// Press release
In the field of medical equipment, there are some particularly good reasons for using wireless controls such as footswitches. Hygiene requirements are very strict, and cables and connectors are difficult to clean. In addition, the steadily growing number of diagnostic, treatment and surgical devices used in consultation rooms and operating theatres has resulted in a cable clutter and positioning which are detrimental to comfort. More dangerously, the cables can be a tripping hazard. However, the use of wireless technologies is a challenge, especially in hospitals, where their uninterrupted, completely reliable and accurate functioning must be guaranteed.
steute's Medical Equipment department has accepted this challenge and developed a data protocol to meet these lofty demands. Our wireless module uses the globally accessible 2.4 GHz waveband and permits individual configuration. Even while the connection is being made, transmitter and receiver are already checking to see whether they are compatible, thus avoiding mutual interference by several wireless switches. Additional safety features, such as bidirectional communication and frequency hopping, guarantee that radio commands are transmitted reliably between the actuator and the medical device.
steute has already developed wireless foot controls for all manner of medical applications, ranging from relatively simple one- and two-pedal footswitches to complex, multifunctional control panels. steute's flexible wireless module leaves medical device manufacturers free to choose: actuators of an identical design can be ordered with a conventional cable connection or with innovative radio technology.
At the Hanover Fair steute will be presenting wireless actuators for different medical applications, e. g. ophthalmology, diagnostics and dentistry. The other two steute business fields – control technology and explosion protection – will also be presenting innovative wireless actuators, some of which can even generate the energy required to send the radio signals from their surroundings, following the »energy harvesting« principle.
