What is a Medical Grade Computer?

August 1, 2019April 2, 2021 Michelle

There’s no doubt that medical grade computers have helped hospitals and other medical institutions in unimaginable ways. But what exactly is a medical grade computer, and do they live up to the hype surrounding them? In short, there are no requirements for a computer to be labelled as a medical grade computer, however there are some standards that have been widely accepted by suppliers, buyers, and regulators. Ensuring that your medical institution has medical grade computers that not only meet these standards, but surpasses them is paramount to supplying quality care to patients and driving down costs.

Today’s medical grade computers meet certain regulatory guidelines in order to be placed in the medical setting, including CE, FCC class A and/or B, UL60601-1 and EN60601-1, and CDC guidelines. In tandem with these guidelines, other factors such as DICOM Support, antimicrobial casing, and HIPAA compliant electronic health record (EHR) support play into calling a computer a medical grade computer. These factors blend together to provide medical institutions with capabilities only medical grade computers can offer, a few are listed below.

EHR Accessibility

Quick access to patient’s records is key to quality patient care, and paper based health records are slow, inefficient, and can be easily damaged. Medical grade computers are HIPPA compliant, meaning that they are legally allowed to utilize EHR software. EHR software minimizes the risk of human error when creating health records, provide the fastest possible access to all aspects of a patient’s medical history, and do not require a massive filing system. In addition, the antimicrobial coatings of medical grade computers ensures that the spread of germs is far less likely than with paper-based records that get passed from hand-to-hand. For even quicker access, Medical Grade Tablets provide the same access to records as medical grade computers, and can be used on the go.

DICOM Support

Without accurate, color correct images on screen, doctors are prone to make easily avoidable mistakes while looking at x-rays or other medical scans. Medical grade computers with DICOM support continuously run small programs that compare how images are supposed to look with how they are being presented, and corrects the resulting image accordingly. DICOM supported Medical Grade Computers are a must-have in any diagnostic room where accurate diagnoses are required.

Antimicrobial Enclosures

As previously mentioned, medical grade computers have antimicrobial enclosures which inhibit the growth of bacteria, promoting a germ-free environment. Computers in the medical setting see a constant stream of new hands throughout the day, each pair carrying a new and distinct cocktail of bacteria. Normal computers would be a festering pool of bacteria in this environment, which is why having antimicrobial enclosures is so important. The Touch Screen Medical LCD Monitor from Tangent has this critical antimicrobial enclosure, allowing for various medical staff to access this panel without worry of spreading disease.

Tangent CL24 Touch Screen Medical LCD Monitor

Medical grade computers are an essential tool for making your hospital a clean and efficient setting for patient care. Medical grade computers and peripherals from Tangent are a league above commercial computers, and ensure that your hospital is at the forefront of innovation.

Medical LCD Displays v. Commercial LCD Displays

July 25, 2019July 25, 2019 Michelle

In the medical setting, commercial LCD displays simply do not meet the requirements for daily, routine use. Medical LCD displays, having passed a series of rigorous tests, are the only way to ensure patient information is adequately represented on screen. Here are some of the major differences between medical LCD displays and mass commercial LCD displays.

Governing Body Requirements

While commercial LCD displays can market themselves as they see fit, medical LCD displays are held to multiple regulatory bodies that govern how they are presented. A typical medical LCD display will meet standards set by the FDA, and meet UL/EC60601-1 guidelines. These wide ranging rules ensure that every Medical LCD display by Tangent has an antimicrobial casing, extremely low radiation output, and does not leak excess electrical current.

High Image Stability

Constant image brightness and representation is key to accurate readouts on any medical LCD display. A typical commercial LCD display can see a fall of up to 40% in luminance in a mere two years. For the medical setting, where displays require superb image representation for x-ray images, this simply won’t do. Reproducing an image from one day to the next with extreme accuracy is a must, and Medical LCD displays by Tangent are designed with this fact in mind. Medical LCD displays curb this fall with luminance stabilizers, which slow down luminance degradation, ensuring image accuracy over the course of the display’s lifetime.

