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DT Research Medical Tablet Cart System
A clever, practical and flexible medical cart all-in-one tablet computing system for mobile clinical and point-of-care applications
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)
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On June 5th, DT Research announced the Medical Tablet Cart System, consisting of a DT313-MD tablet computer mounted on a specially developed slim-line, lightweight cart. The purpose-built system is designed to provide maximum computing mobility in a variety of medical environments. 
Using it, healthcare professionals can more easily monitor, record and retrieve patient information with the clinical environment-optimized DT313-MD tablet that also includes a hot-swappable battery pack to avoid downtime in time-critical situations.
Unlike larger and more complex medical carts, the DT313-MD cart is a handy, lightweight design with a compact 21-inch diameter base that can easily be moved and fits almost anywhere.
The tablet mount is lockable for security but can be released at the touch of a button. Tablet mounting height and angle are adjustable depending on operator and application.
There's a wire basket for paperwork and and essential medical supplies. There are mounting clips for peripheral wiring. There's a holster for for an optional heavy-duty battery.
The emphasis here is on maximum versatility and functionality, and minimal bulk and complexity. And unlike generic medical computer carts, DT Research designed theirs, in collaboration with medical instrument and IT mounting solutions provides GCX Corporation, specifically for their 13.3-inch medical tablet.
The DT313H-MD tablet
So now let's talk about the tablet that goes with the cart. DT Research, located in San Jose, California, definitely knows a thing or three of how to make tablets right. They've been in the tablet market for well over 20 years. During that time every one of their tablets was designed for a specific market and with work in mind. Work, not browsing the web and watching videos.
As a result, the company offers a variety of different tablets. At times, a tablet platform might be used in different configurations that are optimized for special markets. Other times DT Research creates a special tablet unique to a particular market, because it has to be just right for the job.
Where does the DT313H-MD fit into this approach? The design has been around since Spring 2014 when DT Research was among the first to see the trend towards larger tablets that provide ample display real estate for professional work. Such a tablet would be welcome in places such as sales floors, warehouses, classrooms, field offices, and more. The original DT313 was the result of that idea.
However, from the very start DT Research made two versions of the DT313 platform. One for the markets described above and the other, the DT313H-MD with a special anti-microbial enclosure, for healthcare environments. Below is what the DT313H-MD looks like from the front and sides.
Measuring 13.5 x 8.5 x 0.75 inches, the DT313H-MD has roughly the footprint of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (it's a bit wider because of its slightly larger display). But unlike media tablets, the DT313H-MD can be configured with professional grade features such as RFID a full-size Smart Card reader, a secondary externally mounted battery that's hot-swappable, as well as cameras, 3G or 4G LTE mobile broadband, and an industrial-grade scanner. On the wireless communications side, the DT313H-MD comes with fast dual-band 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 LE.
A powerful package
Of note is the display. It's not only nice and large, but it also comes in two resolutions. The default is 1920 x 1080 pixel, which is considered "full-HD." Since healthcare professionals often deal with medical imaging software, DT Research also offers a 2560 x 1440 pixel option that's as sharp as a 5k Apple iMac Retina. There's capacitive multi-touch, of course, and also an optional active digitizer pen for when extra precision is needed.
While routine tasks such as monitoring, recording and retrieving patient information don't need a lot of processing power, many customers may run more compute-intensive applications. That's why DT Research equipped the DT313H-MD with rather powerful Intel 5th generation i5 or i7 Core processors, the same as found in high-end enterprise tablets. If the extra power isn't needed, an Intel Celeron-based DT313C-MD version is available as well.
On the toughness side, the ABS + PC plastics enclosure combined with those rubber bumpers suggest an ability to weather quite a bit of abuse. The specs state IP54 sealing for the front panel, which means it's pretty much protected against dust, and also resistent against water spray. The operating temperature range is 32 to 104 degrees, enough for healthcare settings.
Avant-garde security and looking into the future
Since security is an important issue in any healthcare setting, this tablet goes beyond just TPM 2.0, Smart Card reader and default Windows access security.
 Optionally available is an Intel RealSense front camera that can recognize gestures, faces, and speech; track movement and facial expressions; and can also do 3D scanning, environmental sensing, and background segmentation.
It's doing this by using an infrared camera and infrared projector for spatial scanning and recognition. As a minimum, this functionality can be used in conjunction with the Windows 10 Hello biometric access security system. Beyond that, application potential is limited only by imagination and the supplied Intel SDK. See Intel Real Sense Technology and Get Started.
Bringing computing power where it's needed
When DT Research introduced the company's cart/tablet combo, president Daw Tsai Sc.D. stated that while mobile computers enable healthcare providers to streamline workflows, their new and nimble medical tablet cart system adds flexibility and convenience.
And that's the crucial point in using tablets for work; they need to be adapted and optimized for the job at hand, and they must seamlessly fit into the workflow without losing the unique advantages of the tablet platform. This medical cart system addresses all of that.
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