Use case 1

Cybersecurity in Hospital Equipment for COVID-19 ICU patients

One third of the hospitalised COVID-19 patients have acute respiratory distress symptoms (ARDS). Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) improve the outcome of the most severely hypoxemic ARDS patients subject to mechanical ventilation, by improving ventilatory support, reducing mortality and facilitating recovery.

This medical procedure has been used for many years in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and there is already considerable work carried out in the BP (Blood pressure) and Depth of Anaesthesia (hypnotic) fields. However, the necessity of monitoring the neuromuscular transmission (NMT) as well as controlling the dosage of the relaxant drug to maintain the patient within NMT target limits is difficult to achieve with past technology. This monitoring is mandatory because the ideal dose is extremely variable among different people due to several factors such as age, sex, muscle mass and pre-existing diseases. Nurses must keep a close look at the patient’s NMT status, in order to establish the correct dose infusion within short time intervals which requires considerable effort on their side. This project will support the activities in the NMT (Neuromuscular Transmission) area for NMT control by Target Control Infusion.

This Use Case covers an on-premises scenario, based on a new NMT monitoring technique called NMTCuff, developed by RGB Medical and integrated as one more module in a CE certified equipment that will include a new “infusion controller” functionality in RGB’s “Vision Air” multi-parametric monitor. The Vision Air monitor will incorporate the security features to be developed within CYLCOMED. Indeed, this pilot raises several challenges concerning privacy and security threats, e.g., confidentiality, integrity, availability and interplay with device safety.