Using ATCA Standards to Achieve Smoother System Processes
  Originally Published MEM Fall 2009 IMAGING         An image taken with an inverted geometry angiography system (left) versus real-time image tomosynthesis (right), which enables the user to focus on each structural feature. The Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture (ATCA) provides a standard platform and operating environment for the creation of...
Designing Robust Wireless Sensor Applications
    Originally Published MEM Fall 2009 WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY         An engineer works on a medical project being developed on a platform running both Windows and Linux on a separation kernel and hypervisor. Wireless sensors are quickly making inroads into prehospital, in-hospital, ambulatory, home monitoring, and long-term care settings. These sensors...
Protecting Patient-Critical Data in Heart-Monitoring Equipment
  Originally Published MEM Fall 2008 MEMORY       (click to enlarge) Figure 1. Normal waveform (a), and abnormal waveform (b), showing the elevated ST wave segment. One of the most important design considerations of heart monitoring equipment is to ensure that critical data are never lost. In many circumstances, failing to capture and store 100% of...
Solid-State Storage: Security and Low Power Use for Medical Electronics
  Originally Published MEM Fall 2005 DATA STORAGE   Solid-state storage devices can boost data security, enhance power management, and lower overall costs of medical electronics development. Gary Drossel In healthcare applications, storage solutions often contain sensitive data. Storage devices used in medical electronics should enhance data security as mandated by the Health Insurance...
From the Editor
  Originally Published MEM Spring 2005   The advent of electronic health records (EHRs) is a major topic of discussion among insurance and physician groups. Much of the focus is on using EHRs to streamline patient records and eliminate redundant data. Some groups just want to get the correct diagnosis code to the insurance carrier or HMO more quickly. At the Health Information...
Calculating Data Rate and Data Range for Wireless Medical Applications
  Originally Published MEM Fall 2004 WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY   Designers of wireless devices can be sure to select the right components if they first do a little math. Carl Falcon Wireless communications is defined as the technology of transmitting digital data from a transmitter to a receiver without the use or necessity of a physical connection. Of primary importance to the medical device...
Move Over, HTML: XML Is Ideal for Hospital Data Flow
  Originally Published MEM Fall 2003 SOFTWARE   Using what was learned from the more cumbersome HTML, XML could be the best language for programming medical electronics used in a hospital environment. Edward F. Steinfeld Sidebar: Resources Instrument designers seldom talk to information technology (IT) departments. But this will change with the increased use of...
Increase Warehouse Throughput with Automated RF Data Entry
  Originally Published MEM Fall 2003 RF DATA ENTRY   A data-capture solution using radio-frequency data entry can increase throughput of a medical electronics distribution center. Connie Green The RF handheld captures information such as quantity, bin numbers, and serial numbers. A radio-frequency (RF) data-capture solution can dramatically boost throughput in medical...
Resources
  Originally Published MEM Fall 2003 SOFTWARE   Return to Article: Move Over, HTML: XML Is Ideal for Hospital Data Flow General Web information is available from W3C at http://www.w3.org. XML information can be found at http://www.xml.org and http://www.xml.com. The information found at these two sites is quite different, and both sites should be viewed...
Exploring New Packaging and Memory Technologies for Medical Electronics
  Originally Published MEM Spring 2003 ELECTRONIC PACKAGING   From system-in-a-package to multichip packaging, the medical electronics industry is poised to take advantage of the latest packaging and memory advancements originally developed for wireless communications. Mike McCoy For decades, the medical electronics community has been challenging the limits of currently available...
An Embedded Recipe for Medical Imaging Systems
  Originally Published MEM Spring 2003 MEDICAL IMAGING   Many factors contribute to the selection of the platform architecture and the design of a medical imaging system. John Groezinger Medical equipment manufacturers have diverse requirements for electronic platforms of imaging devices. The detailed architecture usually varies widely between modalities because the end-product...
Implications of RFICs for Medical Instrumentation
SENSORS Frederick G. Weiss Although much of the focus regarding the use of radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) lies in the realm of audio, video, and general data transmission, a variety of medical uses for RFIC-based sensor-transceivers are also viable. Most of the electronics in today's medical instrumentation are packaged components mounted on circuit boards, which in turn are...
Bus-to-Bus Bandwidth Boosts for Embedded Medical Electronic Applications
Medical Electronics Manufacturing Spring 2000 A technology that offers designers the advantages of both industrial and desktop transmissivity has bottom-line attractions as well. Jay Swenson System designers evaluating processing and input/output (I/O) alternatives for medical application environments might consider teaming the peripheral component interconnect (PCI) and virtual machine...
Portable Data Carriers Add Function and Convenience to Medical Instruments
A Medical Electronics Manufacturing Fall 1997 Feature MEMORY Steve Serber Plug-in memory devices provide increased efficiency and productivity to medical equipment. Portable memory devices continue to proliferate thanks to the wide variety of storage formats available and the diversity of potential applications. UPC bar codes, magnetic-stripe PIN cards, and cards that store data on integrated...