WMTS: Implementation in the real world

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WMTSImplementation in the real world
MedSun Telemetry Audioconference May 24, 2005

• Rick Hampton
• Wireless Manager
• Partners HealthCare
• Information Systems

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Faulkner Hospital
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Agenda

• Important EMI Case Histories
• FCC Regulations
• Spectrum Management
• Reference Sites

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Important EMI Cases

• Part 90 Medical Telemetry in the 460-470 MHz Land
  Mobile Radio Band
• Part 15 Medical Telemetry in the TV White
  Spaces
• Part 15 Spread Spectrum systems in the ISM Bands
• Part 95 Personal Radio (WMTS)
• (Part xx refers to the section of the FCC rules
  governing the radio service indicated.)

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Important EMI Cases (cont.)

• Part 90 Medical Telemetry in the 460-470 MHz Land
  Mobile Radio Band
• Hurley Medical Center - 1989
• Frequency Coordinator assigned telemetry channel
  to digital paging system located on hospital roof
• New Jersey Hospital
• Recent report of telemetry suffering intermittent
  interference
• Manufacturer claims LMR interference but provided
  no supporting evidence or data
• Still under investigation

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Important EMI Cases (cont.)

• Part 15 Medical Telemetry in the TV White
  Spaces
• Baylor Methodist Hospitals
• FCC is still issuing new licenses for digital and
  low power TV stations
• Pending proposal to allow advanced wireless
  services to use TV White Spaces
• Will these systems hear medical telemetry and
  avoid it or not?

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Important EMI Cases (cont.)

• Part 15 Spread Spectrum systems in the ISM Bands
• No known issues from external interference
• The issue isnt medical vs. microwave but
  network device vs. network device
• Telemetry/monitoring vs. Voice over IP
• Hospitals need to plan for sensible wireless
  network use

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Important EMI Cases (cont.)

• Part 95 Personal Radio (WMTS)
• Brigham Womens Hospital, Boston
• WSBK Analog TV38
• Anonymous Hospital, New Jersey
• DTV36 DTV38
• Anonymous Hospital, Kansas
• DTV36 Analog TV38
• Anonymous Hospital, Ohio
• DTV36 DTV38

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WSBK Spectrogram
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FCC Regulations

• FCCs Final Rule establishing WMTS says
• We note that medical telemetry service providers
  operating on 608614 MHz (television channel 37)
  currently must accept adjacent channel
  interference from broadcast television stations
  operating on channels 36 and 38. With this
  allocation, we are not requiring television
  broadcasters to protect WMTS from adjacent band
  interference.

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FCC Regulations (Cont.)

• L-band issues (1395-1400 MHz and 1427-1429.5
  1429-1431.5 MHz)
• (1427-1429.5 1429-1431.5 MHz) are shared by
  WMTS with non-medical telemetry operations, such
  as utility telemetry operations, that are
  regulated under Part 90 of the FCC's Rules.
• Depending on your geographic location, WMTS
  operations are always treated as secondary to
  non-medical telemetry operations in one of those
  two bands.
• Again from the Final Rule, The rules also
  require operators in the 13951400 MHz and
  14291432 MHz bands to protect certain government
  operations.

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Other Important EMI Cases

• FCC does not require any particular
  communications protocol within WMTS
• Without standards, incompatible telemetry systems
  have interfered with each other
• Channelized vs. Channelized
• Frequency hopping vs. Channelized
• Frequency hopping vs. Smart hopping?

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Spectrum Management The Key to Prevention

• Know your environment
• Preferably, you will have a spectrum analyzer and
  can perform periodic spectrum sweeps to establish
  baselines and changes.
• Alternatively, hire a consultant to perform the
  spectrum sweep.
• At the very least, you should have a detailed
  frequency list for every radio/wireless/RF system
  used in your hospital and their locations.

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Spectrum Management The Key to Prevention (cont.)

• Monitor your environment
• Periodically, redo spectrum sweeps
• Learn to use FCC databases and monitor critical
  frequencies
• Universal Licensing System
• FCC General Menu Reports
• TV Database Query
• FCC ID Query

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Spectrum Management The Key to Prevention (cont.)

• Register all WMTS deployments
• Urban hospitals in close proximity should also
  coordinate exact frequencies with their neighbors
• License all remaining Part 90 Medical Telemetry
  in the 460-470 MHz Land Mobile Radio Band
• Licensing does NOT guarantee exclusive use of a
  frequency
• Licensing does let frequency coordinators know
  you are there

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Spectrum Management The Key to Prevention (cont.)

• Plan ahead
• Have an escape plan to replace or reconfigure
  equipment, if needed.
• Use of unlicensed technology is growing in
  medical devices. Begin working with your IS team
  NOW to ensure smooth operations between
  departments
• Report ALL incidents of interference!
• To FDA
• To ECRI
• Encourage friends at other facilities to do the
  same

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References

• WMTS Final Rule, Federal Register/Vol. 65, No.
  137, July 17, 2000 http//www.gpoaccess.gov/mult
  idb.html
• FCCs WMTS web site - http//wireless.fcc.gov/ser
  vices/personal/medtelemetry/data/bandplan.html
• Universal Licensing System http//wireless.fcc.g
  ov/uls/
• FCC General Menu Reports http//svartifoss2.fcc.
  gov/reports/index.cfm
• TV Database Query http//www.fcc.gov/mb/video/tv
  q.html
• FCC ID Query http//www.fcc.gov/oet/fccid/help.h
  tml
• PDF documents available on the Medsun
  registration site for this audio conference

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Contact Information

• Rick Hampton
• Wireless Communications Manager
• Partners HealthCare System
• One Constitution Center, OCC210
• Charlestown, MA 02129
• Office 617-726-6633
• Cell 617-968-2262
• RHampton_at_Partners.org