So-called ’smart systems’ can fail patients
June 27th, 2008 joshua
Hospitals check medical devices implanted in patients through wireless systems. These systems, Dutch researchers warn, can be corrupted and result in fatal injuries.
In a recent study, these microchip-based “smart” systems failed safety checks but were not implanted in patients. Researchers fear this tendency to fail could result in patient injuries death especially when these devices are needed to trigger life-saving functions.
According to an MSNBC report, “The wireless systems send out radio waves that can interfere with equipment such as respirators, external pacemakers and kidney dialysis machines, according to the study.”
The research group tested equipment at an Amsterdam ICU and devices failed at least 123 times. None were inside patients.
Most often, the devices failed when they were near life-saving machines because of electromagnetic glitches.
