If you do enough searching on the internet, you'll find a lot of companies saying that they make medical grade computers. But what exactly does that mean? Just because a website says that they are "medical grade" doesn't make it so. First and foremost, in order to be a medical PC, the computer must be UL/cUL 60601-1 & IEC 60601-1-2 4th Edition certified. This is an international standard for electromagnetic and radiation emissions that determine whether or not an electronic device is safe for near patient use. If a manufacturer can't provide test reports and certification from an independent and accredit laboratory proving that their devices have gone through this certification process, then their devices are not medical grade.
IP65 certification is another important factor. This too is an international standard that measures the degree of ingress protection. In basic terminology, IP65 determines whether or not a computer is protected from liquid and dust penetration, protecting internal components from damage. This is especially important in healthcare settings where disinfection and cleaning a medical PC isn't just common, it is mandatory.
Ergonomic compatibility is achieved through legacy ports, VESA mounting holes, advanced customization of hardware and software components, and embedded peripherals.
In addition to medical grade certifications, a medical computer is best to have housing with antimicrobial technology to protect itself from microbes. A computer is one of the most touched surfaces in any hospital and is a serious point of cross contamination. Hospital Acquired Infection are a major concern for healthcare facilities.
Cybernet offers a full range of medical computers with antimicrobial housings to protect itself from harmful microbes. Through a specialized process, medical grade agents are permanently treated to the plastic housing. With the growing prevalence of touch screen applications, particularly EMR software, it is vital to keep the computer housing protected against harmful microbes.
Cybernet also bakes medical grade technology directly into the resin of the computer housing, making the computer housing 100% medical grade. Unlike other devices that use a spray or a coating to protect their units, the medical grade properties in Cybernet's medical computers offer long lasting protection.
Medical all-in-one computers, also known as medical panel PCs, come in different shapes and sizes and their features are tailored to specific applications. Here are a couple of different types of medical grade computers to consider.
Medical Cart Computers - These medical computers are built with hot swap batteries that can power the unit without the need to plug into an outlet or a powered cart. As batteries are depleted, they can be swapped out for a fully charged battery without powering down the unit, allowing for near 24/7 uptime. These medical computers can also power peripherals like barcode scanners and printers, making them ideal for nurse's carts and doing rounds.
Fanless Medical Computers - These medical computer systems employ a combination of low power consumption components, a reduction of moving parts and heat sinks to provide fanless cooling. This is especially important in sterile environments like operating rooms and labs where fans can blow dust, germs, and microbes around.
In addition to the reasons mentioned above (patient safety and the reduction of the spread of germs and harmful bacteria), medical grade computers have a less obvious advantage over commercial grade computers. Healthcare facilities operate on 24/7 schedules. That puts a lot of strain on a computer. Commercial grade computers have been found to have failure rates between 15-30% in this type of environment. By contrast, Cybernet's medical grade computers have a less than 2% failure rate. This is because we use industrial grade components and have engineered all of our medical grade PCs specifically for the rigors of the healthcare industry. By improving reliability and decreasing maintenance and replacement costs, a medical grade computer also translates to better ROI over time.