Multimicroprocessor system for online monitoring in a CCU

A real-time monitoring system for physiological signals, developed for patients in coronary care units (CCUs), is described. This system monitors the signals that have the greatest clinical value in a CCU environment (ECG and cardiovascular pressures), taking charge of detecting dangerous situations and of extracting information significant to the correct monitoring of the patient. The information it extracts, mainly from the ECG, is presented to the user in an ergonomic way using written reports and graphs which collect and compile the information, facilitating its interpretation. Some utilities have been developed to allow the user to modify certain monitoring conditions as well as to correct results derived from them, thereby improving the reliability of the monitoring process. The system uses a multimicroprocessor architecture (imposed by the need to perform a large number of tasks in real time) with a block based on the VME bus, charged with acquiring and processing the monitored signals, and an IBM-compatible PC/XT which is used as a system user interface and a massive storage device in which the information resulting from the monitoring of signals is stored.