The microcomputer in medical instrumentation. Aspects of an automated monitoring system

The major technical trends in medical computing include sensor devices and artificial intelligence techniques. Use of the computer will render instruments more accessible and make them friendlier to the user. Examples include automation of gain setting in echocardiology and instant computation of M-mode data. In intensive care units, computers have become an integral part of patient monitoring over the last two decades. Third generation microcomputer-based systems are presently helping to solve many earlier problems. Features such as touch-sensitive keys or screens (eliminating keyboards) and integrated front-end are greatly increasing user acceptance. A new monitoring system developed at the Thorax Center for intensive cardiac patient monitoring and provided with these features will be described.