Remote Access to Nihon Kohden Life Scope Central Monitors

Category: 日本光電 Life Scope patient monitors networking




In this article we reviewed the two types Nihon Kohden Life Scope gateway software for installing in a IIS Web Server and explain their difference.
 



QP-983P Net Konnect is a IIS Web Server software providing remote access to Central Nurse Stations
 
The gateway program QP-983P (Net Konnect) allows remote access to the real-time patient monitoring network with links to Life Scope patient monitors and central nurse stations installed in a hospital. As only the central monitors are equipped to respond to remote access commands, remote interaction with the patient monitors is not possible.

The software program must be installed using a stand-alone server PC unit (and not inside the PC unit of the Central Nurse Station), which will incur a higher cost to provide the connectivity compared to competitors, in addition to space requirement.

It makes no difference using the latest CNS-6201 Central Nurse Station, the same limitation applies. Life Scope monitoring used to also insist independent server just to install the HL-7 gateway software (QP-993) but the now-discontinued software was so old that it was impossible to find the server PC with the required old OS version for it to work. In CNS-6201 Central Monitor a simplified version HL-7 gateway software can be installed for the first time in a Central Nurse Station and that made history.
  

The above image shows how a remote laptop (or desktop PC) accessing the Net Konnect Gateway Server through the Internet using a web browser. The Net Konnect Gateway PC Server has a separate network link to the real time patient monitoring network which has the Central Nurse Station.



All individual beds monitored by each Central Nurse Station can be selected and its historical data such as Trend Graph/ List, Hemodynamic List, Arrhythmia Recall List, ST Recall, Full Disclosure, 12-lead ECG etc. can be retrieved for display remotely on the laptop screen. 

Note the information are retrieved only from the Central Nurse Station's storage, and not from the bedside monitor. This means information available only on the bedside monitor but not on the Central Nurse Station cannot be retrieved.

To protect the Central Nurse Station from unauthorized access, dialing in using a VPN router is mandatory.

Within the hospital, if the real-time monitoring network can be accessed, a simple Net Konnect LT software (QP-985P) can be installed in a windows PC or laptop to access the Central Monitor directly. It is important to note the accessing PC should have a direct path to the real time monitoring network linked to the Central Monitors.

It should be highlighted though the PC installed with QP-985P Net Konnect LT software can also access each bedside monitor directly, this only displays the live screen but the important stored data cannot be retrieved, which is not helpful in assessing a patient's situation.



An alternative gateway for iOS devices
 
In place of the QP-983P Net Konnect gateway software, a IIS Web Server can be installed with QP-988P Unified Gateway software instead.



This alternative will allow assessing the Central Nurse Stations using an Apple iPhone or iPad for remote access to the Central Nurse Stations; the iPad or iPhone can download the ViTrac app from Apple's App store to access any installed Unified Gateway IIS Web Server. A demonstration mode is available to better evaluate its usefulness.

 
Note the Vitrac app is only available for the Apple iOS but not the Android operating system.