Healthcare Solutions
C H A L L E N G E S I N T H E H E A LT H C A R E E N V I R O N M E N T
Introduction
Advances in technology and IP convergence
is changing the healthcare industry and
driving facilities to up-grade infrastructure
to improve quality of care, patient safety
and efficiency.
Demands on the network to accommodate
future emerging applications have been
further complicated by the need to transmit,
store and recall vast quantities of data in
mission critical real time situations.
The flexibility and reliability of the system
has become paramount.
Technology Drivers
Healthcare IT professionals are faced with
the need to accelerate the development of
e-health services that require a reliable, highbandwidth infrastructure. With an obligation
to offer patients unrivaled access to treatment
the requirement for remote diagnosis, high
resolution imaging, patient services, security/
access control, wireless access and mobile
devices have changed expectations on
network capability.
Patients have come to expect connectivity,
internet access and entertainment at their
beds. Portable and bedside monitoring
devices are now IP ready and communicating
with servers, displays and even machine
to machine (M2M) via fixed and wireless
IP access.
Network Infrastructure Challenges
Before the ink is dry on any plan, new
requirements emerge like digitised pathology,
the proposed HealthGrid, telemedicine,
home care, mobile devices such as IP smart
phones, tablets and specialist devices. All of
which need to operate in-building, around
the campus and often mobile en-route to the
patients’ homes, neighbourhood clinics or
doctors’ surgeries.
All of these devices need access to patients
electronic medical records (EMR), patient
health information (PHI) and more.
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There is then the myriad of non-clinical
And as the demographic pressure of an
Brand-Rex is dedicated to reducing its
systems for accounting, purchasing, fleet
ageing population leads to more patient’s and
impact on the environment and offers
management, not to mention Voice over IP
economic pressures lead to fewer staff, critical
sustainable solutions.
(VoIP) and Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices
IT systems are more important than ever to
- all requiring a high availability and reliable
bridge the gap.
As part of this commitment Brand-Rex
Brand-Rex has provided flexible high-
Global organisational and operational
As an IT professional, you need to know you
reliability network infrastructure solutions
activities in accordance to the PAS2060
are partnering with a network infrastructure
to hospitals, clinics and healthcare facilities
and ISO14064 standards.
provider that understands your challenges.
Internationally. This experience ensures
Brand-Rex has an established track record in
we understand your challenges and your
designing network infrastructure solutions
uncertainties, with a commitment to help
supporting intensive care and operating
you to make the selection that provides the
theatres, super-hospital new builds and
best technical and economic solution to your
upgrades to neighbourhood clinics and
project’s unique and specific needs.
network to support them.
satellite healthcare outposts.
You require an infrastructure partner
that can help solve your need for flexibility
and future-proofing against a backdrop
of uncertain, ever-changing and growing
demands, together with increasingly stricter
requirements for manageability and audit
ability for applicable standardisation such
as ISO27001.
Brand-Rex is that partner.
Specialised Needs
Brand-Rex manufactures a full range of high
performance standards compliant system
solutions supporting the migration from
10-40-100 Gigabit applications.
Our healthcare solutions include Air
Blown Fibre (ABF) to provide backbone or
premise connections and consolidation
proofing networks to facilitate moves, adds
If there is one thing that you, as a healthcare IT
professional can be sure of, is the need for more
As a leading network infrastructure
manufacturer we understand the
environmental impact of our operations,
that’s why we are committed to reducing
our impact on the environment by utilising
sustainable energy sources and materials
to manufacture sustainable solutions.
point technology, both ideal for future
Infrastructure Choices
achieved Carbon Neutral status for its
and changes. This removes the need for
interruptions during ever more frequent
re-configurations of care delivery facilities.
bandwidth, increased storage, as well as fixed
We understand unique demands - from
and mobile wireless connections to ever more
galvanic isolation of operating theatres
devices.
and intensive care units to the need to
store big data, such as vast amounts of
imaging files. We have pragmatic proven
solutions specifically designed to meet these
challenging healthcare requirements.
We provide innovative bespoke solutions
backed by our 25 year systems and
application warranty. We can help you plan
and design fault-tolerant high resilience
networks with flexibility, built-in from day
one. Understanding that your network
performance is critical and the demands
placed upon it will only increase, the solution
and partner of choice becomes crucial.
