|
Printer Friendly PDF Version
NIHON
KOHDEN AMERICA
Medical Equipment Manufacturer Improves Neuro-diagnostic Reach
Nihon
Kohden is a leading manufacturer and developer of medical
electronic
equipment in Japan with over 650 sales staff and distribution
in over 100 countries.
 Nihon
Kohden America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nihon Kohden
Corporation, Japan, who for more than 50 years, healthcare
providers worldwide have relied on for the quality and reliability
of comprehensive and innovative neuro-diagnostic and monitoring
instrumentation to aid in the diagnosis, information and treatment
of their patients. The breadth of their Neurology product
portfolio includes epilepsy monitoring, EEG (Electroencephalography),
ambulatory recording, Polysomnography, Intra-operative and
ICU monitoring, EMG, nerve conduction and evoked potentials
(evoked response).
The Situation
Nihon Kohden Neurofax EEG-9200A is a 32 channel EEG system
which measures the electrical activity produced by the brain
and incorporates highly sensitive amplifiers with high frequency
multichannel sampling capable of operating accurately both
in electrically noisy exam and operating rooms, sleep labs
and epilepsy centres. Due to the extreme precision required
to meet the EEG’s specifications, Nihon Kohden required
high reliability and exacting accuracy in every component
in the product. Nihon Kohden’s engineers designed the
Neurofax EEG for perfect performance for the scanning of brain
activity, however they faced challenges when trying to locate
the computer in a different room from the amplifier due to
the 16 feet (5 metres) distance limitation imposed by the
standard USB connection. The product design team was also
looking for the USB connection to power the Neurofax EEG in
order to give their customers flexibility in EEG location.
 The
Solution
Nihon Kohden tested several USB extenders in the market, but
rejected them due to reliability issues and lack of ability
to boost the output power of the USB ports to support the
amplifier’s larger power requirements. “There
are inexpensive USB extenders out there, but we wanted a product
that was easily customizable to deliver the power requirements
we needed and worked flawlessly with our extremely precise
equipment.” said Bryan Kehoe, Nihon Kohden America Business
Unit Manager. Nihon Kohden tested Icron’s Ranger 110
product with their EEG machines and it proved to be the most
reliable USB extension product on the market. Icron was also
able to modify the Ranger 110 to increase the USB output power
to meet the Neurofax power requirements. A second modification
to the Ranger 110 was a small change to grounding circuitry
to ensure there was no interference with the sensitive EEG
machines.
With so much still unknown about the human
brain, the Neurofax EEG-9200 and Digital EEG-1100 are tools
that are helping us understand more about how the brain works
through diagnosing, monitoring, and collecting advanced research
data on the brain. Nihon Kohden’s EEG machines are in
use worldwide in hospital operating and emergency rooms, epilepsy
centres, and a variety of research facilities. Bryan Kehoe
says “Just like the Ranger 110 product, working with
Icron has been seamless and straightforward. USB extension
is an integral component of our EEG systems and Icron has
really helped ensure that our customers have maximum flexibility
in the location of the PC and amplifiers.”
Nihon Kohden’s Neurofax EEG-1100A instruments
required a flawless USB extension solution coupled with higher
output power for their high end amplifiers. Icron’s
Ranger 110 extended the maximum USB distance from 16 feet
(5 metres) to 328 feet (100 metres) and with some modifications
was able to seamlessly power the EEG amplifiers. Icron’s
ExtremeUSB® USB extension technology proved to be a critical
component in the success of Nihon Kohden’s breakthrough
EEG product line.
About Icron
Icron Technologies’ patented ExtremeUSB® technology
extends the range of USB in any wired (Cat 5, Fibre, Coax,
Powerline) or wireless environment. ExtremeUSB is the only
USB extension solution that is USB-IF compliant. Icron’s
products are deployed globally in a wide range of applications
including: industrial automation, medical device, aerospace,
KVM and digital home connectivity. ExtremeUSB technology is
available in a variety of formats including technology licenses,
OEM modules, developer kits, as well as branded and private-label
products.
©2008 Icron Technologies
Corporation. All rights reserved. The information contained
herein is subject to change without notice. Statements of
benefit or enhancement are subject to end users responsibility
for maintaining and promoting the products or services contained
herein.
|
