An entertainment and communication terminal developed by Trident will allow hospital patients to keep in touch with friends and family, watch television or film channels and browse the web from their beds. The unit is designed for deployment under the NHS patient power project, whose aim is to provide a personal bedside TV and telephone service to every major hospital in the UK. Trident has partnered with Patient Power licence holder Premier Telesolutions to deliver a custom solution specifically for hospitals.
The unit features a 15” flat-panel touchscreen and a telephone handset with integrated controls. To suit the hospital environment, the casing is designed for easy cleaning, while membrane-covered keypads prevent liquids from seeping in. Audio is provided through headphones to minimise disruption to other patients. The fanless design relies on a heatsink for cooling to further reduce noise emission from the unit. Multimedia and telecoms services are accessed and paid for using smartcards that can be purchased at the hospital and a card reader is integrated into the terminal. External peripherals can be connected via two USB ports.
