Senior Design
In the operating room, there is a growing need for devices to be interconnected. At the same time, current wireless solutions (such as WiFi and Bluetooth) have potential security risks, do not provide accurate location information, and raise concerns over network overload. Our senior project is to explore the use of Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology to integrate, locate, and connect to devices in the operating room with the end vision of an integrated operating room with a single user-friendly interface for locating and getting data from wireless medical instruments. Our UWB interface will locate any tagged instruments in the operating room and provide a secure communication channel between the instrument and a base station/laptop in the operating room theater.
My responsibilities on the team include electrical and PCB design as well as writing embedded software. I designed three different PCBs for the UWB tag, battery backup board, and UWB gateway.
The above image above showcases the first iteration of the PCB which utilizes a Nordic nRF52 series micro-controller utilized the DWM1000 UWB transceiver and a ceramic Bluetooth antenna.
Medtronic’s wireless devices (such as the Sonicision) have traditionally relied on simple LEDs to indicate problems with their devices. However, for surgical techs, this information has proved inadequate; it is simply challenging to diagnose and troubleshoot device issues. In the high paced environment of operating rooms, time is of the essence, and techs cannot afford to waste minutes figuring out what went wrong with their equipment. UwBITS 5000 reduces this ambiguity, providing comprehensive diagnostic and troubleshooting information to make rapid device repairs easier.
Additionally, in the operating room, nurses and surgical techs often misplace their devices or take out the batteries. The indoor location feature of the UwBITS 5000 allows streamlined inventory management and detection of user mishandling.
Finally, in the operating room, it can be difficult for devices to communicate due to electrical noise. This is much like trying to talk to your friend on public crowded transportation when everybody is speaking; the loudest person often wins. UwBITS 5000 leverages a communication protocol called UWB that ensures that devices can speak without having to shout over the noise.
