Embedded Systems And its Application in Medical Field

Aastik Upadhyay and Abhimanyu S.Dhapola

Maharaja Agrasen College (Dept. of Comp. Science)
dhapola18@gmail.com,aastik.upadhyay@gmail.com

Abstract this system requires a hardware platform and that is

built with a microprocessor or microcontroller. The
Our paper focuses on the use of embedded systems Embedded system hardware includes elements like
in medical field before which we introduce the reader user interface, Input/output interfaces, display
to various types of embedded systems, their varied and memory, etc .Generally, an embedded system
applications, and types of processors in embedded comprises power supply, processor, memory, timers,
systems. Describing of peripherals and tools used in serial communication ports and system application
embedded system are also discussed over here. Our specific circuits.
key focus is on new age embedded medical devices
but we have also included some of the existing
embedded medical devices. Our prime focus is on
Fetal Monitor, Oximeter, Defibrillator etc through
which we are trying to portray how these devices have
made the lives of people related to the medical field
much easier and their profession more efficient.

1. Introduction

An embedded system is an electronic system that has a

software and is embedded in computer hardware. It is Figure 1: Embedded System Flow Diagram
programmable or non-programmable depending on
the application. An Embedded system is defined as a Embedded system software is written in a high-level
way of working, organizing, performing single or language, and then compiled to achieve a specific
multiple tasks according to a set of rules. In an function within a non-volatile memory in the
embedded system, all the units assemble and work hardware. Embedded system software is designed to
together according to the program. Examples of keep in view of three limits. These are availability of
embedded systems include numerous products such as system memory and processor speed. When the system
microwave ovens, washing machine, printers, runs endlessly, there is a need to limit the power
automobiles, cameras, etc. These systems use dissipation for events like run, stop and wake up.
microprocessors, microcontrollers as well as
processors like DSPs. In this paper we give an
overview of what is an embedded system and types of 3. Type of Embedded System
embedded system.
The important characteristics of an embedded Embedded systems can be classified as follows:
systems are speed, size, power, reliability, accuracy,
adaptability. Therefore, when the embedded system
performs the operations at high speed, then it can be
used for real-time applications. The Size of the system
and power consumption should be very low, then the
system can be easily adaptable for different situations.

