These devices are smaller and more portable than ever. Smart devices like blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeter, glucose monitors are allowing patients to proactively monitor their medical conditions from anywhere. On top of that, medical devices are shrinking in size from cart-sized heavy machines to lightweight implanted devices that are smaller than a matchbook.

Let’s talk about time criticality achievement using RTOS(Real Time Operating System)

Real-time operating systems (RTOS) allow medical device manufacturers to improve the performance of their medical devices and ensure they meet regulatory requirements. An RTOS is software that helps a real-time application do its job.

It’s analogous to Windows on a PC, which enables applications like Word, Internet Explorer, and MS Office to do their jobs. So, an RTOS is like Windows for the computer that’s within a medical device and embedded systems have to perform their functions in real time as opposed to PCs, which do not have to meet any particular real-time constraints. Also, embedded systems are not as general-purpose as PCs, nor as resource-rich in memory, processing power, and peripherals. As a result, the job of the RTOS is focused on providing the application the resources it needs to execute on embedded hardware, just as Windows is focused on the needs of a PC.

Now let’s look at the application of embedded system in medical field

There are lots of ways that doctors have been able to adopt embedded systems for biomedical purposes. With the help of IoT, doctors are now able to remotely monitor their patients. Embedded devices like pulse oximeter, blood presser monitor etc. are also able to help patients treat themselves and can be used for preventive medicine. Prosthetic implants have also been becoming more advanced. These are the most revolutionary uses of embedded systems in the healthcare industry.

Preventative Care through Biomedical Sensors

With the assistance of smart embedded technology-based medical devices, casual users can now be more proactive about their personal health. Smart devices enable users to continuously monitor their blood pressure, heart rate, glucose levels and various other parameters. It is also worth mentioning that embedded technology-based devices are now coming with better connectivity and it is possible to seamlessly transmit data collected by these wearable devices to doctors.

Pacemakers

Heart disease is one of the leading cause of death in developing countries. Embedded systems in pacemakers can sense heartbeats and track heart health. Electrical impulses are sent by the pacemaker to stimulate your heart to contract and produce a heartbeat. Most pacemakers work just when they're needed(on demand). Some pacemakers send out impulses all the time. The sensors in the pacemakers can also record all this information. Doctors will be able to analyze the information from the pacemakers and adjust their plan of care for their patients.

ECT Machines

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a form of psychiatric treatment most commonly used in patients with severe major depression or bipolar disorder that has not responded to other treatments.

ECT involves a brief inducing seizure with the use of electrical stimulation to the brain while the patient is under anesthesia. The embedded system in ECT compute and generate the electrical signal according to the doctor’s input. It is typically administered by a team of trained medical professionals that includes a psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist, and a nurse or physician assistant.

Glucose Monitors

For the people who struggle with diabetes, monitoring your blood sugar can be a pain, literally. It's painful to constantly prick your finger to check your blood glucose. However, embedded systems have taken this pain away through continuous glucose monitors. With a tiny sensor inserted under the skin, the sensor will regularly send the blood sugar levels to a smartphone or other device that the diabetic can easily monitored their glucose and prevent spikes in blood sugar or hypoglycemia. With these monitors, diabetics can better manage their disease.

Fitness Trackers

Fitness trackers such as Fitbits are embedded systems that can track heartbeat, weight, activity levels, and even body composition. This is very helpful to individuals that are working with their doctors to lose weight and live a healthier life. Doctors can analyze the information generated by the fitness tracker about individual's daily activities. From here doctors can adjust treatment and fitness plan for their patients to help them reach their fitness goals in a healthy way.

Digital Flow Sensor

Digital Flow Sensors are used to measure respiratory flows in patients. It also contains some additional features that we need to identify. For example, offset monitoring, self-checking, etc. These devices measure fluid flow and allow them to control the supply of drugs.

Pulse Oximeter

A pulse oximeter is a small, lightweight device used to monitor the amount of oxygen carried in the body. This noninvasive(not inserted in body) tool attaches painlessly to your fingertip, sending two wavelengths of red light and infrared through the finger to measure your pulse rate and how much oxygen is in your blood. These lights are absorbing accordingly to saturation of oxygen in blood. Once the oximeter finishes its assessment, its screen will display the percent of oxygen in your blood coming from your heart—as well as your current pulse rate. This article will explain the significance of the measurements provided by a pulse oximeter and how they affect you.

Medical devices are one of the most important aspect in advancement that are happening in the medical field to cure the uncured disease and understanding the biology of human body at deeper level. Now you are able to understand the role of Embedded system in that.