The value chain for many medical device manufacturers is increasingly complex, with suppliers or internal factories located across the country or spread around the globe. Often, production line equipment problems, product design flaws, and quality issues occur in locations that do not have local access to the best subject matter experts. And frequently, these problems occur in areas that are located in plants that require extensive travel for the subject matter expert.

Fig. 1 – A technician troubleshoots an equipment failure by sharing high quality video and talking live with a remote expert.
In the past, plant floor workers or field technicians have tried to explain the issues and e-mail pictures to subject matter experts based elsewhere. Often, this exchange wasn’t sufficient to solve the problem. Instead, the subject matter experts had to fly to the location to provide input in person.

The Onsight mobile video collaboration solution was developed to immediately connect remote subject matter experts to locations across the enterprise as well as the supply chain and even customer premises. The system immediately takes remote subject matter experts to the plant floor or the field where problems are occurring.

Secure Mobile Video

The mobile video collaboration system includes wireless video devices for use on the plant floor and collaboration software for the remote experts’ desktops. Plant workers use the mobile device to share video, voice, telestration (i.e., onscreen drawing), and images with the experts who interact in real time through the collaboration PC software. Remote experts can also share images or pre-recorded videos to play on the touchscreen panel of the device. By sharing this visual content, the experts provide plant floor personnel or field technicians with visual instructions.

For many medical device manufacturers, their plant floor operation contains competitive sensitive information; for this reason, cameras are typically not allowed on the plant floor. This system overcomes that concern by providing tight security over the wireless communication, media content, and device usage. Security, encryption, authentication, and even centralized administrator control are a necessity for mobile video collaboration.

Advanced Collaboration Tools

Fig. 2 – The expert watches live video at his desktop and provides feedback to the field staff for immediate problem resolution.
Medical device manufacturing often involves very detailed components. If there is a quality issue, the remote expert has to see finite details to make an accurate assessment. The system includes powerful optics that shows more detail than can be seen with the naked eye. In situations where even more magnification is required, it offers the option to connect a microscope through an S-video input. During a live call, the visual from the microscope may be streamed to the remote expert.

To enable excellent communications, the real-time, highquality video streaming and two-way VOIP audio are en - hanced through the use of a built-in speakerphone and microphone in addition to headsets. All participants in the discussion can also perform two-way onscreen drawing. For record keeping, the system provides bi-directional video recording and still image capture.

Manufacturing Applications for Mobile Video Collaboration

Manufacturers use mobile collaboration for a variety of applications, including product design reviews, quality inspections, production line maintenance, supplier management, and field service.

Design reviews and first-run production samples are an ongoing part of standard communication across teams and with suppliers. Normally, team members wait for product samples to arrive for inspection or travel to the manufacturing location for live interaction, introducing delays into the process.

Instead of travel, mobile devices are now kept at manufacturing facilities or shipped to major suppliers to perform live visual communication when needed. The camera optics within these mobile devices are so advanced that remote experts can see detailed design aspects where even a fraction of a millimeter matters.

In other cases, field service teams can call in remote experts to assist them with live troubleshooting at a customer location. With this live collaboration, field repairs are accelerated by identifying the best corrective action.

Network Requirements

Fig. 3 – The Librestream Onsight camera is a rugged, wireless device that transmits audio and video instantaneously to experts located around the globe.
The Onsight mobile devices require either an Ethernet or wireless network connection to access the Internet. Wireless connectivity (i.e. 802.11 b/g) is the most common method used in facilities such as a manufacturing plant. The bandwidth consumption typically ranges from 250 kbps to 1 Mbps, depending on the existing infrastructure.

For field-based applications, it is more common to see bandwidth consumption below 128 kbps to accommodate cellular or satellite networks. Even with only 128 kbps, Onsight devices can share live video, voice, telestration, and images between the field technician and the remote expert.

Mobile Collaboration Benefits

With the advent of mobile technologies, securely extending the power of video collaboration across an enterprise is now a reality. Enterprises are already experiencing the benefits of mobile video within manufacturing, including product quality improvements, field service acceleration, production line downtime reductions, along with more effective supplier communication. With this system, engaging in a full video collaboration session has become as simple as making a phone call.

This technology was done by Librestream Technologies, Manitoba, Canada. For more information, Click Here  , or contact Marieke Wijtkamp at (204) 487-0612 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Collaboration and partnering Communication systems Computer software and hardware Logistics Manufacturing & Prototyping Medical Medical equipment and supplies Medical, health and wellness Medical, health, and wellness Optics People and personalities Personnel Production Productivity Suppliers Supply chain management Telecommunications Wireless communication systems
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Medical Design Briefs Magazine

This article first appeared in the March, 2012 issue of Medical Design Briefs Magazine (Vol. 2 No. 3).

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