2. What is an Embedded System Figure 2: Types of Embedded Systems

Embedded systems are classified into four categories
An Embedded system is a combination of computer based on their performance and functional
hardware and software. As with any electronic system, requirements:
3.1. Real time embedded systems +, RTOS, debugger, source code engineering tool,
A real time embedded system is defined as, a system simulator and IDE.
which gives a required o/p in a particular time. These 3.3. Sophisticated embedded systems
types of embedded systems follow the time deadlines
for completion of a task. Real time embedded systems These types of embedded systems have enormous
are classified into two types such as soft and hard real hardware and software complexities that may need
time systems. ASIPs, IPs, PLAs, scalable or configurable processors.
They are used for cutting-edge applications that need
3.2. Standalone embedded systems hardware and software Co-design and components
Standalone embedded systems do not require a host which have to assemble in the final system.
system like a computer, it works by itself. It takes the
input from the input ports either analog or digital and
processes, calculates and converts the data and gives 4. Application of Embedded Systems
the resulting data through the connected device-Which
both controls, drives and displays the connected
devices. Examples for the stand alone embedded Embedded systems are used in different applications
systems are mp3 players, digital cameras, video game like automobiles, telecommunications, smart cards,
consoles, microwave ovens and temperature missiles, satellites, computer networking and digital
measurement systems. consumer electronics.
3.3. Networked embedded systems 4.1. Embedded systems in Automobiles and in
These types of embedded systems are related to a Telecommunication
network to access the resources. The connected  Motor and cruise control system
network can be LAN, WAN or the internet. The  Body or Engine safety
connection can be any wired or wireless. This type of  Entertainment and multimedia in car
embedded system is the fastest growing area in  E-Com and Mobile access
embedded system applications. The embedded web
server is a type of system wherein all embedded  Robotics in assembly line
devices are connected to a web server and accessed  Wireless communication
and controlled by a web browser. Example for the
LAN networked embedded system is a home security 4.2. Embedded systems in Smart Cards, Missiles and
system wherein all sensors are connected and run on Satellites
the protocol TCP/IP.  Security systems
3.4. Mobile embedded systems  Telephone and banking
Mobile embedded systems are used in portable  Defense and aerospace
embedded devices like cell phones, mobiles, digital  Communication
cameras, mp3 players and personal digital
assistants, etc. The basic limitation of these devices is 4.3. Embedded systems in Peripherals and Computer
the other resources and limitation of memory. Networking
 Displays and Monitors
Embedded Systems are classified into three types  Networking Systems
based on the performance of the microcontroller
 Image Processing
3.1. Small Scale embedded systems  Network cards and printers
These types of embedded systems are designed with a
single 8 or 16-bit microcontroller that may even be
activated by a battery. For developing embedded 4.4. Embedded systems in Consumer Electronics
software for small scale embedded systems, the main  Digital Cameras
programming tools are an editor, assembler, cross  Set top Boxes
assembler and integrated development environment  High Definition TVs
(IDE).
 DVDs
3.2. Medium Scale embedded systems
These types of embedded systems design with a single
or 16 or 32 bit microcontroller, RISCs or DSPs. These 5. Embedded Software Architectures
types of embedded systems have both hardware and
software complexities. For developing embedded
software for medium scale embedded systems, the There are several different types of software
main programming tools are C, C++, JAVA, Visual C+ architecture in common use.
5.1. Simple Control Loop
In this design, the software simply has a loop. The
loop calls subroutines, each of which manages a part
of the hardware or software.
5.2. Interrupt-controlled system
Some embedded systems are predominantly controlled
by interrupts. This means that tasks performed by the
system are triggered by different kinds of events; an
interrupt could be generated, for example, by a timer
in a predefined frequency, or by a serial port controller
receiving a byte.
These kinds of systems are used if event handlers need
low latency, and the event handlers are short and
simple. Usually, these kinds of systems run a simple
task in a main loop also, but this task is not very
sensitive to unexpected delays.
Sometimes the interrupt handler will add longer tasks
to a queue structure. Later, after the interrupt handler
has finished, these tasks are executed by the main
loop. This method brings the system close to a
multitasking kernel with discrete processes.
5.3. Cooperative multitasking
A non-preemptive multitasking system is very similar
to the simple control loop scheme, except that the loop
is hidden in an API. The programmer defines a series
of tasks, and each task gets its own environment to
“run” in. When a task is idle, it calls an idle routine,
usually called “pause”, “wait”, “yield”, “nop” (stands
for no operation), etc.
The advantages and disadvantages are similar to that
of the control loop, except that adding new software is
easier, by simply writing a new task, or adding to the
queue.
5.4. Preemptive multitasking or multi-threading
In this type of system, a low-level piece of code
