Laoken Medical Leverages 20+ Years of Sterilization Expertise and 5G IoT to Build Smart Infection Control Cloud Platform
Since the formal introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) concept at the World Summit on the Information Society held in Tunis by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on November 27, 2005, fourteen years have passed. IoT has evolved from a mere concept into widespread applications across various industries, with related products and services bringing about transformative changes to our lives and work.
As a vital component of society, the healthcare sector has witnessed significant advancements in the development of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). As a key focus of smart hospital construction, the application of IoT technology in hospitals primarily encompasses real-time localization of medical equipment and personnel, intelligent medical monitoring and mobile vital signs monitoring, as well as medical device management.
As a critical component of healthcare safety assurance, disinfection and sterilization related to hospital-acquired infections have become an indispensable part of the Medical Internet of Things (IoMT) and smart hospital initiatives. It is well known that hospitals, as hubs where patients and healthcare workers congregate, are also reservoirs for various bacteria and viruses. Potential vectors for transmission include patients and staff themselves, the indoor air environment, surfaces of facilities and equipment, as well as various instruments and devices directly used for examination, surgery, and rehabilitation. Meanwhile, the rapid development of the healthcare industry—characterized by expanding hospital footprints, growing numbers of patients and healthcare personnel, and the increasing diversity and sophistication of medical equipment—continues to elevate the risk of infection incidents. Therefore, effective in-hospital disinfection and sterilization are vital not only to the physical and mental well-being of every patient and healthcare worker but also to the sustainable and healthy development of the entire healthcare sector.
As a leading comprehensive provider of disinfection and sterilization services in China, Laoken Medical has been dedicated to hospital-based disinfection and sterilization since its establishment in 1998. Hundreds of thousands of its disinfection and sterilization devices are currently operating in medical institutions across the country, with an annual increase of tens of thousands of units. Among its product portfolio, air disinfectors represent the largest volume, widest distribution, most diverse range, and longest operational history, aligning well with the overall characteristics of the disinfection and sterilization market. However, the practical use of air disinfectors also presents challenges, including heavy equipment management workloads, inadequate maintenance and repair, and a lack of monitoring for disinfection efficacy.
To this end, the Internet of Things (IoT) integration of sterilization and disinfection equipment has become an urgent priority. The adoption of IoT enables healthcare professionals to access real-time information on equipment status, malfunctions, early warning alerts, after-sales maintenance progress, and efficacy monitoring and evaluation. This enhances work efficiency, ensures the effectiveness of sterilization and disinfection, prevents healthcare-associated infection incidents, and safeguards the health of both patients and medical staff.
Laoken Medical first engaged with the Internet of Things (IoT) over a decade ago and commenced its IoT research, development, and exploration in 2017. After several years of accumulation, Laoken Medical has integrated cloud computing, big data, 5G, and IoT technologies to form an all-in-one medical IoT solution encompassing terminals, base stations, and platforms. Leveraging more than 20 years of systematic experience in disinfection and sterilization projects, along with a solid technological and market foundation, the company has successfully commercialized this solution.
In 2019, Laoken Medical’s Smart IoT Service Cloud Platform and related products were officially launched.
An Open Platform, Two Fundamental Values
According to VCBeat, Laoken Medical’s “Smart IoT Service Cloud Platform” is built upon the ITSS standard framework and functions as an open ecosystem platform. By leveraging cloud computing and 5G-IoT technologies, it establishes a collaborative and mutually beneficial platform for stakeholders across the industry value chain, ultimately delivering two fundamental values: “enhancing efficiency” and “ensuring efficacy.”
This platform provides big data-based infection prevention and control (IPC) management analysis applications for manufacturers, distributors, regulatory authorities, industry organizations, and social groups involved in IPC. It also offers scientific equipment management services and IPC quality control solutions. Furthermore, the standardized 5G-IoT module solution enables rapid integration of products from other brands, making it extremely simple and fast to achieve comprehensive coverage of hospital-acquired infection control services.
The Laoken IoT Platform comprises four major modules: the Laoken MedCloud mobile app, the Laoken Cloud Service mobile app, the big data-enabled SaaS cloud service platform, and the big data-based visual BI system.
Laoken Medical Cloud Mobile Application is designed for use by clinical departments, equipment management departments, and hospital infection control departments in healthcare institutions. Healthcare professionals can manage daily infection prevention and control tasks via the Laoken Medical Cloud mobile terminal. All information is delivered in real time, eliminating wait times and manual record-keeping. Hospital infection control requirements and feedback are distributed with a single click, significantly improving work efficiency.
Laoken Cloud Service Mobile App is specifically developed for after-sales service based on years of experience and distributor research. It integrates the entire information chain from equipment status (particularly faults) to problem resolution, thereby enhancing the quality of after-sales service management while maximizing equipment uptime and performance.
By acquiring data on personnel, equipment, environmental processes, and other factors within medical work scenarios, the Big Data Service Cloud Platform enables clinical departments, infection prevention and control units, equipment management divisions, and executive leadership in healthcare institutions to achieve scientific and efficient management based on big data. It also assists medical device manufacturers in uncovering real user needs and enhancing their R&D, manufacturing, and quality control capabilities.
The visualized BI system dynamically displays all core infection control-related data and information on a large screen, providing an at-a-glance overview. This offers managers a direct means of gaining comprehensive situational awareness and facilitates transparent disclosure of operational information.
Since October 2019, Laoken Medical has completed the integration of all its air disinfection products with its smart IoT service cloud platform, which now covers the vast majority of regions across China. Liu Jun, Executive Vice President of Laoken Medical and head of the IoT project, stated that within the next one to two years, Laoken Medical will accumulate a substantial nationwide database on air disinfection. During this period, the company will gradually launch its full range of infection control and sterilization products, including endoscope cleaning and disinfection systems as well as high- and low-temperature sterilization equipment, striving to become China’s leading IoT service platform for hospital-acquired infection control.
Conduct academic research and advance industry standards for IoT in infection prevention and control
From November 9 to 10, 2019, the National Annual Conference on Disinfection and Infection Control was held in Wuhan. During the conference, Laoken Medical Technology Co., Ltd. hosted an expert seminar on the Laoken IoT (Air Disinfection) Platform, where more than ten renowned national experts in the field of hospital infection control and disinfection shared insights and discussed the construction and development of the platform.
At the conference, Laoken Medical announced its academic research program for the Laoken IoT Air Disinfection Platform. The program comprises four research topics, namely:
1. Comparative Study of IoT-Enabled and Non-IoT Air Disinfectors Under Non-Laboratory Conditions;
2. Study on the Disinfection Efficacy of IoT-Enabled Air Disinfectors Using Various Disinfection Factors Under Multiple Environmental Conditions;
3. Research on the Disinfection Efficacy and Evaluation Methods of IoT-Based Air Disinfectors;
4. Research and Development of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Applications for IoT Air Disinfectors;
Industry development, standards first. Laoken Medical will take the lead in investing in academic research projects in the field of IoT-based infection control, promote the construction of relevant industry standards, and contribute to the standardized development of the industry. Liu Jun stated that Laoken Medical has already promoted and sold IoT-based infection control products and cloud service platforms across China. The sold products are being upgraded as planned, and in the future, all of Laoken Medical's equipment will operate smoothly under the intelligent management of the Internet of Things.