Second CIMIT/TATRC Symposium on Plug-and-Play (PNP) Interoperability Medical Devices in the ORF of the Future

Abstract : Funding was requested for a symposium to continue the process of defining technical and clinical requirements for a Medical Device Plug-and-Play (MD PnP) interoperability standardization framework for medical devices in the Operating Room of the Future and across the continuum of healthcare. The two-day symposium convened a group of 85 medical device producers, clinical users, biomedical engineers, governmental regulators (the FDA), and standards experts to 1) educate new participants in the issues and barriers to implementing MD PnP interoperability; 2) provide a forum to discuss relevant technology, the regulatory picture, and the refinement of clinical requirements; 3) elicit the participants contributions to defining the vision and role of the MD PnP Lab, and 4) explore the benefits of broadening the initial OR of the Future-focused ORF PnP initiative to encompass the broader healthcare spectrum as MD PnP . Significant progress was made in the areas of clinical requirements for MD PnP and development of a vision and plan for a PnP sandbox laboratory. Follow-on activities included expanding the network of collaborators and stakeholders, presenting meeting results and program progress in multiple venues, leading to further connections and collaborations, and concrete progress on clinical use case scenarios and implementing the PnP Lab.