Sphere signs for medical ASIC development

Sphere Medical has selected AMI Semiconductor to design and fabricate a state-of-the-art sensor interface ASIC for its continuous arterial blood gas monitor, currently in development.

Sphere Medical has selected AMI Semiconductor to design and fabricate a state-of-the-art sensor interface ASIC for its continuous arterial blood gas monitor, currently in development.

The Sphere real-time blood gas monitoring solution - critical to monitoring a patient's respiratory system - includes a disposable sensor and AMIS sensor interface ASIC enclosed in a standard IV tubing set.

The blood gas measurements are output to a small bedside monitor.

This continuous monitoring approach offers clear advantages over central lab console analysers and portable cartridge-based analysers.

Clinical treatment decision-making will be much faster and therapies managed more effectively as clinicians no longer have to wait for critical patient data or miss significant events that traditionally may have gone undetected.

Peter Laitenberger, Vice President of Research and development at Sphere, commented on Sphere's selection of AMIS as its ASIC vendor by stating: "It's clear that the technical requirements of our sensor interface ASIC will push the boundaries of state-of-the-art signal acquisition and conditioning for physiologic monitoring systems".

"After a thorough evaluation of the leading circuit designers and foundry suppliers in the medical device market, AMIS demonstrated significant advantages in IP, process longevity, medical design focus and expertise, in addition to a first class system architecture consulting process".

The sensor interface ASIC solution includes a high-performance analogue subsection with an ultra-low-power analogue-to-digital convertor, temperature sensor, power management, and a communications interface.

Drawing on its medical mixed-signal expertise and long history of manufacturing high reliability products, AMIS design and fabrication experts will ensure Sphere's latest innovation swiftly goes into production.

"Sphere's continuous blood gas monitoring technology has the potential to enable dramatic improvement in the quality of critical care medicine", said Todd Schneider, vice president of the medical group at AMIS.

"We're excited to partner with Sphere to commercialise this innovative technology for the benefit of high acuity patients".

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