Now available in a white bezel option, the Pioneer POS StealthTouch-M7 offers the versatility to meet the needs of virtually any application. The state-of-the-art 17″ touchcomputer provides more and faster connectivity: a Broadcom 10/100/1000 BaseT network, 1 Parallel, 4 Serial, 6 USB, plus 12 volt and 24 volt poweredUSB ports that eliminate the need for an additional power supplies.

Ideally suited for healthcare, the M7 can be easily wall mounted and has a depth of less than 3 1/2″. The StealthTouch-M7 also offers wireless RF 802.11 for mobile applications that utilize a cart and a built in webcam to allow for remote patient interface. For applications that require added security, the webcam also offers facial recognition plus an integrated privacy filter to protect sensitive patient information.

The M7 is spill resistant and offers a variety of add-ons including a magnetic stripe or barcode slot reader, biometrics fingerprint reader, 10″ LCD dual display, and proximity RFID reader.

Innovative Solutions for the Mobile Workforce that Redefine Work Flow and Enhance Service and Delivery Performance

EVERETT, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jun. 3, 2009– Intermec (NYSE:IN) today introduced the CN50 and CN4 – the most advanced, rugged 3G Wireless WAN (WWAN) mobile computers for field mobility applications. The CN50 includes 3.75G WWAN HSUPA radio technology in a small, lightweight, ruggedized form factor providing mobile workforces in postal, field service, transportation, and delivery operations with the industry’s highest performance mobile computer. The CN4 is the ideal mobile computing solution for operations requiring support for fully-rugged front line transactions, including commercial transportation, store delivery, and demanding field service applications. Both products enable customers to leverage enterprise mobility applications with higher data exchange requirements, and offer a range of features designed to maximize mobile worker productivity, uptime, and on-the-route service capability.

“The CN50 is the smallest and most technologically advanced rugged mobile computer on the market today,” said Héctor Calva, chief information officer of Coca-Cola Femsa. “As an organization that accounts for almost ten percent of Coca-Cola’s global sales, our mobile workers need a rugged mobile computer that will make their workday more efficient and enhance the customer experience. The capabilities of the CN50 will revolutionize our delivery operations and enable us to increase the amount of sales transactions we complete.”

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Meeting the challenges in the current state of the economy, PioneerPOS announces the release of the Stealth-M5/LX, a rugged 15″ all-in-one touchcomputer. Using best of breed components including an Intel processor and Microsoft Windows, M5/LX offers better performance and more connectivity, including a Intel 1GHz processor, gigabit network, 6 usb ports, 1 parallel port, and 4 serial ports.

PioneerPOS Stealth M5/LX specifications

PioneerPOS Stealth M5/LX

Microscan has just announced two new products that will be available in early June.

HS-1 Linear CCD Scanner

The HS-1 is an ideal low cost handheld barcode reader for reliable decode of linear barcodes in common applications such as printed black and white labels.

HS-1 Linear CCD Scanner specifications

HS-2D Handheld Imager

The HS-2D is a low cost handheld imager for decoding both barcodes and 2D symbols in common applications. It reads symbols in any orientation, includes a built-in dual LED targeting system for quick and easy data capture, and is designed to withstand rugged industrial environments.

HS-2D Handheld Imager specifications

Datalogic Scanning is pleased to announce the new Gryphon I GM4100 cordless linear imager. This new imager is the ultimate solution for applications in retail and light industrial environments where mobility is required. Featuring the Datalogic STAR Cordless System, the most reliable radio in the market, the Gryphon GM4100 imager provides full flexibility in the workplace, providing scalable solutions from simple point-to-point to point-to-multipoint applications and eliminates the restraints caused by cabled devices. An optional display with a 3-button keypad provides battery status, radio coverage indicator and enables operator interaction with the host system.

Extremely versatile and durable, the Gryphon GM4100 cordless linear imaging readers are the ultimate solution for applications in retail and light industrial environments where mobility is necessary for improved productivity. Mobile communications also eliminate the restraints caused by cabled devices, providing a safer and more efficient environment for employees.

Read more in the Datalogic GM4100 specifications sheet

One of the reasons we haven’t seen an accurate barcode scanner for the iPhone is due to its lack of a decent lens with auto focus. Some developers have tried work arounds, like ScanLife, which went out of its way to create its own proprietary simple codes the iPhone lens could actually scan, but this app doesn’t work with the standard UPC and EAN we see on almost every product in our local stores, thus pretty useless.

Occipital, a startup based out of Boulder, CO., today has released RedLaser, a new iPhone app that can scan standard UPC barcodes simply with an iPhone camera.

Here’s what it does – let’s say you find a DVD you’re interested in checking out prices of, turn it around and on the back you’ll find the UPC bar code. Yes, the one your friendly cashier usually scans. Load up your RedLaser app, carefully frame up the bar code, and scan. RedLaser then sends that information to Google product search and sends back results right to your iPhone. Simple as that. You can then click through to see Amazon results.