DICOM Compatibility

Another way to stop luminance degradation in medical LCD displays is with a DICOM system. a DICOM system system acts as an image stabilizer, and is often integrated directly into the screen of a medical LCD display. These systems compute calculations related to how an image should be displayed, and accurately describes the end result to the display to produce an accurate image. Commercial LCD displays forego DICOM support altogether, and can suffer image distortion early in their life. DICOM supported medical LCD displays from Tangent last far beyond their commercial counterparts, with precise imaging throughout their lifespan.

Medical LCD Displays Win Out

That’s a fact. Commercial LCD displays simply do not have the image stabilization, Dicom support, or government approval to be used in the medical setting. Medical LCD displays from Tangent beat out commercial LCD displays in every category, and are a perfect fit for any medical setting.

Medical Computers for Major Hospitals

July 17, 2019July 20, 2019 Michelle

When computers were first introduced into the medical setting, they were still something of a luxury. Today, computers are an invaluable tool for providing patients with safe, secure, and quick care. While there are many different types of computers, computers used in the medical setting should be medical computers.Tangent medical computers come in many variants, each designed to meet certain needs in the medical setting.

All-In-One Computers

When it comes to versatility, Tangent’s line of all-in-one touchscreen medical computers are unbeaten. With VESA 75 standardized mounting, all-in-one touchscreen computers such as the Medix KW Series can be placed or mounted in any setting. The widescreen display of the Medix KW allows for more information to be available on screen at any given time, and the 4-wire resistive touchscreen ensures that you can access files with ease.

Tangent all-in-one touchscreen computers are Ul60601 certified, meeting rigorous medical safety standards. As a result, Tangent medical computers are antimicrobic, meaning that they prevent the growth of bacteria on their surfaces. The prevention of harmful pathogens like MRSA and Hepatitis from lingering on the computer screen allows doctors to focus more of their energy on their patients, and less on worrying about the medical computers aiding them.

Medical Cart Computers

When it comes to workstations on wheels and medical carts, medical cart computers offer the best mobility to power ratio. Like the all-in-one medical computer, medical cart computers from Tangent are UL60601 certified antimicrobic and sport responsive touch screens. However, models such as the Medix E22B medical computer feature hot-swappable batteries, and can run 24×7 without needing to wait for a charge. Simply swap out a dying battery for a fully charged one, and the Medix E33B is ready for the next eight hours.

Medical Tablet PCs

When you’re on the move through the hospital, Tangent medical tablet PCs ensure that you’ll be connected to all your patient’s information. Featuring a convenient carrying handle, the

Medix T13 medical tablet is an incredibly portable tablet with a powerful 8th generation intel CPU. The Medix T13 comes equipped with an antimicrobial housing, hot-swap batteries, and a magnesium chassis that is 33% lighter than aluminum yet still delivers an impressively high strength-to-weight ratio.

Tangent's Medical LCD Monitor — Tangent’s Medical LCD Monitor

Medical Monitors

When a room is fitted with an all-in-one PC but needs a secondary screen, medical monitors from Tangent play a critical role. The Touch Screen Medical LCD Monitor from Tangent provides a second full-touchscreen monitor to a medical computer, one that can be mounted on a point-of-care cart, desktop, or arm. The Touch Screen Medical LCD Monitor can fit either VESA 75 or VESA 100 mounts, allowing it to be placed in virtually any situation that it is needed. Just like the medical computer it is attached to, the Touch Screen Medical LCD Monitor from Tangent has an antimicrobial enclosure.

There is no one-size-fits-all medical computer that can complete every task, after all the operations of a medical cart are vastly different than that of the exam room. But with Tangent’s array of medical computers, you can be sure that all your hospital’s computing needs will be met. From all-in-one pcs to medical tablets, Tangent’s wide variety of available medical computers ensures that you have the right computer, at the right place, at the right time.

Antimicrobial Computers: Achieve Sanitation in Healthcare

July 17, 2019July 17, 2019 Michelle

While it is impossible to create a completely sterile hospital, mitigating the spread of germs is a must in any medical setting. The concentration of sick individuals in a hospital means that every surface is a potential breeding ground for harmful bacteria. The many surfaces of medical computers are no exception to this, and the need for doctors to go back and forth from patient to keyboard puts these surfaces at greater risk. That’s why all medical computers today are antimicrobial computers that halt the growth and spread of dangerous bacteria on their surfaces.

