive healthcare systems worldwide.

The Nuts And Bolts

The ingenuity in this technology is the driver unit. The automated unit is capable of taking samples and moving the probe along three degrees of freedom, doing this all within a two centimeter space while delivering the necessary torque to cut through tissue.

Brushed DC motors were utilized to provide the necessary torque. The use of brushed DC motors enabled the device to generate enough power for all of the cannula functions without compromising the strict size requirement. A compact planetary gearhead connected the power delivery to the cannula head, allowing the probe to rotate the cutter, rotate the outer disposable chamber, and move the cutter down the axis of the probe. The unique design of a planetary gearhead enabled all of these movement patterns to be performed in a miniature package.

Finally, a microcontroller is integrated into the entire system to allow a total programmable, automated sampling process. This flexibility allows the unit to perform any required task and to be adaptable to changing medical practice without undergoing obsolescence. Combined with the miniaturized brushed DC motors and planetary gearhead, this cannula will be able to automate procedures for hospitals.

The tools for automated tissue sampling and biopsies is just one application of how DC micromotors are helping the medical field employ smaller, more powerful tools to compliment their daily operations. These advances are vital to reforming the healthcare system in order to provide care at lower costs and with fewer risks without compromising quality. In the end, patients are the ones who enjoy the end benefits, such as lowered costs, faster recovery times, and fewer complications, of medical technology.

Chris Harmen is an author for MicroMo Medical Solutions, the leading medical industry partner providing DC micromotors and high precision components.

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How Robotic Medical Solutions Can Automate Surgical Procedures

Many surgical procedures require a high degree of precision and a steady hand. Good surgeons practice for years to develop these skills. However, with advances in robotic devices for medical procedures, many medical solutions are being found that do not take up the limited time and expertise of a surgeon. Instead, a good number of tests and minor operations are being carried out by automated devices.

Any surgical device or tool needs to have certain qualities in order to be useful in the medical field. They need to deliver a high degree of precision and accuracy while being lightweight and minimally invasive. Robotic medical tools also need to deliver power in a very compact frame and be able to respond to the environment in which they are working. Hence, these devices require compact, high torque motors to perform operations and servo motors to create a feedback loop to ensure reliability and accuracy.

Case Study - Automated Lung Biopsy

Lung biopsies are performed to sample lung tissue to test for diseases such as lung cancer. The typical procedure calls for a physician to use a CT scanner to manually guide a needle into the lungs. The physician takes a scan and then adjusts the position of the needle. These steps are repeated up to 10 times until the needle is in its proper place and a sample can be taken. This is a long and uncomfortable process for a patient under light anesthesia.

A newly developed robotic sampling device is able to utilize a smaller series of scans and adjustments, typically only four, to automate and accelerate the process. A radiologist can perform this procedure by remote control and reduce the number of total scans, ultimately decreasing the exposure to both the patient and doctor.

System Design

In order to have an automated biopsy robot, many stringent design specifications had to be met. The key to the system is a set of four servo motors that orient the needle, power a pinion drive, and a final motor to rotate the passive roller. Each high torque motor provides a 10 Newton piercing force within a 10 millimeter sized motor coupled to a minuscule 10 millimeter gearbox.

Clearly, delivering a high torque motor that can meet such extreme size restrictions is a breakthrough in servo motor technology. The entire unit is designed to sit on a patient's chest, so the entire device is extremely lightweight. The servo motors combine with a microcontroller to create a feedback system that allows an efficient harvesting process that cuts down on procedure time and patient discomfort.

In the highly complex and technical healthcare field, medical solutions often require serious engineering capabilities. Miniaturized, high torque motors have provided automated tools to facilitate delicate procedures. Saving time and reducing costs while improving patient care is the ultimate goal of any medical solution and is the best way to improve the current ailing healthcare system. The application of high precision components to assist the medical expertise of doctors will continue revolutionize how patients are treated.

Chris Harmen is an author for MicroMo Medical Solutions, the leading medical industry partner providing servo motors and high precision components.

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