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Case Studies
Public Safety -
Emergency Health Care
Ambulance Services (MobileInfo.Com
acknowledges Datalux Corporation as source of this case study)
Unique
Mobile Computing System Helps Derbyshire Ambulance Service Reduce Response
Delays To Emergency Incidents
Crawley,
October 28, 1998: A unique mobile computing system called Databrick has
been successfully trialed over the past nine months by the Derbyshire
Ambulance Service and is the core of an innovative pilot scheme aimed at
reducing ambulance response times to life threatening incidents. If adopted
at the national level, the scheme could lead to major improvements in the
NHS's National Performance Standards.
Ambulance services must comply with well-defined standards for activation
and response times to emergency incidents. But the time between ambulance
services being advised of an emergency and deploying sufficient resource as
response remains significant and led the Derbyshire Ambulance Service to
seek improvements through the applied use of advanced mobile data
technology.
Called Priority Dispatch, the pilot scheme has enabled the Derbyshire
ambulance trust to achieve more efficient and effective deployment of
ambulances in responding to incidents and, for the first time, in prioritizing
the use of its resources according to the severity of
incidents. The system also allows ambulance crews to record patient data on
the move, which will enable patient care data to be loaded into hospital
computer systems and, where necessary, transmit critical patient data by
radio ahead of the patients arrival thus improving the quality of care to
the patient.
The system uses a unique PC called Databrick and related LCD hardware from
Datalux, an emerging leader in the design and manufacture of compact and
rugged computers and peripherals for extreme operating environments.
The Pentium-based Databrick computer is housed in a rugged cupro-aluminium
frame, has physical dimensions 51 x 261 x 165mm and weighs just 1.8kgs. With
all the power, performance and networking features of its bulky desktop
cousins, the Databrick PC has broadspread applications in industrial
control, hostile mobile environments such as trucks, ambulances, patrol cars
and helicopters, as well as in data intensive environments like interactive
kiosks and at the point-of-sale.
In developing the latest generations of Databricks, one of the principal
concerns of Datalux engineers was operating temperatures; like all
computers, the life and reliability of high precision components and
subsystems used in computers can be compromised when exposed to low and high
operating temperatures. Whilst both high and low temperatures pose concerns
to design engineers, high temperatures are of greater import due to the high
heat dissipation of CPUs.
Most Pentium-class computers use fan or vents to dissipate heat, which can
get clogged-up with dirt and dust in basic desktop applications. The high
levels of dirt and dust likely to be experienced by the Databrick when used
in rugged environments exclude use of classic heat dissipation solutions and
required Datalux engineers to develop an innovative approach ... heat sink
fins.
The large aluminium top casting of the Databrick acts as an efficient heat
sink to draw heat away from its processor, hard drive and other sensitive
components. The finned top casting then dissipates unwanted heat through
exposure to cooler ambient air.
Thermal management features built into the BIOS of the Databrick provide
additional protection. When enabled, thermal management is a default feature
and throttles back the processor as it reaches its maximum operating
temperature. Throttling reduces the number of processing cycles and
diminishes the heat dissipation of the CPU to cool the unit. Once the unit
has again reached a safe operating temperature, thermal throttling is
automatically disabled and the Databrick returns to normal full speed
processing.
About Datalux
The Datalux Corporation is an emerging leader in the design and
manufacture of computing systems and hardware for extreme operating
environments. Headquartered in Winchester, North America, the manufacturer's
European operations are based at Crawley, England. Datalux Europe is
responsible for the development of pan-European markets, management of
specialised reseller channels and sub-assembly of product lines destined for
European markets. Contact details: Tel 01293 540092. Email: uksales@datalux.com
About
Derbyshire Ambulance Service
Derbyshire Ambulance Service, with the support of its Health Authority,
was the first Ambulance Service in Europe to introduce Medical Priority
Dispatch and is internationally recognised as a centre of excellence in this
field. The development of a totally integrated mobile data/voice
communications system, which incorporates the electronic patient record
using the datalux computer, is unique. Any enquiries regarding the process
should be made to Roland Furber, Director of Corporate Planning, Derbyshire
Ambulance Service. Contact details: Tel: 01332 372441.
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