Brand-Rex was not only the first network
infrastructure company to achieve carbon
neutral status for its global operations, but
also the first to introduce a range of Carbon
Neutral products.
To find out more about our commitment to
the environment and to sustainable design
visit: www.brand-rex.com/environment
H E A LT H C A R E S O L U T I O N S
Brand-Rex offers a wide range of fully tested, durable and reliable
solutions ideally suited for healthcare installations. Our products are
is designed and manufactured for use in challenging and restricted
environments. The benefits of our healthcare range include small
diameter cables, high density connectivity products and modular based
solutions, all offering ease of installation and design flexibility to the
highest performance.
Brand-Rex has established a core philosophy of delivering maximum
performance through design excellence. A high level of knowledge and
experience allows Brand-Rex to consistently deliver first class solutions
and a first class service to customers.
Radiography Ward
High Performance shielded copper cabling solutions and fibre optic cabling are ideally suited to the mission
critical medical imaging locations within a hospital. Protection is offered against the impact of external voltages
- preventing any galvanic (electrically conducting) connection between devices. In naturally “electrically noisy”
environments such as these the defense against electromagnetic interference is imperative and therefore
Class EA performance 10GPlus high performance cabling is recommended as a minimum. Brand-Rex offers
an extensive range of cabling designed to support 10GBASE-T, accommodating the needs of today and the
challenges of tomorrow.
Public Areas & Hospital Wards
High fire safety performance cables can prevent
the spread of fire and smoke, an important safety
decision, especially where patients have restricted
mobility and in areas of high traffic. Solutions
compliant to current and the latest emerging
standards provide assurance in this choice. For
indoor data cables Brand-Rex offers a range of low
flammability, zero halogen materials that carry a fire
safety rating in line with IEC 60332-1-2 and the more
demanding IEC 60332-3-24. In such areas where there
will be a high footfall of public and where the backup
of business critical data transmission must continue
in the event of an emergency then solutions such
as optical Fire Survival cables become the ultimate
solution of choice.
Within these publicly accessible areas consideration
must also be given to port protection at the outlet
or equipment end. As the demand for increased
accessibility to data transcends further down the
network the implementation of Fibre to the patient
will become a reality. The use of the Brand-Rex secure
LC patch cord system ensures the elimination of
unauthorized patching and de-patching of these
critical system links.
CCTV, Surveillance & Access Control
High performance cables provide an advanced network infrastructure for building management systems
(BMS) to converge multiple vital services such as access control, CCTV, data and voice communications, air
conditioning and ward services.
Previously considered peripheral devices are now fundamental parts of a network infrastructure and the use of
Power over Ethernet has become the increasingly popular choice to power them.
Brand-Rex’s copper cabling systems support the applications for Power over Ethernet technologies (PoE &
PoE+). Consideration needs to be given to the heat generated in this process with improved heat dissipation
experienced using shielded solutions. The Brand-Rex 10GPlus shielded patch cords provide optimum and
consistent performance while ensuring the reliability of the system.
Operating Theatre
Confidence, assurance and security in the network within one of the most mission critical areas can only be achieved by
implementing the correct solution. When specified for use with specialised monitoring and imaging equipment, consideration
needs to be given to the environment and associated Electromagnetic interference. Shielded copper cables with the facility for
galvanic isolation are ideal for use in areas where external earth loops may interfere with operational equipment.
The Brand-Rex Network Isolator is utilised in copper based network connections in order to protect a device linked with the
network against external voltages of unknown origin. Also these components eliminate disturbing low frequency signals and
prevent any galvanic (electrically conducting) connection between the connected devices. Therefore, in addition to the data
lines, the cable shielding is also galvanically isolated.
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Laboratory
Superior performance data networking systems provide a safe, secure and reliable network solution to support
the data hungry demands of today’s laboratory environment.
Adaptable future proof solutions such as the pre terminated MT Connect range maximise levels of flexibility to
support migration paths for the speeds of tomorrow. MT Connect is an ultra high performance, pre-terminated,
modular optical fibre cabling system based on MT ferrule connector technology. The MTP® and MPO systems are
ideally suited to this environment where multiple, point to point, fibre connections can be quickly and efficiently
installed, maintained and changed as required. The use of low loss LC and low loss MTP® elite connectors allows
the designer the flexibility to incorporate multiple connections and travel longer distances while still maintaining
the challenging optical budget for higher speed Ethernet.
