DESIGN OF MEDICAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Reinaldo Perez, PhD, PE | 2002-01-01 00:00:00 | | 293 | Electrical Engineering
Most of the advances in medicine today are related to medical technology. On
one hand, we have the pharmaceutical companies with their efforts to develop
new drugs and treatments for many kinds of diseases. These efforts have been
for the most part very lucrative since pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies
have for many years enjoyed considerable investments, even when the
stock market has gone through difficult times. On the other hand, we have the
medical devices industry, also trying to provide medical technology products
for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and anomalies. The financial situation
of such medical devices companies has fluctuated more than that of those
in the pharmaceutical–biotechnology fields but for the most part they have held
their own, even in turbulent financial times.
In the realm of medical devices, companies involved in the design, development,
manufacturing, testing, and FDA approval of medical electronic
devices are at the forefront of medical technology. Over the last 30 years, such
technological advances as magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear radiation, optical
diagnostical devices, EKG and EEG measurement devices, pacemakers,
defibrillators, hearing aids, and portable diagnostic meters (glucose, oximetry,
pulse analyzers) have made the diagnosis and treatment of medical ailments a
much more productive endeavor, saving millions of lives and postponing death
for many millions more.
The boundary between human and machine is disappearing. In science
fiction and films such as those in the Star Trek series the boundary has almost
completely disappeared. For example, in Star Trek episodes the sick bay of the
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