Philips Medical Systems, a global leader in healthcare, is committed to providing innovative technology and services that enable health care providers to achieve clinical excellence. The healthcare business is a division of Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands, which is one of the world’s largest electronics companies with 160,900 employees in over 60 countries.
Business Challenge
One of the Mobile Enterprise team’s key initiatives is running mobile imaging centers, which provide use of diagnostic imaging equipment to markets that cannot support purchase and maintenance of fixed imaging equipment. Mobile imaging centers consist of 18-wheel trailers outfitted with Philips imaging equipment and third party drivers and medical staff. These centers have tight schedules and are always in-use or in-transit to a facility, with most centers staying in one location for only a single day. Any downtime of the imaging equipment results in a loss of patient service and revenue for the healthcare provider. Philips needed to find a way to proactively monitor their medical equipment to prevent downtime and to diagnose and fix issues remotely to avoid sending field engineers on-location for repairs.
Sierra Wireless AirLink Solution
Philips’ Mobile Enterprise, in collaboration with partner Astral Communications, developed a wireless-specific solution to complement their existing proprietary remote monitoring solution. Further, Astral Communications, an advanced communications systems provider, is continuing to work with Philips to develop a wireless telemetry solution using the Sierra Wireless AirLink® communications gateway.