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        Windows handheld designed to be sanitized

        Jonathan Angel | Date: May 29, 2009 | Comments: 1


        Honeywell has released a Windows Mobile 6.0 handheld computer designed for medical applications. The Dolphin 9900hc (left) includes a sealed, easily sanitized case, GSM wide area networking with an accessible SIM card, 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, a digital camera, and barcode scanning capabilities, the company says.



        (Click here for a larger view of Honeywell's Dolphin 9900)


        Unitech's PA600 MCA
        (Click image for further information)
        Honeywell's Dolphin 9900hc is part of a growing trend toward customizing handhelds and other computers for medical purposes. Earlier this month, for example, Unitech introduced its PA600 MCA (right), a handheld featuring an antimicrobial casing designed to help prevent the spread of MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) infections, increasingly common in hospitals.

        Honeywell's new handheld isn't touted as having any special antimicrobial properties, but its case, which meets the IP64 standard for moisture and particle resistance, has said to have been made out of a material that won't crack as the result of repeated washdowns. The device can safely be cleaned by solutions ranging from gentle dish soap and water, to isopropyl alcohol wipes, to 100 percent bleach, Honeywell says.

        Other than its hospital-ready casing, the Dolphin 9900hc appears to be nearly identical to the previously released Dolphin 9900, though it's without that model's GPS receiver. Offered with a 56-key full alphanumeric keyboard, the handheld has a 3.5-inch touchscreen display with 320 x 240 resolution.

        The 9900hc includes GSM quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) telephony, with an accessible SIM card interface, plus both 802.11b/g local area networking and Bluetooth. Powered by Marvell's 624MHz PXA270 processor, the device has 256MB of RAM, 1GB of flash storage, and an SDIO-compatible SD slot for memory expansion.

        Like a variety of earlier Dolphin devices, the 9900hc includes Honeywell's proprietary Adaptus Imaging Technology 5.0, which allows the unit to read 1D barcodes, 2D symbologies, OCR codes, and a variety of postal codes. The device also includes digital camera functionality, with unspecified resolution. This is apparently optimized for focal lengths from about three to 12 inches, relevant to capturing signatures.

        The Dolphin 9900hc withstands multiple five-foot drops onto concrete, but also can endure more than 2000 three-foot tumbles, says Honeywell. Meanwhile, the handheld's 2500mAH battery pack is hot-swappable, and claimed to power the device for more than ten hours. Options include a four-slot battery charger, and diverse charging/communications devices that add RS232, USB, or Ethernet interfaces.

        Features and specifications provided by Honeywell for the Dolphin 9900hc include:
        • Processor -- Marvell PXA270, clocked at 624MHz
        • Memory -- 256MB RAM, 1 GB flash
        • Storage -- SD slot
        • Display -- 3.5-inch QVGA (240 x 320) TFT touchscreen display
        • Keyboard -- 56-key full alphanumeric keyboard
        • Wireless interfaces:
          • WAN -- Quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) with accessible SIM card, GSM release 99, EDGE multi-slot class 12, PRS multi-slot class 12
          • PAN -- Bluetooth
          • WLAN -- 802.11b/g, with WPA2, EAP, CCXv4, WEP, LEAP, TKIP, MD5, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, WPA-PSK, and PEAP security
        • Other I/O:
          • Barcode scanner:
            • 5100 scanner with green aimer
            • 1D symbologies -- Codabar, Code 3 of 9, Code 11, Code 32, Pharmaceutical (PARAF), Code 93, Code 128, EAN with Add-On, EAN with Extended Coupon Code, EAN-8, EAN-13, GS1-128, GS1 Databar, Interleaved 2 or 5, ISBT 128, Matrix 2 of 5, MSI, Plessey, PosiCode, Straight 2 of 5 IATA, Straight 2 of 5 Industrial, Telepen, Trioptic code, UPC, UPC-A, and UPC-E
            • 2D symbologies -- Aztec, Codablock, Code 16, Composite, Data Matrix, GSI Databar, MaxiCode, OCR, PDF417, and QR code
            • Composite codes -- Aztec Mesa, Codablock F, EANUCC, GS1 Databar-14
            • OCR -- OCR-A, OCR-B
            • Postal codes -- Postnet, Australian Post, British Post, Canadian Post, China Post, Japanese Post, KIX (Netherlands) Post, Korea Post, Planet Code
          • I/O connector supports USB and Ethernet via cradles
          • IrDA
          • Internal speaker, microphone, headset jack
        • Battery type -- 2500mAh lithium-ion, with ten-hour life
        • Physical specs:
          • Operating temperature -- -10 to 50 deg. C (14 to 122 deg. F)
          • Relative humidity -- 95% humidity (non-condensing)
          • Shock -- survives multiple 5-foot (1.2m) drops to concrete and more than 2000 three-foot tumbles
          • ESD -- Air: +/- 12K VDC, Direct: +/- 8K VDC
          • Environmental -- IP64 rating for blown dust and water intrusion
          • Dimensions -- 9.6 x 3.4 x 2.1 inches
          • Weight -- 21.4 oz. (606g)
        • Software:
          • Operating system -- Windows Mobile 6.0
          • Development environment -- Honeywell SDK for C/C++, C#, and Visual Basic developers
          • Supported software -- PowerNet Terminal Emulation (TNVT, 3270, 5250); SOTI MobiControl remote device management tool; ITScriptNet
        Garrison Gomez, a mobility marketing manager for Honeywell, said, "Traditional mobile solutions can experience cracked or broken cases that lead to downtime. Downtime can be dangerous and costly to everyone in a healthcare environment, where cleanliness and safety are vital."

        Availability

        Pricing was not released, but the Dolphin 9900hc appears to be available now. More information may be found on the Honeywell website, here.


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