EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Register of rf sources

Has anybody ever created a hospital register of devices that (intentionally) produce rf signals?

CCTV that uses rf links are being installed in our Trust and it made me wonder if we should have a list of frequencies, power output etc, that could be useful in case of interference.

Any thoughts?
Paul

I should imagine that it would be quite illuminating to get hold of a Frequency Scanner and spend a couple of hours wandering around the hospital (any hospital). Could be a whole new career opportunity for so-called "consultants":- auditing the airways!

I remember we once did something similar, but with magnetic fields. We were worried about possible interaction between the planned MRI and the elevators! Drawings were made showing the mysterious (to the lay-person, aka architects, that is) "lines-of-force". Of course, the (expensive) Faraday cage was the solution.

We did a similar thing in just an ITU unit with up to 12 peaks on the display, not including radio stations.

The signals came from all types of equipment from wirless networks, DECT phones,porters radios,one pc which was emitting rf.

the EMC test that are carried out for new equipment is only a test for singal rf sources, and are not tests for multi sources.

On a similar point, can someone point me in the direction of any rules or regulation on the exposure of a patient/person to rf.
Thanks
Robert

... if there were any, how would you police them? Why are we worried about RF? Isn't it all around us wherever we go? At least tobacco smoke, obnoxious people etc. can be avoided! But you would be able to have fun with your Frequency Scanner even in the middle of Dartmoor, I should imagine. Meanwhile, hasn't all the fuss about the use of mobile phones (ie, in hospitals) "blown over" now (as expected)?

Lastly, I guess we have all heard stories about weird displays in the ICU at certain times of day ... due to the surgeon blazing away with the ESU upstairs in theatres! But I like to think that "the kit" has advanced a bit since then.

Meanwhile, this could be as good a place as any to place this link, which may not be familiar to those in the UK.

Why do I need to kow this?
We are trialing an experimental patient monitor that uses rf beamed at the patient to make a measurement. We have been given lots of standards that it complies with but none seem to do with the rf output.
Robert

Interesting... I take it that the sensors & pads on the patients acts as transponders; are these transponders active ( ie uses their own batteries to produce rf ) or passive ( uses energy from the rf source )? If the latter then the rf source would need to be of higher power!

Take a look at the one used on the Star-ship Enterprise. That way at least you'll have proven technology!

Worrying thought... What if the rf beam is aimed at the wrong patient? Too easy for that to happen!

The rf transmitter is mounted above the bed and is pointing straight down and is narrow enough not to pick up the wrong bed.
This is commercially confidential so I cannot say more.
But unfortunately it is a long way from being a Tricorder.

What I need to know is how much rf you can deliberately expose a person to. The transmitter is on the whole time so I am looking at long term, low level exposure limits.
Does anybody know what regulations apply in this situation?

Thanks
Robert