Device Networking and Online Data Acquisition

Optimising the work flow in your renal department

Are you planning to optimise the workflow and processes in your renal department? We suggest centralising and automating the data acquisition of the dialysis treatments by using nephroCOM NWS.

With the hardware and software components of nephroCOM NWS, the dialysis devices, blood pressure monitors and scales are connected to the local area network of your clinic. The online data transfer enables an automated logging of all weight, blood pressure and dialysis treatment data in the central nephroCOM NWS server. After the completion of a treatment, all relevant data is automatically transferred into XML files, which can easily be imported into your medical information system.

nephroCOM NWS helps optimising the workflow and the processes in the renal department. The system improves the documentation of the treatments and makes it safe and reliable. The automated data transfer from the devices does not only replace the time-consuming hand-written dialysis treatment protocols, but it also eliminates the need for entering the relevant data into a computer system afterwards.

Visualising and administrating treatment data

For recording, editing and displaying the transferred treatment data and events, as well as the administered medication and actions taken, nephroCOM NWS provides a number of easy-to-use administration programs. The applications are not only tailored to the particular needs of nursing staff and physicians, but they can also easily be configured and adjusted to specific demands.

The main application that displays the treatments works like a panel. The screen shows a periodically refreshed overview of all currently running treatments in the renal department, the intensive care wards or the outposts. In facilities where a lot of patients are treated at the same time, the display can be limited to certain rooms or patient groups. The treatment progress is shown with the relevant information, which includes the weight before and after the treatment, the blood pressure and pulse measurements, the device parameters, such as ultra filtration, blood flow and transmembrane pressure, as well as the device alarms.

The nephroCOM NWS hardware and software components

The ConnectivityBox connects machines and devices via the serial interfaces and Ethernet with the server. A wireless connection is possible as alternative in locations where no cables can be used. The patient is identified on the scales and on the dialysis device with the help of a smart card, which is inserted into the card reader of the ConnectivityBox. Additionally, blood volume monitors and devices with automated profiling of UF rate and NA+ level can also be connected to the server with the box.

The ConnectivityBox is the central component of nephroCOM NWS. Despite its small size, the box contains an integrated computer with processor, RAM and a Linux operating system. A chip card reader is also part of the ConnectivityBox; it reads the smart cards that are used to identify the patients. In the box, the collected data from the devices is bundled into packages, verified, encrypted and then transmitted to the server at preset intervals. This leads to less network traffic and more security.

Achieve a maximum of data security

The box has the huge advantage that no data gets lost in case of a network or server breakdown; the storage capacity of the box is sufficient for several treatments. And as soon as server and network are available again, all stored data will then automatically be transmitted to the server.
The ConnectivityBox can easily be mounted on the devices or fixed to the wall.