In an interesting and unusual application, CCTV cameras supplied by SANYO are being used to monitor hospital patients in the intensive care and high dependency units at the newly expanded Royal Blackburn Hospital in East Lancashire
Installed by Romers Electronics who have recently been acquired by TG Baker Ltd, the cameras allow nurses to keep a close watch on patients without having to leave their central staff base on each ward, freeing up their time for other important duties.
As the existing on-site security maintenance provider, Blackburn-based Romers won a tendered contract to install additional cameras as part of a multi-million pound Private Finance Initiative (PFI) extension designed to bring together all of the services at what had been known as Queens Park Hospital, as well as the nearby Blackburn Royal Infirmary. The Infirmary has closed down following a decision by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust to merge the two hospitals on a single site.
The move has necessitated construction of a new security control room and Romers was also commissioned to install an additional 30 external cameras to monitor the site perimeter boundary, as well as the hospital's car parks, which have a total capacity for 2500 vehicles. Feeds from the SANYO VCC-4795P high performance day/night cameras specified are now received in the new control room.
Patient monitoring
Meanwhile, in the intensive care and high dependency units at Royal Blackburn Hospital, the innovative ‘Patient Monitoring System' involves the use of 10 SANYO VCC-ZM300PA cameras, each of which is mounted at the foot of the patient's bed. Nurses can use the high-resolution, auto-focus zoom lenses on each camera to check each monitored patient's condition and movements.
An easy to use VSP-9000 touch screen control keyboard has been installed for this purpose, with the nurses able to use a pictorial keyboard to select and control camera views. Two SANYO DSR-3709 digital recorders have also been supplied.
Romers Electronics' CCTV Manager, Stuart Finlay said: We have used SANYO as one of our preferred equipment suppliers ever since Romers began installing surveillance systems over 10 years ago: "They produce one of the most consistently reliable equipment ranges that we use and we are very happy with the level of service back-up that we receive."