Future Demands
With the criticality of patient care at the forefront, quick installation and minimal
disruption of services becomes a major driver.
Brand-Rex Air Blown Fibre Systems offer solutions for Internal and External applications
(Blolite and MicroBlo). The use of Air Blown Fibre Systems gives complete freedom from
risk by pre-installing a ducting route and then blowing in the fibre element as required.
The Blolite system is versatile with backbone and / or fibre to the patient links for
distances up to 1km, which is ideally suited to connecting multiple campus sites. Offering
a unique future proofing option this solution is the sustainable choice for your complete
healthcare installation.
The Blown range and fibre optic cabling in general support high-bandwidth applications but
the balance between efficiency, flexibility, cost and future proofing is typically challenging.
The drive for solutions that expand the traditional fibre backbone system by running fibre
further into the installation than ever before are now becoming an interesting option. The
brand-Rex Microswitch can be utilised as part of a horizontal wiring solution that pushes
the available bandwidth in an intriguing, underestimated and overlooked way to create a
beneficial system that is expandable and performance-driven. Acting as a copper to fibre
converter The 6 port GBE Micro Switch Generation 6 offers a 1000Base-X fiber optic uplink
- for linking to the central distributor. All five RJ-45 ports (4 user ports and 1 downlink)
support complete Power over- Ethernet functionality.
Wireless Networks
A wide variety of high performance network cabling solutions are required to provide reliable and high
speed wireless internet connectivity throughout healthcare facilities - allowing patients and their visitors to
access the internet using their own devices 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Wireless Access points (WAPs) need
to be incorporated into the structured cabling scheme as they are required to communicate with the rest
of the Local Area Network. While most structured cabling is installed at floor or desk level, Wireless Access
Points are located at high levels just below or above ceiling height where the best RF coverage is achieved.
The 10GPlus consolidation point cassette offers a resolution to this challenge. It delivers true Augmented
Category 6/Class EA performance, provides superior screening characteristics in a light yet robust
construction and can be used with or without a patch panel, making them the ideal plug and play
consolidation point solution.
Data centre
The data centre is an essential part of the Hospital IT infrastructure, ensuring instant access to current and accurate
patient data on demand and without disruption. The solutions within this environment need to allow for the growth
and expansion of critical services, in relation to both technology and space availability.
With a greatly reduced diameter the zone cable overcomes containment issues by saving pathway space in trays and
cabinets. This unique cable offers a 30% weight and 50% space saving compared to equivalent horizontal cables,
offering a flexible and easier installation with excellent transmission parameters.
The IT cabling infrastructure in the Data Centre provides a transportation path for the reliable transmission of data,
flexibility to support moves, adds and changes (MACs) and the ability to facilitate future technology upgrades.
The Brand-Rex MT connect Pre terminated solution set is again an ideal option to improve the operational efficiency
of the facility and future proof for change and growth.
H E A LT H C A R E C A B L I N G , I N T E R N AT I O N A L S TA N D A R D S A N D A P P L I C AT I O N S
Requirements in the Healthcare sector can
carry higher levels of complexity than a
standard enterprise and as such additional
applicable standards exist. Published structured
cabling and related standards for healthcare
facilities include;
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TIA 1179
TIA/EIA-568
EN 50173-2
IEEE 802.3
ISO/IEC 24702
Specific directives within TIA 1179 as detailed
below:
Room Size:
Recommendation for a growth factor of
100% when determining room size for
Equipment Rooms (ERs) and specification that
Telecommunications Rooms (TRs) should be
sized at 12 m2 (130 ft2) or larger.
Cabling Practices:
TIA-1179 details considerations specific to the
healthcare telecommunications infrastructure
environment and specifies ANSI/TIA/EIA-568
compliant cabling & products. Covering a
suite of requirements including backbone
and horizontal cabling, extended distances,
cabling topologies, pathway management
in equipment rooms/work areas and overall
transmission performance, the standard
expands on typical expectations while
maintaining conformity to industry guidelines
on planning and installation through to
administration.
