Genericized Medical Device Architecture for Parallel Development
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of heterogeneous hardware and software configurations in medical devices prolongs product development cycles, hindering businesses' ability to quickly innovate and bring products to market, as each device requires unique configurations, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A genericized medical device architecture that includes a location-independent communications module, diagnostics module, hardware abstraction layer, and graphical user interface, allowing for parallel development and easy extension of medical devices, while maintaining common functionalities across multiple products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If heterogeneous hardware and software configurations are used for each medical device, then device functionality and adaptability are improved, but product development cycle time increases and complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into distinct layers: a common software platform layer that handles shared functionality, and device-specific hardware/configuration layers that provide customization. This segmentation allows parallel development of common components while accommodating device-specific variations, thereby reducing overall development cycle time while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
A universal software platform is implemented that can serve multiple medical device types through configuration rather than custom development. The platform provides common functionalities (user interface, data processing, communication protocols) that can be adapted to different devices, reducing development time while maintaining device-specific functionality through modular configuration.
2Reliability
If unique hardware and software configurations are developed for each medical device, then device-specific performance is improved, but development costs and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The architecture divides the system into a common platform segment and device-specific segments. The common platform handles standardized functions with high reliability through thorough testing, while device-specific segments are minimized and clearly defined, reducing overall development complexity while maintaining device-specific performance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
A hardware abstraction layer serves as an intermediary between the common software platform and diverse hardware components. This intermediary provides standardized interfaces that allow the platform to interact with different hardware configurations without requiring custom software development for each device, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining device-specific performance.
3Productivity
If parallel development of multiple medical devices is enabled through genericized architecture, then productivity is improved, but initial architecture complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The architecture is segmented into clearly defined modules and layers with explicit interfaces, allowing different device teams to work in parallel on device-specific components while the common platform is developed independently. This modular segmentation enables concurrent development without requiring teams to understand the entire system, improving productivity despite the sophisticated nature of the architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The common software platform and hardware abstraction layer are designed and standardized in advance before device-specific implementations begin. This preliminary action establishes a stable foundation that enables parallel development of multiple devices, as teams can immediately begin device-specific work without waiting for custom platform development, thereby improving productivity while the architecture complexity is managed through upfront planning.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and computer readable storage medium for providing a genericized medical device architecture common to a plurality of medical devices are disclosed. The architecture may comprise at least one diagnostics module associated with at least one of the plurality of medical devices, wherein the at least one diagnostics module is configured to monitor an operational status of the at least one medical device. At least one hardware abstraction layer may be associated with at least one of the plurality of medical devices, and may be configured to provide abstracted access to hardware of the at least one medical device.