switches between tasks or threads based on a timer
(connected to an interrupt). This is the level at which
the system is generally considered to have an
"operating system" kernel. Depending on how much
functionality is required, it introduces more or less of
the complexities of managing multiple tasks running
conceptually in parallel.
As any code can potentially damage the data of
another task (except in larger systems using an MMU)
programs must be carefully designed and tested, and
access to shared data must be controlled by some
synchronization strategy, such as message
queues, semaphores or a non-blocking
synchronization scheme.
Because of these complexities, it is common for
organizations to use a real-time operating
system (RTOS), allowing the application programmers
to concentrate on device functionality rather than
operating system services, at least for large systems;
smaller systems often cannot afford the overhead
associated with a generic real time system, due to
limitations regarding memory size, performance, or
battery life. The choice that an RTOS is required
brings in its own issues, however, as the selection
must be done prior to starting to the application
development process. This timing forces developers to
choose the embedded operating system for their device
based upon current requirements and so restricts
future options to a large extent. [10] The restriction of
future options becomes more of an issue as product life
decreases. Additionally the level of complexity is
continuously growing as devices are required to
manage variables such as serial, USB, TCP/IP,
Bluetooth, Wireless LAN, trunk radio, multiple
channels, data and voice, enhanced graphics, multiple
states, multiple threads, numerous wait states and so
on. These trends are leading to the uptake
of embedded middleware in addition to a real-time
operating system.
5.5. Microkernels and Exokernels
A microkernel is a logical step up from a real-time
OS. The usual arrangement is that the operating
system kernel allocates memory and switches the CPU
to different threads of execution. User mode processes
implement major functions such as file systems,
network interfaces, etc.
In general, microkernels succeed when the task
switching and inter task communication is fast and
fail when they are slow.
Exokernels communicate efficiently by normal
subroutine calls. The hardware and all the software in
the system are available to and extensible by
application programmers.
5.6. Monolithic kernels
In this case, a relatively large kernel with
sophisticated capabilities is adapted to suit an
embedded environment. This gives programmers an
environment similar to a desktop operating system
like Linux or Microsoft Windows, and is therefore
very productive for development; on the downside, it
requires considerably more hardware resources, is
often more expensive, and, because of the complexity
of these kernels, can be less predictable and reliable.
Common examples of embedded monolithic kernels
are embedded Linux and Windows CE.
Despite the increased cost in hardware, this type of
embedded system is increasing in popularity,
especially on the more powerful embedded devices
such as wireless routers and GPS navigation systems.
Here are some of the reasons:
 Ports to common embedded chip sets are
available.
 They permit re-use of publicly available code
for device drivers, web servers, firewalls, and
other code.
 Development systems can start out with broad
feature-sets, and then the distribution can be
configured to exclude unneeded functionality, and
save the expense of the memory that it would
consume.
 Many engineers believe that running
application code in user mode is more reliable
and easier to debug, thus making the development
process easier and the code more portable.
 Features requiring faster response than can be
guaranteed can often be placed in hardware.
5.6. Exotic custom operating systems
A small fraction of embedded systems require safe,
timely, reliable, or efficient behavior unobtainable with
any of the above architectures. In this case an
organization builds a system to suit. In some cases, the
system may be partitioned into a "mechanism
controller" using special techniques, and a "display
controller" with a conventional operating system. A
communication system passes data between the two.
5.7. Additional Software components
In addition to the core operating system, many
embedded systems have additional upper-layer
software components. These components consist of
networking protocol stacks
like CAN, TCP/IP, FTP, HTTP, and HTTPS, and also
included storage capabilities like FAT and flash
memory management systems. If the embedded device
has audio and video capabilities, then the appropriate
drivers and codecs will be present in the system. In the
case of the monolithic kernels, many of these software
layers are included. In the RTOS category, the
availability of the additional software components
depends upon the commercial offering.
6. Characteristics
Embedded systems are designed to do some specific
task, rather than be a general-purpose computer for
multiple tasks. Some also have real-time performance
constraints that must be met, for reasons such as safety
and usability; others may have low or no performance
requirements, allowing the system hardware to be
simplified to reduce costs.
Embedded systems are not always standalone devices.
Many embedded systems consist of small,
computerized parts within a larger device that serves a
more general purpose. For example, the Gibson Robot
Guitar features an embedded system for tuning the
strings, but the overall purpose of the Robot Guitar is,
of course, to play music. Similarly, an embedded
system in an automobile provides a specific function
