‘It’s more than a bolt-on. Here’s a smart approach to integrate medical devices into connected systems.’
Adding a network data connection to your medical device may not only promote your device into the echelons of modern connected or ‘IoT’ (internet of things) devices, but it could also push your company into a whole new value delivery model. A move from the presently dominant ship-and-done model to the newer “ship, monitor, and update regularly” model may be required. This is not a new model for gaming app developers, but it’s radically new for regulated medical devices that require thorough verification and validation (V&V) before changes can be implemented in the field. Adding connectivity to your device also changes your solution from a device to a system with all of the broader system considerations this brings. This article explores some of the benefits and challenges related to connecting medical devices to external networks and provides an overview of how to address many of these challenges.
Eric Soederberg considers himself an engineer from birth and is passionate about solving difficult engineering problems. His career spans over 25 years in product development leadership at Draper Labs, Motorola, and DEKA. At DEKA, Eric led and brought to market the world’s first iBOT mobility system: a Class III medical device and close cousin to […]
