Clinical medical devices such as patient monitors, blood analyzers, and dialysis machines are primarily used in clinical and laboratory settings. Many of these devices are microcontroller or microprocessor based electro-mechanical instruments that use a common set of building blocks. These building blocks include power or battery control, a user interface (keypad, LCD monitor, and audio control), flash/EEPROM for data logging, and pump/motor control. They differ in the requirements for the sensor and signal conditioning circuitry as well as the mechanics. For example, a blood analyzer requires a centrifuge, and a hemodialysis machine requires a dialyzer (filter).

Microsemi SoC Products Group SmartFusion™ intelligent mixed signal FPGAs are an ideal platform for clinical applications. These devices integrate an FPGA fabric, ARM® Cortex™-M3, and configurable analog into a single device offering full customization, IP protection, and ease-of-use.