The standard covers the needs of small to
medium clinics and hospitals as well as the
larger research facilities and hospital campus
environments. Included within the scope is
specific but not limited to pharmaceutical
and medical inventory management, Radio
frequency identification, Business access/
security and nurse call systems. The unique
requirements within these environments are
typified when considering the definition of the
‘work area’.
The needs of telecommunication infrastructure
in the facilities/operations area will vary when
compared to A&E or critical care areas for
example. Each location is characterized per
number of outlets - as low, medium or high
density across patient services, operating
rooms, treatment rooms, nurse stations
etc. The need for redundancy is driving the
number of outlets but many of these work-area
spaces must be equipped to handle multiple
temporary connections.
A minimum of two diverse pathways to be
provided between Entrance Facilities (EFs),
Telecommunications Rooms (TRs) and
Telecommunications Enclosures (TEs) - for
critical care areas.
Work Area Location:
There are no expectations that outlets should
be located together but consideration should
be given to the various functional requirements
for each outlet. For example, while commercial
building standards place outlets at 450mm
above the finished floor, outlets in Healthcare
Facilities may best be located at bedside height
to support patient monitoring, nurse call and
other systems.
Work Area Outlet density:
The recommendations for higher outlet
densities are based on the functional
requirements at each location. Commercial
building standards recommend only a
minimum of two work area outlets. This
standard calls for 2 to 6 outlets, or ports in
a low-density work area; 6 to 12 outlets in
medium-density work areas; and more than 14
outlets in high-density work areas.
Recognized Transmission Media:
Given the mission critical nature of attached
devices and systems within healthcare facilities,
Brand-Rex recommend that the installation
should utilize the highest performing cable and
connectivity to provide the longest possible
lifecycle and optimize return on investment.
The standard supports this and stipulates the
use of OM3/OM4 fibre and Cat 6A as a minimum
requirement for new build.
Infection Control Requirements (ICR):
be a better option for ICR areas and should
be constructed from a suitable material
when installed in surgical and other sterile
environments.
The Use of Multi User Telephone Outlets
(MUTOs): The standard does not recommend
the use of MUTOs for new construction, but
states that MUTOs may be advantageous for
the renovation of existing Healthcare Facilities
in areas where any significant collection of
equipment or commodities’ are moved or
frequently reconfigured by the users.
Security and Segregation:
Recommendations in place in relation to
the use of segregated networks to ensure
adequate support of life and safety protocols.
The standard recommends considering the
use of colored cables, colored jacks or keyed
connectivity to maintain segregation.
Grounding and Bonding:
It is expected that grounding and bonding
within Healthcare Facilities shall meet the
requirements of ANSI/TIA/EIA-568 C.0 and
ANSI-J-STD-607-A.
Environmental Considerations:
TIA-1179 recognizes that some locations
in Healthcare Facilities may be sensitive to
atmospheric contamination, high levels of EMI,
radiation, high temperature, chemicals, etc.
To minimize these effects, it is recommended
that the installation should be compatible with
the surrounding environment. ANSI/TIA/
EIA-568 M.I.C.E classifications should be taken
into consideration.
Harsh Environment Protection:
The standard does not specify what
components to use for harsh environments
subject to impact, humidity, strong
disinfectants, harsh cleaners or wash downs.
It does however specify that cabling solutions,
design and installation methods compatible
with the environment should be selected in
order to support adequate performance in
these areas during operation; again ANSI/TIA/
EIA-568 M.I.C.E classifications should be taken
into consideration.
Labeling spaces are recommended subject
to ICR. The standard also states that TEs may
Hamah Medical City
Situated in the capital city of Doha, Hamad Medical City (HMC) is the Qatari government’s largest ever Healthcare project.
HMC required a highly resilient and robust cabling infrastructure to support a wide range of critical and essential services. The crucial
requirements for a healthcare facility of this scale meant the selection process was thorough, including proof of capability.
Brand-Rex provided a robust and resilient data network cabling solution to support data, telephone, CCTV, TV and access control
requirements to create a highly reliable, progressive, multi-function network to deliver exceptional standards of medical care.
www.brand-rex.com
WHY BRAND-REX
Complete peace of mind
Flexibility
Proven reliability
Exceeding standards compliance from TIA
1179, TIA/EIA-568 to EN 50173-2 at cable and
component level is achieved through stringent
design, manufacturing and operational
processes, enabling us to offer the highest
performance and quality our customers have
come to expect.
