Proposed standard IEEE P1073 Medical Information Bus: medical device to host computer interface network overview and architecture

An overview is given of the IEEE P1073 Medical Information Bus (MIB), a family of three proposed network communication standards providing vendor-independent interconnection and interoperability of medical devices and computer systems. The MIB utilizes an ISO/OSI-compatible layered network architecture. The primary focus is on the acute care environment at the patient´s bedside, particularly in intensive-care areas. However, the MIB is suitable for use in other areas, such as the operating room or the general ward, and for interfacing to any general clinical equipment for simple data communication and control purposes. The proposed standard provides for a specialized local area network between one or more groupings of medical instruments and a host computer system. The host system may be at the bedside, or remotely located and accessed via a conventional local area network.<>