The Future of Healthcare Technology

Posted December 9th, 2020 by Emily Burkinshaw & filed under , General, Inspiration, Technology.

Today, our healthcare industry is being tested more than ever before in modern times. The global pandemic has put an incredible stress on hospitals, surgeries and clinics around the world and we think its more important than ever to appreciate the hard work and sacrifice of everyone working on the frontline. Saving lives is just part of their typical day, but now it comes with a huge risk to themselves and their loved ones, yet they continue to ensure their patients are as comfortable and well looked after as possible.

Healthcare professionals do so much to keep patients comfortable and are now using technology to help aid the already incredible job they do. We’re taking a look back at some of the ways our technology has been used over the years to make the often-daunting hospital experience, a little bit less sinister.

For instance, MRI Scans are often found to be uncomfortable and overwhelming for a lot of adults, so it’s easy to imagine how scary this experience is for children. PDC Facilities specialise in creating high-tech, comfortable suites for MRI Scans and wanted to incorporate our Smart Glass into one of their projects. We provided them with an Interactive Switchable Glass Projection Screen with the hope to enhance the experience for young children and relax them as much as possible throughout the experience.

Our technology was linked to a clever mood lighting system which could be controlled by interacting with our Smart Glass Screen, allowing children to set the mood in the room or just choose their favourite colour to light up the suite throughout the scan. Patients could also interact with the images on the screen, choosing one from the list and in turn distracting them from any nerves or concerns they might have. This experience can not only be stressful for the child, but also for the parents, this clever screen integration software also allows the radiographer to add personalised messages to the screen, to make the whole experience feel more personable and put all parties at ease.

Integrating a screen into an MRI suite also allowed staff to explain the MRI process to the family better with visual content, showing clips of what result of the scan looks like so they can better understand why the scan was being done. Our Switchable Glass Screens have added benefits when compared to the use of a standard display, due to their ability to change between frosted and clear at the touch of a button. In this project in particular, our Smart Glass was used as part of the usually standard glass partition between the MRI scanner and the control room. By doing this, the radiographer could interact with both the patient and the screen in the scanning suite, helping them to become familiar with the environment and then move into the control room, switching the glass to transparent to allow a clear window of site to the patient throughout the process.

Our MRI suite upgrade isn’t the only interactive solution we’ve provided to the healthcare industry, we’ve also worked with award winning medical AV systems integrator, Jones AV to create a high tech operating theatre for the NHS’ Royal Papworth Hospital. This project involved building custom designed wall units, housing viewing monitors, AV equipment and a system control screen, and required our touch technologies to facilitate interactivity. We supplied them with our bespoke Multi-Touch Interactive Foils that removed the need for a keyboard and mouse, creating a streamlined, clutter-free environment that conformed to the hygiene standards expected in operating theatres. Ingo Aicher, Managing Director at Jones AV comments, ‘The ability of Pro Display to manufacture Multi-Touch Interactive Touch Foil to the exact user and screen size requirements allowed us to build an extremely neat looking, easy to operate and infection control compliant wall unit.’

Over 15 years, the Pro Display Group have supplied hospitals and private clinics around the world with our Smart Glass solutions, favoured due to their hygiene and maintenance capabilities. Recently we supplied an NHS hospital in Paisley with 42 panels of our Laminate Switchable Smart Glass that were installed into 5 of their critical patient areas on their ICU ward. Our Switchable Glass was well received due to the quick turnaround, providing the patients with a more practical privacy solution whilst allowing staff to monitor them without any disturbance.

Another notable Smart Glass install is the award-winning refurbishment of the Wokingham Medical Centre, where we supplied our Switchable Glass, as specified by Barbara Weiss Architects, to help combat lighting concerns. We manufactured 56 Smart Glass Double-Glazed Windows for install in GP treatment rooms that were situated on the front elevation of the building. Due to the location of the windows, our intelligent glazing was necessary in providing the privacy level expected by patients as well as enhancing the flow of natural light into the room in both its on and off states in order to create a welcoming and comfortable environment. As Weiss, director of BWA, explains, ‘Bringing natural light into the deep-set building was a priority . . . In response to privacy and infection control requirements, “intelligent” smart glass was specified to the curtain wall.’

The Pro Display Group is no stranger to working to strict healthcare criteria, with every piece of Switchable Glass we dispatch being manufactured in a ‘Clean Room’ environment to meet the standards of our strict quality checks before final testing. As well as our rigorous safety checks during the manufacturing process, our Smart Glass provides a safer solution to the blinds and curtains used widely in hospitals today. Hospital curtains in the UK are only required to be replaced every 6 months and with hospitals across the globe reaching capacity in some circumstances, it’s understandable that curtain cleaning or replacement isn’t a top priority. Our Switchable Smart Glass can be cleaned in the same way as any normal glass products, providing a more hygienic environment as well as freeing up staff time with quick and easy maintenance.