In Hospital Communication

[Utah_Viper]

Due to my job I am in and out of hospitals daily. I have recently noticed a few of the facilities using a "radio" system for there staff. This system looks like a Ipod sized item that hangs on persons neck. A staff member can press a button and say "Find Joe Someone" and then after a moment it connects them to that persons "radio". I think there may be other features as well. Does anyone have information on these? what frequencies does it use? how does it operate?

 

[iMONITOR]

I think (but I'm not positive), the device works with standard WiFi computer networks.

 

[fineshot1]

I wonder how it would repond if you said " Beam me up Scotty "....

 

[iMONITOR]

I found an article related to this device. I'm not sure if it's the same thing, but it sounds like it.

Voice gadgets aid Mercy
http://www.oregonnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030622/BUSINESS/106220010

 

[bwhite]

Called a Vocera, there's one on my neck right now.
They're digital and talk to the wi-fi network so, nope, you wouldn't be able to monitor.

 

[Mick]

Info

http://www.vocera.com/products/products.aspx
http://nursing.ucsd.edu/Vocera Fast_facts11_04.pdf
http://www.wi-fitechnology.com/displayarticle2861.html

 

[Lodis]

A radio scanner definately won't be able to monitor this but I would imagine one could use a portable computer such as a PDA or Laptop and a packet sniffer. Sounds like it uses a sort of (VOIP) Voice Over IP technology. I am merely talking in theory here though.

 

[Utah_Viper]

Yes it appears that the system is the Vocera. Really a neat device and looks like it works well in a few of the hospitals here.

 

[mcema699]

A lady at work has a relative in the hospital and she was telling me about this gadget. One version of this has voice response. When you get frustrated you can indeed tell it to beam you up and it makes a noise like you are being whisked up, up, and away.

 

[bwhite]

Correct info.
Can't imagine what the sniffer would show though.
I know you can pick text outta written packets, but, audio ?
Or even what the traces from some wireless monitors?
Hmmmmm.

 

[wannabescannist]

Correct info.
Can't imagine what the sniffer would show though.
I know you can pick text outta written packets, but, audio ?
Or even what the traces from some wireless monitors?
Hmmmmm.

You can pick out text with your eyes, but if you capture enough packets to make some generalizations about the format of the data, you're a step closer. You try to notice similarities, and try to point out common data structures that are defined elsewhere. Once you know enough about the protocol/algorithm, all it takes it just decoding & separating that data. Packet capture can be saved as a binary file, which is what IP traffic is.

The easiest implementation would just be a simple IP packet containing non-encrypted, compressed audio in a standard format like MP3 or more efficient low-bitrate encodings. I've never messed with VoIP so this is all speculation, But I have done the stuff I mentioned in my first paragraph in trying to document undocumented, or not-freely-available data formats.

 

[nexus]

I was reading the information on Vocera's website. This stuff is awesome! Just another REAL step closer to the star trek communicator badge. If they would make it the size of a lapel pin it would be. That is very impressive how one can push the button and just state a command like conference jim doe and jane doe, and then both jim and jane would be talking with you at the same time, or just one on one comm, or send text to the display on the back of the "badge" as they call it.

I think thats is just awesome! All on a simple 802.11b network.

 

[bwhite]

Well, like many comms for the PD, FD, whatever, I can tell you that 99.9% of what I hear thru Vocera's is a yawn.

 

[Utah_Viper]

Yes Nexus, Seeing these in action at the hospital it definitely is much like Star Trek. I bet very soon they can link these over the Internet or Other types of Wi-Fi and have the ability to use them through a entire company not just a single location.

 

[bwhite]

You can go person-to-person, person to group, broadcast to all, go between hospitals (ours are 8 miles apart), get an outside line. The only limitations thus far:
1) doesn't deal with push button menus e.g, if I call somewhere and it says push a 1 or 2,
can't do it.
2) the menu of things it will do is so large that I can't remember 90% of it

 

[gcgrotz]

Just a hint of what is to come with WiFi and its big brother WiMax! I love all this technology!

 

[bwhite]

Just a hint of what is to come with WiFi and its big brother WiMax! I love all this technology!

Please elaborate.