Healthcare facilities are far more complex
than commercial buildings. Recognizing
this, Brand-Rex solutions are designed to
support clinical and non-clinical services
across an extensive range of work areas
and unique requirements. It is critical that
infrastructure design supports current and
future applications. The use of Brand-Rex
blown fibre technology ensures that.
The focus on reliability, increased density and
modularity during installation and throughout
the life of the project is paramount. Superior
and consistent performance is achieved using
process capability to control the repeatability
and consistency of the manufacturing process
to ensure long-term reliability and optimal
application performance. For additional peace
of mind our systems are supported by our
leading 25 year system warranty.
Superior performance
Increased focus on e-health services, storage
and instant accessibility of patient information
and advances in imaging and diagnostic
technology designed to improve patient care
and safety have resulted in a dramatic increase
in application size and data transfer rates.
These applications are complex and require
higher bandwidth, leading to the introduction
of 10, 40 and 100G technology. Brand-Rex
connectivity solutions have evolved to meet
these requirements, including the adoption
of plug and play solutions and low loss MTP®
connectivity to ensure a seamless migration to
higher speed Ethernet.
Faster installation
Whilst technologies continue to grow at an
exponential rate, installation practices have
been slower to evolve. Legacy often dictates
that familiar products and processes offer
reassurance; however the drive for more
efficient and financially feasible solutions is
changing that rationale. Delivering significant
savings in time and money, pre-terminated
copper and fibre solutions have become a
viable and attractive option for maximising
return on investment. Simplifying the ‘Smart
Design’ premise and using premium quality
‘factory tested’ performance providing
improved operational efficiency.
Sustainability
Energy efficiency is an important requirement
within the healthcare sector. The adoption
of new cabling technologies can ensure
adherence to the latest standards and enable
organisations to realise significant and long
term operational savings. As a leading
manufacturer network infrastructure solutions,
Brand-Rex recognises it has a responsibility
to ensure its solutions are designed and
manufactured responsibly using sustainable
energy sources.
References
Brand-Rex has a wealth of experience to share with you as you deal with your own unique requirements. Our networking cabling solutions are
installed in hospitals and healthcare facilities around the world.
Aalborg Hospital
IPO-Instituto Português de Oncologia
Prince of Wales Hospital
Al Zahra Hospital
King Fahd General Hospital
Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre
Amsterdam Medical Centre
KJO Hospital
South Glasgow Super Hospital
Arzanah Medical Centre
Kwong Wah Hospital
St Teresa’s Hospital
Cochlear
Laboratório Regional de Veterinária-Açores
St. Paul’s Hospital
Deventer Ziekenhuis Hospital
Malta National Hospital
Sahlgrenska University Hospital
Erasmus Medical Centre & Hospital
Ministry of Health
Sultan Qaboos Hospital
Grampian NHS Healthcare Trust
MOD Military Hospital
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
Hamad Medical City
Mostoles Hospital
Union Hospital
Hoa Lam Hospital
Nanjing Gulou Hospital
Verona Hospital
Hospital of Amiens
National Guard Hospital
Vimercate Hospital
Hospital of Castres
NHS Wirral St. Catherines Hospital
Yan Chai Hospital
Hospital of Orleans
North Lantau Hospital
International Hospital
Østfold Hospital
Erasmus Medical Centre
With an investment of €449 million, the redevelopment of the Erasmus Medical Centre (MC) in Rotterdam will result in a facility capable
of providing optimum care.
To offer the most reliable, safe and future proof network infrastructure Erasmus MC chose a Brand-Rex 10GPlus Augmented Category
6 copper system and a singlemode fibre backbone. The high performance shielded system exceeds standards and offers optimal
protection from sources of interference, an important factor in demanding and electronically noisy applications such as radiography labs.
Brand-Rex is a leading technology company who design, develop and manufacture innovative fibre and high-end
copper connectivity solutions for the network infrastructure cabling market and high performance cables for extreme
environment applications.
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The information contained in this document is valid and correct at the time of issue.
However, we reserve the right to modify details without notice in the light of subsequent
Standard / Specification changes and ongoing technical developments.
© Brand-Rex Limited 2014
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