Patient Monitoring / Telemetry is remote measurement and reporting of patient information, the most common usage being dedicated cardiac care telemetry units, although virtually any physiological signal could be monitored. Today, patient monitoring has moved beyond the traditional ICU environment. It now includes the emergency room, step-down units, ambulatory care and patient transport. Caregivers in these areas share a common need - accurate, timely, comprehensive data to facilitate decisions regarding patient care.
Patient monitoring systems present a challenge to designers to create a system for measuring very small electrical signals in the presence of much larger common-mode voltages and noise. Front-end amplifiers perform the essential conditioning that complements downstream digital processing. Biophysical measurements include electrical and mechanical signals for general monitoring, diagnostic and scientific purposes both in clinic and non-clinic environments. Successfully meeting the signal acquisition challenge requires knowledge of the signal source, good design practice, and ICs with appropriate characteristics, features and performance.
By Paul Errico, Analog Devices, Inc. Semiconductor research and development in the late 20th century was driven by the computing and communications applications such as, PCs, handsets and consumer applications, such as video games and high-definition televisions.Now, in the 21st century, it is increasingly influenced by the demand for integrated circuits (ICs) that make possible the next...