Originally Published MEM Fall 2001
FROM THE EDITOR
| When Bluetooth Technology was in its infancy, most developers headed into applications in telecommunications and information technology markets. I suppose that because the medical device industry is highly regulated and certainly because of the higher risk surrounding an industry involved in human health and life, the medical industry is the last to see advancements in technology. |
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No longer a new technology, Bluetooth is finally making its way into medical electronics applications, and it's about time. Motorola, for example, recently announced its plan to provide Buetooth wireless technology on embedded infrastructures to three different operating systems—Linux, VxWorks, and Windows 2000, all commonly used systems for medical devices. Socket Communications has also worked with Wind River to make its Bluetooth-compatible plug-in cards and embedded modules available for use in VxWorks.
With the infrastructure available, medical electronics developers can add wireless communications capabilities to stationary devices such as magnetic resonance imaging machines and other diagnostic equipment. These off-the-shelf solutions eliminate the need for medical developers to design and manufacture such platforms themselves.
"The Internet's phenomenal growth has been the driving force of the wireless network, and we can expect to repeat this growth phenomenon with Bluetooth," said Jeff Harris, director of research and system architecture, cross-industry business unit, for Motorola Computer Group (Tempe, AZ). Harris notes that Motorola's medical customers see Bluetooth wireless technology as a competitive advantage.
Embedded into diagnostic equipment, for example, Bluetooth technology can enable physicians to immediately access patient test and treatment information. Also, patient information can be transferred wirelessly to a stationary diagnostic machine, eliminating input errors as well as increasing convenience.
As a small-form factor, low-cost radio solution, Bluetooth is changing the way devices are linked to each other and to the Internet. Motorola is expecting its first platforms to be available in early 2002. Now is the time to evaluate this option and determine whether it is right for your medical product.
Copyright © 2001 Medical Electronics Manufacturing
