Medical Device Diagnostics Data in IoT System

As the value of data is increasing, this thesis explores practical solutions for diagnostic data collection in a medical X-ray imaging device with an external communication component. Medical devices by their nature are required to be as accurate as possible at all times when used; however, just like any other product, different parts of the device wear out over time. To remedy this problem, a solution for diagnostic data collection of the hardware components both during and outside of usage can decrease the possibility of malfunctions, as the deviations outside of tolerance values can be readily spotted from a set of data. This data could also be used for device specific maintenance plans and reduce costs relating to onsite device troubleshooting. A practical solution was developed for Planmeca Oy. Planmeca Oy manufactures dental equipment and devices, including dental instruments, chairs, and imaging devices for dentists all over the world. The practical data collection solution was developed within the company’s product ecosystem, using a recently launched full body X-ray device and Planmeca IoT product. Initially development started with studying all the components of the X-ray device ecosystem and creating an initial proof of concept solution for end-to-end acquisition and storage of diagnostics data. This proof of concept was then used as a basis to draft plans for further development of the prototype. The results suggested that the data collection in an IoT environment is both practical and useful. As the proof of concept was developed with effortless integration into the X-ray device ecosystem, further development, and optimization of the proof of concept should result in a useful diagnostic tool to maintain device hardware, reduce personnel onsite travel cost, and provide insight to device usage, especially in troubleshooting situations