Jeffrey Powers, Co-Founder of Occipital explained the product works with basically any name-brand item including electronics, games, hardware and office supplies. Groceries scan well but aren’t usually in the database at this point. RedLaser will soon have support for books. I tried it on several of my DVD’s and CD’s and got 100% accuracy.

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Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range, high-frequency (13.56 MHz) wireless technology that allows for the exchange of data between two NFC-enabled devices, such as mobile phones, over a distance of a few centimeters. Among the applications enabled by NFC are contactless transactions for payment and transit ticketing, simple data transfers and access to online content. It’s one of the fastest-growing wireless technologies, and now a number of vendors are launching products that extend its capabilities.

In addition to mobile phones, a variety of devices and machines can be NFC-enabled, according to the NFC Forum, a Wakefield, Mass., organization formed in 2004 to advance the use of NFC technology, ensure interoperability among devices and services, and educate the market regarding NFC. These include cash registers or other point-of-sale (POS) equipment, vending machines, turnstiles, parking meters, ATMs and PCs. The technology can also be used with posters, street signs and other public points of interest, certificates, food packaging and other items.

The use of NFC technology is growing, says Peter Preuss, the NFC Forum’s marketing chair and a senior manager at Nokia. NFC devices are being used in more than 65 projects worldwide, he explains, enabling users to make payments and access bus gates. A 2008 study conducted by ABI Research found that more than 419 million NFC chipsets will be shipped by 2012, and that NFC chipset shipments and revenue will continue growing steadily over the next five years, as the market adapts to the new technology.

(Original article: http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/purchase/4784)

Addition of the Windows Mobile 6.1 Operating System Creates New Path for LXE and Software Application Use

ATLANTA – May 8, 2009 – LXE Inc., the rugged mobile computer business of EMS Technologies, Inc., announced today that the MX8 rugged handheld computer will include the Windows Mobile® 6.1 operating system. The MX8 is LXE’s ergonomic, lightweight, yet extremely rugged data-collection computer, ideal for use in a wide array of light industrial and supply chain environments.

“The MX8 handheld computer powered with Windows Mobile will extend LXE’s reach into new applications and markets,” states Steve Newell, LXE’s general manager. “We have seen growing sales of the product in the pharmaceutical and retail markets among others, due to its size, ergonomic design and voice capabilities. This computer was designed for scan-intensive or multi-modal voice applications. As such, we believe sales of the MX8 handheld computer will continue to increase with this expanded functionality,” Newell adds.

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Microscan, a global technology leader for precision data acquisition and control solutions, announces the new Visionscape® Smart Camera that combines technologies from machine vision and auto ID into a singular PCB inspection solution that is powerful, low-cost, and easy to use.

The Visionscape® Smart Camera can perform as a cost-effective alternative for inspecting boards for misaligned or missing high-value components and connectors, such as heavy or odd-shaped connectors with a high misplacement rate. A single Visionscape® Smart Camera positioned over a conveyor or bench top can verify the accuracy of components and placement, or alternatively identify any errors prior to reflow. More cost-effective than AOI, this quick and simple quality inspection checkpoint enables savings, quality assurance, and line throughput.

The Visionscape® Smart Camera series combines a compact form factor with the broad applicability, versatility and proven performance of Visionscape® machine vision software. Designed for use in a range of applications, the Visionscape® Smart Camera provides a cost-effective, easily deployed solution for manufacturers to monitor quality, control processes, or identify and trace parts on production lines.

As a flexible solution, Visionscape ® Smart Cameras can be used for quality inspection, device metrology inspection, and full traceability. They stand alone in their support of Track, Trace, and Control processes with full blown optical character recognition (OCR), optical character verification (OCV), and full reading of any barcodes or 2D symbols including the most difficult direct part marks (DPM). The advanced technology used in this system includes high-end machine vision algorithms and state-of-the-art high-speed multi-core dual processor smart camera technology. This fast and powerful system is not only simple and easy to use, program, and operate, but also totally transportable across a wide variety of applications throughout the factory – all at a fraction of the cost of traditional AOI solutions.

As a portable one-piece unit, the Visionscape® Smart Camera is easy to handle for placement and install in over-the-belt or bench top inspection applications. Any job changeovers can be done quickly through user-friendly software. With a solid-state design and no moving parts, no maintenance is required.

Adding Track, Trace and Control can improve outbound product quality by several percentage points simply by catching potential problems before it is too late. The built-in communication protocols and I/O features make this system a snap to interface with any PLC, PC-based, or networked MES system currently in use within the factory.

 

The 2009 HIMSS Exhibition featured more than 900 exhibiting companies and health informatics-related organizations. Despite a stormy economy, many vendors reached networking milestones and experienced increased interest in certain products due to the stimulating effect of the federal stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Overall attendance at the 2009 HIMSS Conference and Exhibition was down a little more than five percent this year from 2008. Many exhibitors noticed the difference, including Gail Malcolm, HIMSS fellow and marketing manager for Siemens’ Image and Knowledge Management Division.

