Wireless monitoring in medical research: applied BioSystems: Using wireless technology to remotely mend equipment failures.

THE MORE INFORMATION companies can obtain from their machines and leverage for more efficient operations, the more successful these businesses will be. This is the central tenet of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. In particular, intelligent asset management is an increasingly common method for reducing costs and improving system reliability and productivity. In the medical field, M2M is even more important because M2M's ability to help companies properly monitor and maintenance equipment saves lives.

In this article, I examine an application from one of the leading companies in M2M, Axeda Systems. You'll learn how Axeda DRM cured the ails of one healthcare organization, Applied BioSystems Group (ABS).

Applied BioSystems Group

ABS provides services and tools--for example, DNA analysis equipment--for companies and research groups, such as the Human Genome Project, conducting DNA and RNA research. ABS products are used by organizations researching new medications and working on standardized medical testing. ABS needed help remotely monitoring its new-generation DNA analysis product, the ABI PRISM 3730/3730xl, a high-throughput sequencing and fragment analysis platform for DNA research. ABS turned to Axeda Systems for help.

Axeda provides intelligent asset management software and services through its Device Relationship Management System (DRM). This solution lets manufacturers use the Internet to quickly and accurately view and manage intelligent devices at remote locations, as well as make use of previously inaccessible information on usage patterns and equipment health. Medical equipment can be monitored, diagnosed, and sometimes even repaired remotely.

In late 2002, Applied BioSystems began using Axeda's Device Relationship Management system to monitor and access its analysis devices. ABS can now monitor these devices from anywhere in the world, giving its customers up-to-the minute, accurate information on device status. Axeda's technology helps ABS identify potential problems before they occur. The system even allows remote diagnosis of devices and proactive failure prediction and maintenance. This reduces the need for service calls, drastically increasing productivity.

The success of the company's first Axeda-connected system prompted ABS to use Axeda technology to help launch a service of its own. Early in 2004, ABS began using Axeda's DRM product as a key component of BioMonitor, an ABS service that provides remote monitoring of the company's AB1 PRISM 3100 Genetic Analyzer and ABI PRISM 3730/3730xl DNA Analyzer. Specifically, Axeda's system identifies malfunctioning lasers and changes in operational systems that could result in lost or distorted data. Accuracy in DNA analysis is critical, and any inconsistencies in equipment function can compromise hours of costly and complicated research. Problems that could previously only be detected when the research was complete can now be identified during the research process, avoiding time-consuming iterations.

M2M in medical research

Axeda DRM is just one example of a successful M2M implementation in the medical space. Although there are many other industries that are prime to capitalize on M2M technologies, there has been a flurry of activity in the medical field. As the exorbitant costs of malfunctions and the criticality of precise patient care continue to rise, companies like Axeda are lining up to provide a cure.

MOBILE BUSINESS BENEFIT

In the medical field, it's crucial that machines function properly and that equipment is accurate. M2M technology offers a way to monitor these machines and ensure 24x7 uptime, both in day-to-day patient care as well as medical research. The FocalPoint Group expects more than 11 million medical devices to be network-enabled by 2006.

Ian Barkin is co-founder and managing director of The FocalPoint Group, a market intelligence and research firm committed to providing information and support to the suppliers and beneficiaries of the M2M arena. FocalPoint research includes the analysis of adoption trends and market innovations that help to direct investment, product development, marketing and communication activities for the coming world of connected devices, people and environments, http://www.thefpgroup.com, [e-mail].