video nurse call system for recording and managing hospital staff response times

Video Nurse Call System ECE4007 L03

Video Nurse Call System for Recording and Managing

Hospital Staff Response Times

John HernandezCraig JohnsonTravis HillNathaniel DavisAndres Hernandez

School of Electrical and Computer EngineeringOctober 16, 2007



Project Overview

• Allows patients to notify staff of their needs and records staff response times

• Communicates through two-way audio and one way video streaming

• Records staff response times into a database with RFID badges and a bedside reader

• Provides an inexpensive solution to communication and staff negligence problems in hospitals

• Unit costs about $3000, but installation costs minimal

Video Nurse Call System (ViNCS)



System Layout



Objectives

• Transmit audio at 128 kbps with a maximum delay of 2 seconds

• Provide video communication at 512 kbps and quality of 320 X 240 pixels

• Achieve video/audio synchronicity of less than 100 msec

• Employ a 7 pushbutton interface with discernable commands for different requests

• Record staff response times into a database with a 134kHz RFID tag and reader

• Adhere to cleanliness standards and minimal intrusion into the hospital environment



Technical Approach - Hardware

• Patient computer: MicroATX single-board

• Logitech USB webcam with face-tracking capability mounted in ceiling

• Directional microphone mounted bedside, headboard-mounted speakers

• Phidgets 134kHz (short-range) RFID reader with bracelet/watch tags

• Wired connections between peripheral devices & patient computer, patient computer & network for reliability

• Still need to find/design a waterproof keypad



Technical Approach - Software

• Why LabVIEW ?– Advantages: popular in medical industry, hardware and

database interfacing, GUI creation, executable creation– Disadvantage: steep learning curve of visual programming

• Core LabVIEW software components– Embedded event structures inside “while” loops– Sending and Receiving queues – Custom USB interfacing VI’s (RFID, Skype)



Data Flow Diagram



Nurse Client GUI



Database Operations

• Database implementation for recording staff response times

• Database operations will be triggered by RFID reader and patient-initiated events

• Will record request type, patient name, employee ID#, time of request/arrival and response time

• Prototype LabVIEW solution: write to tab-delimited text file

• Present design has no explicit need for reading from database, but this can be implemented in LabVIEW if necessary

• Challenge: allowing write operations from various subroutines



Streaming Video & Audio

• Need one-way on-demand video stream from patients to staff

• Practical solution: Skype VOIP software. Free service, good quality

• Skype SDK available for LabVIEW, i.e. Skype connections & streaming can be managed from within LV VI’s

• Concern: minimize delay for reasonable audio & video quality

• Results of LV/Skype approach: telephone-quality audio & decent video resolution with < 200ms of delay

• Problem: this approach limits the type of remote device that staff can use (e.g. most PDAs are out)



Completed and Future Work

• Completed Tasks

– Peripherals interface in Labview– 200ms delay in audio/video transmission using Skype– Read/Write database data– Wired and wireless transmission through LabView– Built speakers into headboard

• Future Tasks

– Create a virtual interface that links all the peripherals together– Design an event driven program for the control box – Add timestamp capabilities to the database



Cost Analysis

Parts Needed Cost

Netgear 10/100 Mpbs Switch $24.99

Waterproof Keypad $23.87

Logitech QuickCam Orbit MP $129.99

RFID reader Kit $67.17

Cyber acoustics Directional Microphone $24.99

10 oz Magnet Speakers(set of 2) $55.00

HP Monitor $170.00

Microsoft Keyboard and Mouse $50.00

Intel Single Board Computer $240.00

Ethernet Cable $30.00

Labor $30.00

Total $846.01



Schedule

• Stream video and audio through a network 09/25

• Implement the RFID badge reading system 10/25

• Implement speaker system 10/26

• Designing and implementing the patient’s control box 11/06

• Develop control box event driven program 11/06

• Develop database and RFID software 11/07

• Develop virtual interface 11/08

• Design Validation 11/10

Milestones App. Completion Date



Marketing Analysis

•Development cost: $52,607

• Selling price per unit of $3000 assuming an average sale of 300 units per year over a 5 year period

• Selling price includes materials and labor, fringe benefits, overhead, and sales expense

• Expected profit and percent profit for each unit sold of $500 and 18.5% respectively



“Improved communication enhances

patient care, decreases length of stay,

and most importantly reduces the risk

of errors that can result from poor

communication between healthcare

provider and patient.”

-Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine

Johns Hopkins University

Source: https://hopkinsnet.jhu.edu/servlet/page?_pageid=594&_dad=portal30p&_schema=PORTAL30P

Questions?

video nurse call system for recording and managing hospital staff response times

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