NEC Infrontia supplies IC card compatible security system for Ayase Kosei Hospital Maternity Center to prevent entry of suspicious individuals into the Obstetrics and Gynecology Ward

Based on SecureFrontia room entry and exit regulating system

<Outside view of Ayase Kosei Hospital Maternity Center>	<SIU (Satellite Intelligent Unit) and IC card>	<An SIU installed at the entrance to a nursery room>

NEC Infrontia Corporation (president: K. Kiuchi) is pleased to announce the development and delivery of a security system using IC cards for the Obstetrics and Gynecology Ward “Maternity Center” in Iryohojin Shadan Hakuryokai Ayase Kosei Hospital (Managing Director: S. Abe / Ayase City, Kanagawa Prefecture) to prevent entry of suspicious individuals, forestalling abductions and other crimes.

The system is built around NEC Infrontia’s room entry and exit regulating system SecureFrontia. The system controls who may enter and exit rooms such as nursery rooms and private rooms through the deployment in the Maternity Center of twelve SIUs (Satellite Intelligent Units) that govern the locking and unlocking of doors by reading IC cards, in addition to three compact IC card readers. Security has also been strengthened through the installation of surveillance cameras at key locations in the Center.

Ayase Kosei Hospital places great importance on the idea of “community based medical care,” taking sympathy and hospitality toward its patients as the measure of its actions, and as a foundation hospital in the Ayase City area it enjoys popularity with residents in surrounding regions. In August 2005 the hospital opened the Obstetrics and Gynecology Ward “Maternity Center” as the only childbirth facility in Ayase City, in order to offer complete medical care in the city. The hospital thereby resolved the former problems of inconvenience and distress during labor caused by the lack of childbirth facilities in the city, further fulfilling its role as a foundation hospital.

Under the new system, IC cards are distributed to doctors, nurses, and patients in the Maternity Center and their family members, with the cards being used as authentication keys for entering and exiting the rooms. Installing SIUs, which interface with electric locks, at doors to nursery rooms, private rooms, and nurse stations in the Maternity Center allows for entry and exiting of authenticated individuals only, by having them verify their identity by touching their IC card to the SIU at the door, activating an electric unlocking mechanism. Since those without IC cards cannot enter the nursery rooms or private rooms, the system aids in preventing entry of suspicious individuals, forestalling abductions and other crimes.

Hospital security in the Maternity Center has been further enhanced, complementing the room entry and exit regulating system, by the installation of surveillance cameras in areas where foot traffic is heavy, such as the nurse stations and hallways in front of the private rooms. The cameras record all who pass through 24 hours a day, storing the recordings on the server hard disk. The recordings can then be searched and checked by date and time with a computer.

Deteriorations in public safety and increases in violent crime in recent years have lead to increased societal concerns about security. The new system was implemented to create an environment where patients can give birth with minimal unease and stress. In addition, the system improves privacy for patients by preventing situations where family members of patients accidentally enter the wrong room. This can happen when family members come to spend the night with a patient, a practice that has become more common recently.

NEC Infrontia will continue to provide a broad range of system solutions for every field, from large systems to small ones, combining our authentication systems using IC cards as “keys” with IC card payment and other systems, with focus on our SecureFrontia security system.

•	SecureFrontia is a registered trademark of NEC Infrontia Corporation.