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Technical Approach
The project is building upon existing expertise within the consortium in mobile communications; heterogeneous distributed databases; PDA design, firmware, and manufacture; and multimedia systems. The partners will develop a user-transparent multidatabase interface, demonstrating this in the area of patient records and connection between sanitary levels (primary healthcare centres and hospitals) to support for diagnosis and consultation. The PDA will be, additionally, provided with a friendly user interface for its easy assimilation by the medical community.
Communication must be adaptable to cope with varying circumstances. For example, within a hospital the communication could be via wireless LAN, while visits to patients outside the hospital could rely upon GSM. The intention is to develop, or incorporate PCMCIA based communication interfaces which would allow the seamless adaptation of the PDA for different environments and prevailing standards as UMTS develops. If PCMCIA format is found to be insufficient, or too constraining, interfaces will be developed in line with any new or emerging standards. The architecture of the PDA will be adapted to the specific UMTS requirements and on the network side an access of the databases to B-ISDN will be realised for the connection to the UMTS Base Station.
Summary of Trial
MultiPort will carry out a series of field trials to test and validate the project results. These trials will be as follows:
Multiport User Interface Screen
Achievements
So far MultiPort has produced a complete set of specifications of the different system components: User Interface, communications software, user-transparent multidatabase access software, and hardware platform. The first prototypes of the different components have been integrated into the first prototype of the MultiPort system which is being trialed in Hospital General of Manresa since November 1996.
Following the specifications produced during the first year the consortium will design progressive prototypes of the different parts of the system with increasing functionality which will be integrated and tested in continuous trials throughout the project lifetime.
MultiPort Application Software Architecture
Expected Impact
The project provides an opportunity to ensure that the demands of PDAs are addressed by the requirements of the emerging 3rd generation communication systems (the demonstration is key to ensure that these demands are identified). Ultimately, mobile service/application providers will also benefit when UMTS is in place and the partners expect to be in good position to exploit the new technologies.
The spiralling cost of health care present a serious problem for Europe and the availability of this service and network on which it can run will provide the means to make the best use of available manpower and expertise in a healthcare environment. You can see the same argument applied to other services - police forces, transport services, and so on.
Finally, the definition of basic multimedia services for mobile PDAs in UMTS will pave the way for consumer applications and markets - in terms of service provision and demonstration which is visible to potential consumers.
Contact:
Project ended! Please contact the ACTS Central Office
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