FINESSE - The System Overview

The FINESSE^Ž systems is a combination out of different software and hardware items. To learn more about the various FINESSE^Ž components and the way how they interact and can be combined to meet your needs, click on the different components in the picture below...

FINESSE Network

The FINESSE^Ž system is generally based on a standard 10BaseT or 10Base2 Ethernet network. For the BASIC-FINESSE^Ž this means just a one cable connection between the BDC and the workstation computer. In larger configurations with more than one workstation or BDC the network can be star-shaped for twisted pair cabling or bus-shaped for RG58 coax cabling. Due to the compatibility with Novell-Netware and Microsoft-NT servers an existing network can be used for the FINESSE^Ž functionality. If separated networks are required, FINESSE^Ž can be integrated by router connection.
The network based structure gives FINESSE^Ž its flexibility like:

Usage of worldwide available standard components
Integration into existing network environments
Network wide LAN and WAN access
Various interfacing possibilities to other systems
Flexible printing through network printers
Interconnectivity of distributed centers through WAN connections

FINESSE Server

The FINESSE^Ž systems uses one computer as a Server to store all the automatically retrieved and manually entered data. For small systems such as the BASIC-FINESSE^Ž which runs on only one Windows 95/98 or Windows NT workstation, this Server functionality is also taken over by the workstation. In Windows 95/98 or Windows NT Peer to Peer networks one of the connected computers takes over the central Server functionality.
For larger and more reliable systems the Server functions can be added to Windows NT or Novell NetWare Servers.

FINESSE Workstations

The workstations in the FINESSE^Ž system are usual Windows 95/98 or Windows NT computers additionally equipped with the FINESSE^Ž software components CADia (Unit monitor) and FinDB (FINESSE^Ž Database). The maximum number of workstations inside the system is unlimited and can be fully adapted to the unit's needs starting from one workstation for the complete unit (BASIC-FINESSE^Ž) up to one workstation for each machine or even more...
Of course the workstations can be used for other purposes like word processing in parallel. Due to the network based structure, FINESSE^Ž can be at any workstation computer or portable Laptop in the unit if only network access is available...

BDC (Bedside Data Concentrator)

The FINESSE^Ž system is generally made up of two parts:
Data monitoring and acquisition from and to various medical devices on the one side and data storage and representation for quality and unit management on the other side.
Both parts are strictly separated from each other to avoid influences from the user interface to the medical devices data communication and vice versa.
The BDC takes over the part of communicating to the medical devices. It runs with an own processor and an industrial operating system specially designed for data communication and can run fully independent after the initial start.
One BDC is equipped with 19 serial ports to be connected to medical devices. On the other side it is connected to a standard Ethernet network by 10BaseT or 10Base2 connection.
The number of BDC's connected to the FINESSE^Ž system is unlimited thus making the number of connectable medical devices unlimited too. The BDC runs a separate software driver module for each connected medical device making it possible to interface new devices by just adding another driver. Check the driver module list to learn which devices are already interfaced.

Medical Devices Online

One of the central features of the FINESSE^Ž system is the online connection to the available medical equipment like scales, blood pressure monitors, dialysis devices, electrolyte/blood gas analyzers and many more. Why ?

That's the initial point of starting quality improvement. Even the best treatment will fail if the initial weight information e.g. is not accurately transferred due to handwritten or spoken misinterpretation.
Improving quality for coming treatments is only possible when having as much as possible information available from former treatments.
That's the initial point of saving nursing time. The nurse's job should be to care about the patient and not to bother around with paperwork on handwritten protocols or boring manual computer input. Automated online data transfer is the solution.
That's the initial point of involving the patients into their treatments. Being able to handle weighing, blood pressure measurements, recording of complications without being dependent on nursing staff offers most patients to actively take part on the treatment.
That's the initial point of personalizing treatments.
Sending patient related information to the medical device avoids teasing the patient e.g. due to wrong initial pressures on blood measurement equipment. Automated "Download" of machine settings ensures to have the prescribed dialysis directly transferred to the machine without the risk of unavoidable "human" errors. The saved time means another benefit for the patient.

To have a look which kind of equipment already can be connected just follow the link to the driver module list.

Printing

Printing possibilities inside the FINESSE^Ž system are as flexible as the system itself. Just connecting a single printer to one of the workstations directly is possible in the same way as running a network wide printing via multiple network printers and printer queues. Of course all printouts can be printed in color or black and white.

Laboratory connectivity

Quality management is usually not only related to information retrieved from inside a unit. Laboratory checks are very often done from external labs or from other departments. FINESSE^Ž offers the possibility to exchange laboratory data via LDT to external lab's by floppy disk, modem connection or network connectivity. Results can be stored directly in the FINESSE^Ž database and are used automatically for the urea kinetics calculation.