Konica Minolta today is not just about printing. The company has introduced a trio of healthcare solutions that combine AI, sensors, and video analytics. It emphasizes privacy protection, on-device operation, and easy integration into hospital workflows.
Night Nurse: quiet monitoring of the patient
Night Nurse is a camera or IoT sensor intended for hospitals and care homes. Using AI, it recognizes whether the patient is lying down, sitting, has stood up, is walking around the room, has gone to the bathroom, has left the room, or has fallen. The system works with the room’s scene, can identify the bed and the person’s position in the space. Staff can clearly see on a panel what is happening in each room, with a color scale displaying current states according to the selected rules.
Processing takes place directly in the sensor; the image is not sent anywhere and only metadata is transmitted further. Nurses can configure which events to monitor and at what times, for example getting up at night or fall detection only. In practice, it also helps with rehabilitation — after a procedure it is possible to verify whether the patient lay as they should, or whether they did not stay in the bathroom longer than is safe. The solution does not require a server, uses encryption and strict access passwords; if authentication is lost, the camera cannot be unlocked, which is meant to protect data.
Forks Mirror and eKiosk: secure entry and fast admission
Forks Mirror is a "smart mirror" that checks at entry whether a staff member is wearing the prescribed protective equipment. It uses machine learning models to recognize items such as safety glasses, gown, gloves, or head covering. If something is missing, the system alerts to it and can be linked to the access control system to prevent entry to the operating room or laboratory. The configuration adapts to the needs of the specific workplace.
eKiosk serves as a self-service reception for fast check-in of patients or visitors. It can scan an ID card and insurance card, collect the necessary data, and send them to the main nurses’ station. Depending on the settings, it will also print a QR code with instructions on where the patient should go. The whole process speeds up admission and relieves staff of routine tasks.
