Contributed by Grace Hurley, VP Sales, AHEAD Engineered Solutions
AI-powered healthcare applications promise major benefits for patients as well as providers. AI algorithms can improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosis, identify patients who are at risk for certain diseases, and enable personalized treatment plans based on factors such as medical history, genetics and lifestyle. These benefits in turn can lead to better patient outcomes and lower the risk of complications. In addition, AI can help lower the costs of healthcare delivery by automating administrative tasks, accelerating diagnostic processes and helping reduce medical errors. But the success of these efforts does not depend on the AI application alone.
What role does hardware play in implementing AI solutions?
The right hardware is critical to ensure the optimal performance of the AI application, whether it involves diagnostic imaging, surgical robotics, patient monitoring, genomics or any other use case. Each hardware platform must be matched to the specific AI workload it will be running in order to maximize the speed and accuracy of AI inferencing processes. That means having the right GPUs (graphics processing units) to analyze massive amounts of data and images quickly and in parallel, as well as enough CPU power to support AI operations. In some cases that requires platforms custom-engineered to meet the computational needs of the particular application.
What are some examples of hardware platforms optimized for AI deployments?
One example is the Optio line developed by AHEAD Engineered Solutions group (formerly MBX Systems). The Optio portfolio currently spans eight systems based on NVIDIA technology including NVIDIA® IGX OrinTM, NVIDIA’s newest and most advanced edge AI computing platform. Options range from medical-grade all-in-one AI/display systems in a form factor delivered as mountable touchscreens to small, medium and large servers that can be deployed as edge rackmount servers, network attached workstations, or embedded systems within machines and devices. All platforms can also be easily customized to optimize the performance of a given application
AHEAD client services teams offer consultative engineering to help customers determine which platforms are the best fit for their needs, taking into consideration factors including IT budgets, price-to-performance concerns, environment (acoustics, temperature, medical-grade if in the presence of patients) and footprint (rack, embedded, workstation, portable). AHEAD also offers full-service contract manufacturing and software integration services.
Do any mobile medical carts support AI applications?
Yes. The award-winning KoriTM cart designed by MBX prior to becoming AHEAD Engineered Solutions, for example, is a modular mobile cart that can be outfitted with different small AI-enabled servers as well as cameras and peripherals such as keyboards, monitors and articulating arms to accommodate the needs of different applications. (This dramatically lowers costs by enabling the same cart base to be used for multiple applications rather than investing in custom cart design.) Software applications installed on the platform can perform all data processing in the hospital room or anywhere else the cart is placed, eliminating the risk of compromising sensitive data by sending it to the cloud.
One product built on Kori is the TeleRay HALO Medical Grade Cart, designed for uses such as telehealth consultations, patient monitoring and virtual rounds in hospitals. The HALO cart enables two-way communication between staff and patients; can project medical charts, radiology reports and other information by WiFi in a HIPAA-compliant environment; and includes a subscription for TeleRay’s telehealth and image exchange communication platform.
How can you maximize ROI on your AI-related hardware investments?
There are three issues to consider: product uptime (eliminating the need to take a platform out of commission for lengthy repairs or updates), product longevity (length of time before replacement is required) and security (including HIPAA compliance). Selecting a hardware provider with comprehensive lifecycle management capabilities, including a single source of detailed component information on every individual hardware product, can help address both concerns.
If there's a product or component recall, for example, the provider’s ability to quickly determine whether your platforms are affected can ensure rapid response and thereby limit downtime. If a security flaw is discovered in the software or firmware, knowing which version is running on which devices can quickly close the loophole and thereby help prevent a cyberattack on your systems. If software updates need to be made, knowing which devices can be updated can extend their life. And so on.
The same principles apply to other hardware investments, including platforms used to deploy electronic health records, patient management solutions and much more. Hardware is a critical component of your digital transformation efforts. Be sure that your team chooses it with care.
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