as a subsystem of the car itself.
The program instructions written for embedded
systems are referred to as firmware, and are
stored in read-only memory or Flash
memory chips. They run with limited
computer hardware resources little memory,
small or non-existent keyboard or screen.
Processors In Embedded System
Embedded processors can be broken into two broad
categories. Ordinary microprocessors (μP) use
separate integrated circuits for memory and
peripherals. Microcontrollers (μC) have on-chip
peripherals, thus reducing power consumption, size
and cost. In contrast to the personal computer market,
many different basic CPU architectures are used, since
software is custom-developed for an application and is
not a commodity product installed by the end user.
Both Von Neumann as well as various degrees
of Harvard architectures are used. RISC as well as
non-RISC processors are found. Word lengths vary
from 4-bit to 64-bits and beyond, although the most
typical remain 8/16-bit. Most architectures come in a
large number of different variants and shapes, many of
which are also manufactured by several different
companies.
Numerous microcontrollers have been developed for
embedded systems use. General-purpose
microprocessors are also used in embedded systems,
but generally require more support circuitry than
microcontrollers.
Peripherals:
Embedded Systems talk with the outside world
via peripherals, such as
 Serial Communication Interfaces (SCI): RS-
232, RS-422, RS-485 etc.
 Synchronous Serial Communication
Interface: I2C, SPI, SSC and ESSI (Enhanced
Synchronous Serial Interface)
 Universal Serial Bus (USB)
 Multi Media Cards (SD Cards, Compact
Flash etc.)
 Networks: Ethernet, Lon Works, etc.
 Fieldbuses: CAN-Bus, LIN-Bus, PROFIBUS,
etc.
 Timers: PLL(s), Capture/Compare and Time
Processing Units
 Discrete IO: aka General Purpose
Input/output (GPIO)
 Analog to Digital/Digital to Analog
(ADC/DAC)
 Debugging: JTAG, ISP, ICSP, BDM Port,
BITP, and DP9 ports.
Tools:
As with other software, embedded system designers
use compilers, assemblers, and debuggers to develop
embedded system software. However, they may also
use some more specific tools
 In circuit debuggers or emulators (see next
section).
 Utilities to add a checksum or CRC to a
program, so the embedded system can check if
the program is valid.
 For systems using digital signal processing,
developers may use a math workbench such
as Scilab / Scicos, MATLAB / Simulink, EICASL
AB, Mathcad, Mathematica, or Flowstone DSP to
simulate the mathematics. They might also use
libraries for both the host and target which
eliminates developing DSP routines as done
in DSPnano RTOS.
 A model based development tool
like VisSim lets you create and simulate graphical
data flow and UML State chart diagrams of
components like digital filters, motor controllers,
communication protocol decoding and multi-rate
tasks. Interrupt handlers can also be created
graphically. After simulation, you can
automatically generate C-code to
the VisSim RTOS which handles the main control
task and preemption of background tasks, as well
as automatic setup and programming of on-chip
peripherals.
 Custom compilers and linkers may be used to
optimize specialized hardware.
 An embedded system may have its own
special language or design tool, or add
enhancements to an existing language such
as Forth or Basic.
 Another alternative is to add a real-time
operating system or embedded operating system,
which may have DSP capabilities like DSPnano
RTOS.
 Modeling and code generating tools often
based on state machines
Software tools can come from several sources
 Software companies that specialize in the
embedded market
 Ported from the GNU software development
tools
 Sometimes, development tools for a personal
computer can be used if the embedded processor
is a close relative to a common PC processor.
As the complexity of embedded systems grows, higher
level tools and operating systems are migrating into
machinery where it makes sense. For
example, cellphones, personal digital assistants and
other consumer computers often need significant
software that is purchased or provided by a person
other than the manufacturer of the electronics. In these
systems, an open programming environment such
as Linux, NetBSD, OSGi or Embedded Java is
required so that the third-party software provider can
sell to a large market.
7. Embedded System in Medical field
Embedded technology in medical devices in one of its
applications. There are so many benefits of
“Embedded technology” as well as use of graphical
user interface in medical devices.
In today’s world heart problems are one of the most
common problems occurs in every second person in
the world.
So to do continue monitoring we need something
which can monitor the patient for 24 hours. S0 yes
cardiology is the only medical department that takes
maximum advantage of Embedded technology.
8. New age embedded Medical Devices
8.1. Defibrillators
It is used to monitor a patient’s heart for inconsistence
rhythms and gently shock the heart back into its
normal rhythm when necessary, using embedded
technology. Doctors program the defibrillator to fit the
patient using an external device. A defibrillator can be
implanted in the patient and replaces the need for the
external paddle (manual) defibrillators. Patients might
not feel any difference until the machine starts to work
And except that cardiology, we have some more in
medical industries, like in blood analyzer, diagnostic
imaging devices, and monitoring devices for
cholesterol or diabetic patients. They enable patients to
respond well to treatment based on the embedded
devices and their condition may be monitored
remotely by their doctor using the technology.

