An IEC 60601-1–compliant local area network (LAN) card can be used for the direct network connection of conventional IT equipment to medical devices. The PCIe Medical LAN Card, which is a PCIe gigabit Ethernet card, allows IT equipment and medical devices to be connected without expensive medical LAN isolators, which otherwise would have to be inserted between the LAN port and a medical device. To transmit data between medical devices and systems via Ethernet to nonmedical devices in an office or hospital network, the LAN card needs a galvanic separation according to the IEC60601-1 standard, which has already been engineered into the PCIe Medical LAN card. Kontron, Poway, CA, 888/294-4558.