Qualcomm’s recent XPRIZE global competition
awarded $10 million to two finalists who created their
best possible version of a tricorder. Competitors were
judged on their machine’s capability to diagnose accurately
13 medical conditions—while measuring continuously
five vital signs with a positive patient experience—
independent of any assistance from a medical
professional or healthcare facility.
When one thinks about the fabled tricorder and its
possibilities, it is simply a handful of components working
together (i.e., processing or computer chips, a radio
to transmit, and sensors or ancillary devices). Thus, some
type of wireless network to connect to is key; the faster
the better. Additionally, consider that Moore’s Law states
that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit
(chip) doubles every two years. By 2026 or what is estimated
to be peak 5G deployment, processing power will
have doubled three consecutive times from today. This
is important because it implies that at some point there
will be the massive processing power in a mobile device
enabling on the spot sophisticated testing and analysis,
which may exist today only in a lab or data center.
Robots may be the next frontier for the medical
industry, and wireless connectivity is an absolute require-
58 I ICT TODAY
Robots, might seem simple and crude compared
to the science fiction images many people hold in their
minds. However, like the fictional tricorder, they are
enabled by processing power and wireless connectivity
and will become more capable and functional. Imagine
a future medical clinic where a human nurse might greet
patients to put them at ease, followed by the doctor,
a human-like plastic and metal machine named Dr. Bob.
Dr. Bob is equipped with the most powerful array of computer
chips for processing complex data. Dr. Bob has
a wide variety of sensors and monitoring appendages
to check the patient’s pulse, temperature, and nervous
system. Bob can quickly test patients’ blood and other
bodily functions, while chatting with them via an artificial
intelligence-capable voice interface. Furthermore,
because Dr. Bob has wireless connectivity, he is fully
mobile and can communicate with other doctors and
other networks and systems—continuously and in
real time.
Heady stuff, perhaps. The reality is that technology
advancements in the medical field will continue to drive
better patient care, more efficiencies, and better outcomes.
BICSI professionals are wise to understand these coming
advancements and how the wide variety of wireless systems
they design and build will support and empower
life-changing medical advancements.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY: Mark Niehus, RCDD, is area vice
president for Connectivity Wireless Solutions. An RCCD since
1999, he has more than 25 years of ICT installation, design and
project management experience and has worked with enterprise
customers to specify, engineer, fund and deploy wired and wireless
networks. Mark has a BA in English from the University of Iowa
and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He can be reached
at mniehus@connectivitywireless.com.
FIGURE 5: Robots may have a
place in the future of health care.
Robots may be the next frontier
for the medical industry,
and wireless connectivity is
an absolute requirement.
ment (Figure 5). Robots today assist
in patient care in simple but
important ways, such as assisting
in moving patients. Robot for
Interactive Body Assistance
(RIBA) can lift up or set down
a human from or to a bed or
wheelchair by using guidance
systems controlled by highaccuracy
sensors.
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