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Computer-on-modules in medical applications

By Christian Eder, Congatec

Computers play a truly vital role in modern medicine, although their service to patients is mostly hidden from direct view. The PCs which are
embedded into medical devices generally take the form of integrated COMs, or computer-on-modules. Thanks to these hidden helpers it is
possible to easily and efficiently operate modern medical devices. The Bormann MCA 001 combines COMs and Intel Atom technology to deliver
advantages to patients and medical staff.

4 rom x-ray and ultrasound devices, dialysis machines and mobile

terminals to patient data management, embedded PCs are a
key driver in improving medical care. The latest COMs have low power
consumption which means that they can be used in situations where
there is no fixed power supply, for instance at the site of an accident.
A doctor can capture comprehensive diagnosis data which is then
transmitted directly to the hospital via a mobile data network. This
enables the hospital to put all necessary arrangements in place before
the patient arrives.
Off the shelf COMs
In the past, the electronics for such highly specialised devices was
usually custom-designed. This meant that the computer part had
to be completely redesigned for each new device. Recent advances
in computer technology have led to a dramatic increase in the
development effort. With today's dense processor and chipset
packaging, for example, pin spacing in the Intel Atom Z530
processor is a mere 0.6mm, it takes a specialist to handle just the
layout requirements. However, COMs enable designers to real-
ise the low-power Atom processors without specialist know-how.
Standardised designs and pin assignments ensure that these mod-
ules can easily be integrated into specialised devices. To further
reduce costs and development times companies like Cognatec
provide detailed design guides and starter kits as well as reference
schematics and layouts. These all contribute to minimising both cost
and development risks from the outset.
Figure 1: Front view of the Bormann MCA 001 communications
device, with side view with docking station.
Additional advantages become obvious when a COM based device
needs upgrading. The specialised hardware on the carrier board and
the standardised computer module are implemented separately, so
that both sides are relatively easy to update. So, if all a developer wants
to do is implement a new processor generation because it is faster
and consumes less power, this can be achieved by simply swapping
the COM. This is possible because feature sets within the individual
COM families, such as the company's COM Express, XTX or Qseven,
are standardised. As a result, it is even possible to swap COMs from
different manufacturers.
When adding new features on the carrier board the COM remains
untouched. Changes and upgrades are much easier to perform than in
the past because the carrier board has lost some of its complexity.
Lifetime performance
Using components from the consumer electronics sector is avoided
as these usually become obsolete after one year. For this reason,
companies like Cognatec produce COMs that are equipped with
components that have a long-term availability. These include proc-
essors and chipsets from Intel which carry the embedded label.
These parts have a minimum manufacturer guaranteed avail-
ability of seven years. With adequate storage, this period can be
extended significantly as new or replacement components are usually
announced well in advance.
The mobile PC company, Bormann, has used COMs in the
Bormann MCA 001 (Figure 1), a robust, portable information and com-
munications device which gives authorised personnel real-time access
to patient data. The 10.4inch TFT display has a resolution of 1024 x
768 pixel and is supplied with a touch screen which allows stylus or fin-
ger control. It also offers, says the company, an intuitive user interface.
Programmable function keys also make system handling easier.
The communications device is based on a conga-CA COM Express
module (Figure 2), which measures just 95x95mm. The module is
equipped with the low-power Intel Atom Z530 processor, the Intel
UW15W system controller hub and several interfaces. The module
has integrated battery support, so that it can be used for mobile sys-
tems. The module uses a four-cell Li-Ion rechargeable battery which
guarantees operating times of more than four hours (Figure 3). Hot
swapping allows continuous operation, while replacement batteries
can be recharged on a separate docking station during service breaks.
The docking station comes with USB and LAN interfaces for connecting CONGATEC
additional peripherals such as a keyboard or mouse.
A 64Gbyte flash disk serves as mass storage which is connected via
SATA and can be expanded via a CompactFlash card. There is also
an integrated smartcard reader which can be used to encrypt data
for secure storage and transmission or for reading health insurance
card details.
Inside or outside transmission
All standard PC
operating systems
such as Microsoft
Windows and Linux
are supported as
well as any of the
embedded versions.
The module provides
a wide selection of
ports, which allows
Figure 2: The conga-CA includes the Intel
Atom Z530 processor and UW15W system numerous external
controller hub. interfaces to be imple-
mented. In addition
to USB, Gigabit Ethernet, WLAN and Bluetooth, even UMTS can be
used to ensure adequate communication whatever the application
requirements. The supplied UMTS module supports 3G/UMTS at up
to 7.2Mbit/s download and 2Mbit/s upload speeds. HSUPA, HSDPA,
GSM, GPRS and EDGE are also supported. The device is therefore
suitable for transmitting data within a hospital building but also from
a remote location, e.g. from the scene of an road traffic accident, to
a central data centre.
An integrated RFID scanner can be used to identify if a user is author-
ised to access the system. In the future it can also be used for clear
identification of drugs. Since RFID is not yet prevalent in all packag-
ing, it is also possible for the unit to read barcodes, using the built-in
camera or the dedicated 1D/2D barcode scanner. The 2Mpixel camera
is equipped with an auto-focus system and is used, for instance, to
document medical symptoms.
As the unit will be used in all conditions and all environments, it is
waterproof and can be disinfected easily. It is designed for both right-
handed and left-handed operation and weighs approximately 1.4kg.
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