Datasheet

Thursday, 17 July 2003 MiniProject: Design Aspects Colin K McCord
EEE512J2 – Electronic Product Design Page 11 Chapter 3: Feasibility / Initial Design Approach
3.0. FEASIBILITY / INITIAL DESIGN APPROACH
The NHS (National Health Service) is in crisis, mainly due to years of severe under-funding, but partly
because of the extremely high cost of modern medical equipment, drugs and overpaid doctors. Medical
electronic equipment is expensive because they are low volume products that must be guaranteed to work at
all times as peoples lives depend on them. The ECG monitor is one of the most widely used electronic
medical device, if it is possible to produce a simple low cost product that works as well (or better) than the
expensive machines in use today, organisations like the NHS could save a lot of money. Clearly there is a
potential market, for a low-cost solution.
The ECG monitor proposed in this design brief must be low-cost, compact, accurate, reliable and comply
with all of the associated international standards. The product must be designed for use by the medical
community, allows attempts should be made to attract the use of the product by non-medical personnel (e.g.
sports related), hence increasing the potential market.
The low cost of the product should not be the only aspect to attract customers, the shape, form, aesthetics,
styling, tactile qualities / human interaction surfaces, visual interaction should be also considered. As
research shows that most humans buy on impulses (Looks, feel of the product) rather than the technical
aspect of the product because all products are expected to be technically perfect. Note most electronic
engineers don’t care what the product looks like, just the operation, hence they would be happy placing the
product in a standard square box, drilling a couple of holes for switches and knobs. It makes since for the
packaging to be design by a provisional designer and not an engineer.
3.1. Market Research and Information Analysis
Before detailed design, it is important to carry out market research on existing products. The researcher can
than analysis the information discovering if it’s realistic to produce a product that can complete with the
existing products. The following brief list of commercial products should be studied in detail: -
Biolog 3000i 12 Lead ECG System, [W13] Pocket-sized 12 lead ECG machine, [W13]
• 12 Lead ECG
Solution
• Biolog is a Small,
lightweight
• ECG Software
• Accurate, Reliable
and Rugged
• Backlit LCD screen
with 2,000
pixels/cm2
£1,639.13
• Light weight and
compact
• Stores Multiple
ECG's
• Infra red print option.
• Mains independent
operation
• E-mail ECG's.
• User selectable
display.
£2,344.13
12 lead ECG Acquisition Patient Cable, [W13]
ECG Machine (i) with LCD Display, [W13]
• ABS Plastic.
• Dependant on PC
(supplied by user).
• Complies with:
AAMI EC11; IEC
601-1; IEC 601-1-1;
IEC 601-1-2; IEC
601-2-25.
£1,586.25
• Simple to Use
• Single button
operation
• Accurate and reliable
• Dual Power supply
• ECG Interpretation
software.
£3,172.50