Choosing the right OS for your medical device

I don't envy medical device manufacturers. They have to develop products that are both safe and reliable (read: invest time and money). They have to pass their products through rigorous certification processes (read: invest more time and money). And if that isn’t enough, they now have to develop products that are connected yet secure, sophisticated yet intuitive (read: invest still more time and money).

All this means one thing: When designing and developing a medical device, you have to get it right the first time. The cost of a false start is simply too onerous. Medical device manufacturers get this, which is why many choose their OS in the early phases of any new project. They understand that, as the software foundation for the device, the OS can make it a lot easier (or a lot harder) to implement complex features, achieve high reliability, and address regulatory requirements.

The question is, how do you choose the most appropriate OS? Choices abound: Android, QNX Neutrino, Linux, Windows CE — and let's not forget roll-your-own. All offer a unique feature set and all have their advocates.

Recently, Medical Electronics Design published an article to address this issue. The article, titled “Choosing the right OS for your medical device,” was authored by my estimable colleague Justin Moon. To read it, click here.