The design of medical electronic equipment seems like a straightforward task, until you get into the details. Remember, as you know, this type of equipment is used in situations that range from home health care to surgical suites. Products used in the medical arena must perform, must be reliable, and must be effective, since they are frequently part of a life-saving process.
Many types of medical electronic equipment incorporate some type of alarm to indicate patient problems, equipment failure, or power interruption. In most cases these alarms are either audible or visual, but research has shown that audible signals can provide a strong sensory cue to establish the awareness of a situation. Simply stated, we can shut our eyes to block out the visual, but turning off our ears is a bit more difficult.
Read the full blog, A Guide to IEC 60601-1-8 and Medical Alarm Systems, on the Same Sky website.