Figure 3: Defibrillators
8.2. Digital Flow Sensor
Digital Flow Sensor are used to measure respiratory
flow in patients. It also have some additional features
in this we need to set such as offset monitoring, self-
test functionality etc. These devices can measure
liquid flow, so such devices can monitor the drug
delivery functionality.
8.3. Fetal Monitor Electronic
Fetal heart monitoring is done during pregnancy,
labor, and delivery to keep track of the heart rate of
your baby (fetus) and the strength and duration of the
contractions of your uterus. Your baby's heart rate is a
good way to tell whether your baby is doing well or
may have some problems.
Figure 4: Fetal Monitor
Two types of monitoring—external and internal—can
be done.
8.3.1. External monitoring
You may have external monitoring at different times
during your pregnancy, or it may be done during labor.
External monitoring can be done by listening to your
baby's heartbeat with a special stethoscope. More
often, external monitoring is done using two flat
devices (sensors) held in place with elastic belts on
your belly. One sensor uses reflected sound waves
(ultrasound) to keep track of your baby's heart rate.
The other sensor measures the duration of your
contractions. The sensors are connected to a machine
that records the information. Your baby's heartbeat
may be heard as a beeping sound or printed out on a
chart. The frequency and duration of your uterine
contractions are usually printed out on a chart.
External monitoring is used for a nonstress test, which
records your baby's heart rate while your baby is
moving and not moving. A nonstress test may be
combined with a fetal ultrasound to evaluate the
amount of your amniotic fluid.
External monitoring is also done for a contraction
stress test, which records changes in your baby's heart
rate when you have uterine contractions. It may be
done to check on your baby's health if your baby does
not move enough during a nonstress test. It may help
predict whether your baby can handle the stress of
labor and vaginal delivery.
Sometimes external monitoring is done remotely
(called telemetry), without your needing to be
connected by wires to a machine. At some hospitals,
the sensors can send the information about your baby's
heart rate and your uterine contractions to a remote
monitor, usually at a nurse's station. Remote
monitoring allows you to walk around freely.
8.3.2. Internal monitoring
Internal monitoring can be done only after
your cervix has dilated to at least 2 centimeters (cm)
and your amniotic sac has ruptured. Once started,
internal monitoring is done continuously.
For internal monitoring, a sensor is attached to your
thigh with a strap. A thin wire (electrode) from the
sensor is inserted through your vagina and cervix into
your uterus. The electrode is then attached to your
baby's scalp. Your baby's heartbeat may be heard as a
beeping sound or printed out on a chart. Internal
monitoring does not use reflected sound waves
(ultrasound) for monitoring.
A small tube that measures uterine contractions may
be placed in your uterus next to your baby. The
strength and timing of your uterine contractions is
usually printed out on a chart.
Internal monitoring is more accurate than external
monitoring for keeping track of your baby's heart rate
and your contractions.
9. Existing Embedded Medical Devices
9.1. Pacemaker
 Pacemaker is yet another application of
embedded systems. A pacemaker is a small
device that's placed in the chest or abdomen to
help control abnormal heart rhythms. This
 device uses low-energy electrical pulses to
prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate.
 Pacemakers are used to treat arrhythmias.
Arrhythmias are problems with the rate or
rhythm of the heartbeat. During an arrhythmia,
the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an
irregular rhythm.
 Pacemakers can relieve some arrhythmia
symptoms, such as fatigue(tiredness)
and fainting. A pacemaker also can help a person
who has abnormal heart rhythms resume a more
active lifestyle.
 Doctors also treat arrhythmias with
implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs).
ICDs are similar to pacemakers. However,
besides using low-energy electrical pulses to
control abnormal heart rhythms, ICDs also can
use high-energy electrical pulses to treat certain
dangerous arrhythmias.
 Doctors recommend pacemakers for a
number of reasons. The most common reasons
are bradycardia and heart block. Bradycardia is a
slower than normal heartbeat. Heart block is a
problem that occurs with the heart's electrical
system. The disorder occurs when an electrical
signal is slowed or disrupted as it moves through