“We’re really seeing the economic impact this year,” said Malcolm, “We certainly don’t see the number of attendees that we have in the past, and a lot of vendors are cutting back on their staff. Everyone is trying to tighten the belt and for a lot of customers, the funding for travel has just been eliminated.”

But despite fewer numbers, business was still booming due to the expected influx of funding from the recent Health IT stimulus bill.

“We’ve seen leads triple since the ARRA,” said Lynne Durham, senior public relations officer for Sage Software. “Our industry is affected a lot less than other industries in large part because of the stimulus act.”

Newer companies also experienced milestones, like Aruba Wireless Networks, which offers network integration solutions for health care centers. Since 2003 the company has secured 25 percent of the market for network integration and was flush with activity at HIMSS.

“We did better in the first few hours on Sunday than we did the entire HIMSS conference last year,” said Manav Khurana, head of marketing for Aruba Wireless Networks.

Products for “Meaningful Use”

One aspect of the ARRA that has vendors and health care systems on high alert is the lack of a clear definition of “meaningful use” — a standard of performance for health care information technologies. HIMSS offers guidelines for Clinical Diagnostic Support (CDS), e-Prescribing and quality outcomes and reporting, and many of the products on the showroom floor were a reflection of these processes.

Siemens displayed a software data management tool that uses algorithms to extrapolate data from clinical notes, reports and spreadsheets for quality control and reporting purposes. The REMIND Platform, which stands for Reliable Extraction & Meaningful Inference from Non-structured Data, automates reporting and helps free up personnel. Henri Primo, Siemens’ national director of marketing, explained the cycle of required CMS and Joint Commission quality of care measures and the reporting that is required by health care centers. In 2004 there were just 10 quality of care measures. Today there are an expansive 72 measures.

“A lot of hospitals trademark their quality of care, but quality control standards are constantly changing,” said Primo. “What is good today is not necessarily good tomorrow.”

Philips Business Development Manager Eric van’t Hoff talked to DOTmed about Philips’ telePC tablet technology, which serves much like a medical-grade PDA for clinicians. The product is sealed, hygienic, drop-proof, WIFI and Bluetooth-enabled, and includes a digital camera. The tablet is also capable of barcoding, RFID and asset tracking, and serves many clinical functions, including admissions assistance, vital-signs tracking, documentation, and physician order entry.

Physicians Warm to e-Prescribing and Patient Messaging

Atlantic Health, northern New Jersey’s largest health care system, has integrated many of McKesson’s health care information systems, including Horizon Expert Orders, a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) solution, in order to improve efficiency and quality outcomes. In just the past year, Linda Reed, vice president of information systems and CIO for Atlantic Health, saw a 27 percent surge in physician-patient messaging.

“It’s a different kind of communication that is really going to grow,” she said. At first physicians seemed wary of being bowled over by patient requests and comments, but the initial hesitance seems to have waned for many, and support for electronic prescriptions is building. As a result of their Health IT implementation, Atlantic Health has reduced the medication error rate to less than one percent at participating facilities.

Allscripts showcased an electronic health record kiosk, which allows patients to check in by biomedical hand scanning, retrieves scheduling and medical record information for clinical review and allows patients to view their personal profile and health maintenance plan. For e-Prescribing, Allscripts offers physicians an iPhone solution that provides remote access to records and the ability to create orders anytime and anywhere.

A Gradual Process

“The health care industry is not particularly agile,” but hospitals are making the big push to implement healthcare informatics technology by 2010-2020, said Glenn Loos-Austin, a user interface designer for EPIC.

One of the products EPIC featured at HIMSS was MyChart, which allows patients to access charts online. With the wave of new record accessibility products on the market, the issue of patient privacy becomes increasingly more important to address, especially since there aren’t clear regulatory guidelines from HIPAA or federal agencies.

At this point it’s about finding the right balance, said Loos-Austin. We try to adhere to HIPAA-like guidelines in the absence of actual mandates.

Economic pressures and the innate complexity of hospital systems make implementation a painstaking process. Even with the promise of funding, how much and where the actual federal stimulus monies can be applied is still a big question mark.

“There’s a high level of strategy, but no definitive answer as to how it’s actually going to occur,” said Jim Morgan, director of marketing for FujiFilm. The company had integrated and teleradiology-enabled RIS/PACS solutions on view, including the Synapse PACS and Empiric RIS.

Morgan mentioned that one of the concerns of vendors and their customers is the percentage of these technologies that won’t end up being covered by federal funding.

“If only 40 percent of the total cost gets funded, where is the other 60 percent going to come from? There has to be some sort of delta between the two,” said Morgan. Until there are concrete answers, vendors are trying to turn out products that increase productivity at a lower cost of ownership for the maximum use of their investments.

(Original article: http://www.dotmed.com/news/story/8798/)