Antimicrobial computers are, simply put, computers that are treated to inhibit the growth of microorganisms on their surfaces. Manufacturers produce antimicrobial computers by coating the surfaces of the computer with an antimicrobial chemical that is harmful to microorganisms, but have no effect on humans. Some metals, such as copper and silver, exhibit natural antimicrobial properties and are used in certain areas for this property. However, when it comes to antimicrobial computers, coating their surfaces and screens with antimicrobial chemicals is the standard approach.

The International Electrotechnical Commission(IEC) has set out a series of guidelines known as IEC60601 for medical computers to abide by. In order for a medical computer to be sold in the United States, it must meet an altered version of the standards produced by the United States called UL60601. One of the key components of these guidelines is the requirement for computers used in the medical setting to be antimicrobial computers. There are many other requirements for an antimicrobial computer to be UL60601 certified, but the antimicrobial requirement is critical to driving down patient infection rates.

So where do you find UL60601 certified medical computers? At Tangent, our entire selection of medical computers not only meet all of the UL60601 guidelines, but also EIC60601 guidelines, and are IP certified water resistant. The M24T antimicrobial computer from Tangent meets both sets of guidelines, providing professional medical staff a safe, reliable desktop computer for the exam room. For on-the-go access or for medical carts, there is the Medix T-13 antimicrobial tablet from Tangent. The Medix T-13 features the same UL/EIC60601 certifications as the M24T in a small, portable tablet perfect for medical cart usage.

Everyday, hospitals see a see a stream of patients flow in, and a seperate one flow out. A perfectly healthy person could enter a hospital, and leave with a disease carrying microorganism hitching a ride on them unknowingly. Halting the growth of these microorganisms is not only a matter of hospital safety, but a matter of public health. Antimicrobial computers from Tangent help reduce the likelihood of a sick patient spreading their illness to other patients by ensuring that when a doctor or other healthcare professional is helping a patient, they don’t have to worry about their computer becoming a breeding ground for germs.

The Importance of Security and Medical Grade Hardware

May 20, 2019May 20, 2019 Admin

On May 14th, Simon Pope, a director at the Microsoft Security Response Center, wrote a blog post urging users of older Windows operating systems to install security patches on their computers and take steps to secure themselves from a known vulnerability that could be exploited and result in worm infections and/or cyber attacks. The remote code execution vulnerability was discovered in the Remote Desktop Services on versions older than Windows 8. This warning arises from the lessons of the 2017 “WannaCry” ransomware attack. Those attacks were highly destructive even though a Windows security patch for it had been available for months. WannaCry affected thousands of computers worldwide, bringing down hospital networks and causing the cancellation of over 19,000 medical appointments.

It seems incredible that a hospital’s IT staff would overlook such crucial updates, but it’s an unfortunate reality for many medical companies. Another problem is that many facilities don’t upgrade their hardware often enough to be able to run newer versions of Windows, and much of their computer inventory is not of a medical grade. Cost and budget constraints tend to be the reason for lack of security or hardware updates, but as seen with the WannaCry attack, the results can be more catastrophic to a hospital and its ability to service patients.

medical grade computers

Tangent offers thirteen different types of medical grade computers that can be customized to suit the needs of any medical facility. A multi-year analysis of cost and return on investment will reveal that having up-to-date technology and safety measures will end up saving more for the hospital. With Tangent’s medical grade fanless touchscreen computers, one can be confident that infection and contaminants will not be spread amongst patients from the hospital’s computer equipment. The enclosures are protected from water ingress so that they may be disinfected thoroughly. Many are equipped with hot-swappable batteries or UPS internal batteries for continuous use of the system even during power outages. The medical computers are also equipped with the latest version of Windows to help keep the operating systems and data as safe as possible. The list of available options is truly impressive and allows hospitals to find the right fit for their requirements and budget, while also ensuring that they are doing everything they can to prevent cyber attacks and downtime.