the heart.
 Before recommending a pacemaker, your
doctor will consider any arrhythmia symptoms
you have, such as dizziness, unexplained
fainting, or shortness of breath. He or she also
will consider whether you have a history of heart
disease, what medicines you're currently taking,
and the results of heart tests.
 A pacemaker consists of a battery, a
computerized generator, and wires with sensors
called electrodes on one end. The electrodes
detect your heart's electrical activity and send
data through the wires to the computer in the
generator.
 If your heart rhythm is abnormal, the
computer will direct the generator to send
electrical pulses to your heart. The pulses then
travel through the wires to reach your heart.
 Newer pacemakers also can monitor your
blood temperature, breathing, and other factors
and adjust your heart rate to changes in your
activity.
 Placing a pacemaker requires minor surgery.
The surgery usually is done in a hospital or
special heart treatment laboratory. You'll be
given medicine just before the surgery that will
help you relax and may make you sleepy.
 The surgery takes just a few hours, but you'll
stay in the hospital overnight so your health care
team can check your heartbeat and make sure
your pacemaker is working properly.
 Complications from pacemaker surgery are
rare. Most people can return to their normal
activities within a few days.
 Your doctor may ask you to avoid
vigorous exercise or heavy lifting for about a
month after your surgery. After you have fully
recovered from surgery, discuss with your doctor
how much and what kinds of physical activity
are safe for you.
 Once you have a pacemaker, you have to
avoid close or prolonged contact with electrical
devices or devices that have strong magnetic
fields. You also need to avoid certain medical
procedures that can disrupt your pacemaker.
 Let all of your doctors, dentists, and medical
technicians know that you have a pacemaker.
Your doctor can give you a card that states what
kind of pacemaker you have. Carry this card in
your wallet. You may want to consider wearing a
medical ID bracelet or necklace that explains
that you have a pacemaker.
 Your doctor will want to check your
pacemaker regularly. Some pacemaker functions
can be checked remotely through a telephone call
or a computer connection to the Internet. Your
doctor may ask you to come to his or her office to
check your pacemaker.
Figure 5: Pacemaker
Pacemaker batteries last between 5 and 15 years
(average 6 to 7 years), depending on how active your
pacemaker is. The wires of your pacemaker also may
need to be replaced eventually. Your doctor can tell
you whether your pacemaker or its wires need to be
replaced.
9.2. Pulse oximeter
Pulse oximetry is a simple, relatively cheap and non-
invasive technique to monitor oxygenation. It
monitors the percentage of hemoglobin that is oxygen-
saturated. Oxygen saturation should always be above
95%, although in those with long-standing respiratory
disease or cyanotic congenital heart disease, it may be
lower, corresponding to disease severity. The oxy-
hemoglobin dissociation curve becomes sharply steep
below about 90%, reflecting the more rapid
desaturation that occurs with diminishing oxygen
partial pressure (PaO2). On most machines the default
low oxygen saturation alarm setting is 90%.
Pulse oximetry does not provide information on the
oxygen content of the blood nor ventilation and thus
care is needed in the presence of anemia and in
patients developing respiratory failure due to carbon
dioxide retention, for example.
Principles of pulse oximetry
Oximeters work by the principles of
spectrophotometry the relative absorption of red
(absorbed by deoxygenated blood) and infrared
(absorbed by oxygenated blood) light of the systolic
component of the absorption waveform correlates to
arterial blood oxygen saturations. Measurements of
relative light absorption are made multiple times every
second and these are processed by the machine to give
a new reading every 0.5-1 second that averages out the
readings over the last three seconds.
Two light-emitting diodes, red and infrared, are
positioned so that they are opposite their respective
detectors through 5-10 mm of tissue. Probes are
usually positioned on the fingertip, although earlobes
and forehead are sometimes used as alternatives. One
study has suggested that the ear lobe is not a reliable
site to measure oxygen saturations. Probes tend to use
'wrap' or 'clip' style sensors.
Uses
Central cyanosis, the traditional clinical sign of
hypoxemia, is an insensitive marker occurring only at
75-80% saturation. Consequently, pulse oximetry has
a wide range of applications including

