Medical Instrumentation Signal Chains for Life Science Applications

The components that Analog Devices manufactures are some of the most efficient, smallest, and most accurate available on the market today - making them ideal for the medical industry. Below, learn more about specific Analog Devices offerings for specialized applications such as ventilators, in vitro diagnostics, dialysis, and infusion.

Jump to:  Ventilators   |    IVD - In Vitro Diagnostics  |  Kidney Dialysis   |   Infusion Pumps

Ventilators

As extremely critical medical devices, ventilators support or assist a patient’s breathing. Simply defined, they consist of an electrically driven turbine or diaphragm to mechanically deliver air to a patient’s lungs, and an embedded system to control pressure and flow. They have the ability to regulate oxygen levels, heat and/or humidify incoming air, and pressurize air according to patient needs. At a system level, ventilators need to:

• •  Have many modes of operation to target various and dynamic patient needs
• •  Have fast and precise adjustment of pressure and flow
• •  Have highly adjustable and accurate turbine speeds

In the following flow charts and table, see the signal chain of a typical ventilator and recommended Analog Devices parts for your design.

Table of Recommended Parts

Table of Recommended Parts: Isolation

Table of Recommended Parts: Power Management

IVD - In Vitro Diagnostics

IVD devices are an important tool for doctors to use during the process of helping patients get healthy. The IVD process allows for a small tissue sample to be removed from a patient, then analyzed in one of a few different types of machines. Depending on the outcome of the analysis, the patient can be discharged, prescribed treatment, or requested to undergo further testing. IVD devices are well established, but there are a few market trends currently underway:

• •  POC (point-of-care) diagnostics are making IVD equipment more widely available at clinics and also in patients’ homes
• •  In Vivo diagnostics enable testing without having to remove any tissue samples. This is accomplished through use of wearable or implantable devices
• •  Increased levels of automation allow for quicker, more accurate, and less labor-intensive testing

There are a few different categories of commonly used IVD diagnostics:

• •  Chemical: Analyte detection determines if substances, such as glucose, lactate, cholesterol, etc., are present and at normal levels
• •  Hematological: Blood testing evaluates things such as blood count, blood quality, protein levels, and presence of any bloodborne illnesses
• •  Microbiological: Infectious disease testing evaluates a sample for the presence of bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, or antibodies
• •  Molecular: DNA testing looks for abnormalities or variation in genetic code, and determines predisposition for certain diseases

In the following flow charts and tables, learn about signal chains for typical IVD devices and specialized products from Analog Devices that are ideal for this application.

Related Parts

• •  Pressure Interface: AD7124
• •  CDC: AD7142
• •  Temperature Interference: AD7124-4 and LTC2983
• •  Temp: ADT7320
• •  Backlight Control: ADP55xx
• •  CAP Touch: AD714x and AD715x
• •  Digital Isolators: ADuM220
• •  USB Isolator with Isolated Power: LTM2884
• •  USB Isolator: ADuM4160
• •  Audio Codec: ADAU17xx

Related Parts

• •  Buck/Boost Modules: LTM8056 (58Vin), LTM8054 (36Vin), LTM8055 (36Vin), and LTM4609 (36Vin extinductor)
• •  Buck Modules: LTM8071 (60Vin,5A), LTM8073 (60Vin,3A), LTM8074 (60Vin,1.2A), LTM4664 (58Vin, dual 25A), LTM8053 (40Vin,3.5A), LTM8065 (40Vin,2.5A), LTM8063 (40Vin,2A)

Kidney Dialysis

Globally, kidney disease is on the rise, leading to a commensurate increase in the need for dialysis treatment devices. These machines, which must be used 3 times per week for up to 4 hours at a time, help filter a patient’s blood to remove any impurities and to maintain an equilibrium of water and minerals in the body. There are two main types of dialysis treatment:

• •  Hemodialysis uses a filtering machine called a dialyzer, which is external to the patient’s body
• •  Peritoneal dialysis uses a part of the stomach lining called the peritoneum, coupled with a chemical called dialysate, to clean the patient’s blood. The peritoneum is semi-permeable, so it is able to function as a filter

In the following system schematics and tables, learn more about the layout of typical dialysis machines, and find out how components from Analog Devices can help in the design process.

Table of Recommended Parts: Sensor Inputs

Table of Recommended Parts: Vital Parameter Tracking

Table of Recommended Isolation Products

Table of Recommended Power Parts

Infusion Pumps

Infusion pumps are becoming increasingly common in the medical field. They allow for controlled administration of things such as nutrients or medications to a patient’s body. Key drivers of this expanding market include:

• •  The rise of chronic disease, in turn driving the need for more pumps and new pump technologies
• •  Reduction of errors such as over-administration of medication or pump malfunction

Proper dosing of medication is critical for patient care, so it’s imperative that new pumps must be highly accurate, simple to use, universally understood (between disparate hospital systems), and compliant with all applicable guidelines and regulations. The need for higher-tech, more reliable and accurate pumps has driven designers to seek out better components for their products. Analog Devices manufactures components that are particularly suited to the demands of this application, find out more below.

Table of Recommended Parts

Table of Recommended Isolation Products

Table of Recommended Parts: Power Management