Individual pulse oximetry readings - can be
invaluable in clinical situations where
hypoxemia may be a factor - for example, in a
confused elderly person.

Continuous recording - can be used during
anesthesia or sedation, or to assess hypoxemia
during sleep studies to diagnose obstructive
sleep apnea. Peri-operative monitoring has not,
however, been shown to improve surgical
outcomes.

Pulse oximetry can replace blood gas analysis
in many clinical situations unless PaCO 2 or acid-
base state is needed. It is cheaper, easier to
perform, less painful and can be more accurate
where the patient is conscious (hyperventilation
at the prospect of pain raises PaO2).

Pulse oximetry allows accurate use of O2 and
avoids wastage. For example, in patients with
respiratory failure, rather than limit the use of
O2 to maintain hypoxic ventilatory drive, it can
be adjusted to a saturation of ~90% which is
clinically acceptable.

Neonatal care - the safety limits for oxygen
saturations are higher and narrower (95-97%)
compared to those for adults ] Pulse oximetry is
not yet a standard of care in the screening of
neonates for asymptomatic congenital heart
disease but may become so. It appears to be
significantly more reliable than clinical methods
alone, as shown by recent studies.[6]

Intrapartum fetal monitoring - there has been
some interest in the use of fetal pulse oximetry
in combination with routine cardiograph (CTG)
monitoring, although its use does not reduce the
operative delivery rate. [7]
Pulse oximeters are now used routinely in critical care,
anesthesiology, and A&E departments, and are often
found in ambulances. They are an increasingly
common part of a GP's kit. Pulse oximetry's role in
primary care may include
 Diagnosing and managing a severe
exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) in the community.
 Grading the severity of an asthma attack.
Where oxygen saturations are less than 92% in
air, consider the attack potentially life-
threatening.
 Assessing severity and oxygen requirements
for patients with community-acquired
pneumonia.
 Assessing severity and determining
management in infants with bronchiolitis.
Using an oximeter
 Resting readings should be taken for at least
five minutes.
 Poor perfusion (due to cold or hypotension) is
the main cause of an inadequate pulse wave. A
sharp waveform with a dichotic notch indicates
good perfusion whilst a sine wave-like waveform
suggests poor perfusion.
 If a finger probe is used, the hand should be
rested on the chest at the level of the heart rather
than the affixed digit held in the air (as patients
commonly do) in order to minimize motion
artefact.
 Checking that the displayed heart rate
correlates to a manually checked heart rate
(within 5 beats per minute) generally rules out
significant motion artefact.
 Emitters and detectors must oppose one
another and light should not reach the detector
except through the tissue. Ensure the digit is
inserted fully into the probe and that flexible
probes are attached correctly. Appropriately
 sized probes should be used for children and
infants.
 Oximeter accuracy should be checked by
obtaining at least one simultaneous blood gas,
although this rarely happens. Oximeters may
correct average oximeter bias based on pooled
data but this does not eliminate the possibility of
larger individual biases.
Future of embedded system technology in the medical
sector is bright. The fact is real that the medical field
will always be looking for new treatment and
diagnostic tools. And as technology increases medical
industry need that technology, there will be numerous
opportunities to dive into the market with new
software designed to fit specific medical device needs

Sources of error 10. References

 Pulse oximetry cannot differentiate between
different forms of hemoglobin. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embedded_system
Carboxyhaemoglobin is registered as 90% [2] http://www.efxkits.us/classification-of-embedded-
oxygenated hemoglobin and 10% desaturated systems/
hemoglobin, thereby causing an overestimation [3] http://www.quora.com/explain-the-components-
of true saturation levels. of-embedded-systems-and-classify-them
 Significant venous pulsation such as occurs [4] http://www.d3engineering.com/medicaldevices.ht
in tricuspid incompetence and venous ml
congestion. [5] http://www.embedded.com/education-
training/tech-papers
 Environmental interference vibration at 0.5-
[6] www.cis.upenn.edu/~roederer/homepage_files/pap
3.5 Hz, excessive movement and perhaps high ers/mcps-ieee.pdf
level of ambient light, including infrared heat [7] www.eetimes.com/author.asp?
lamps. section_id=36&doc_id=1287560
 Cold hands - warm extremity if local poor [8] www.clarinox.com/index.php?id=59
perfusion. [9] www.engpaper.com/embedded-system-research-
 Nail polish should be removed, as it may papers-and-projects-11
cause false readings. [10] http://blog.hsc.com/android/android-medical-
Intravascular dyes, such as methylthioninium device-development/advantages-of-developing-
android-medical-devices/
chloride, may also temporarily falsely reduce
saturation readings. [11] www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/00208
1
10. Conclusion
The benefits of implementing the technology of
embedded (hardware and software) into medical
Diagnostics and treatment are clear. That the
treatment which could only be provided manually by
practitioners now can be done by machines too that is
with the patients 24 hours. These types of devices are
also able to monitor critical health parameters
continuously helping in accurate diagnosis.
Embedded technology reduces the cost of freight to
send medical records. Instead of sending mail carrier
we can use fast telecom network. Also, using
embedded technology allows the physician to obtain
medical information about a patient. Physicians can
view the medical reports on an embedded software-
driven PDA which means the doctor-patient
consultation can happen much sooner than ever
before.
The application of embedded technology in the
medical field appears to have endless possibilities. The
benefits mentioned above are just some examples of
how the embedded systems make a difference to both
the patient as well as the medical staff.