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Product category: Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: Texas Instruments (April 2001-March 2006) | Subject: MSP430F149
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 09 March 2005

Frugal MCU enables long life for battery
ECG

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Recom Managed Systems is using TI's MSP430F149 ultra-low-power MCU and analogue technologies in its battery powered high-fidelity biomedical signal processing and recording platform.

Recom Managed Systems, a leader in state-of-the-art heart monitoring technology, has selected TI's MSP430F149 ultra-low-power microcontroller (MCU) and high-performance analogue technologies as key elements for its battery powered high-fidelity biomedical signal processing and recording platform Recom's first product based on this platform, the Model 100, is an ambulatory patient heart monitor that uses patented signal processing technology to record a clinical quality electrocardiograph (ECG) signal in the presence of noise generated by the patient's body movements and ambient environment

The Model 100 provides up to 48-hours of real-time heart monitoring during patients' everyday activities.

Current ECG monitoring technologies are hampered by environmental noise and signal distortions or artifacts caused by body movements.

This interference makes the onset of heart disease more difficult to detect as many symptoms are often manifested in real-world situations that occur outside of a doctor 's office.

By significantly reducing these interfering factors during recordings, the Recom Model 100 helps general practitioners and cardiologists detect cardiac abnormalities when and where they occur more accurately than before.

When a patient wears Recom's Model 100 during daily activities, medical experts can collect extensive, continuous cardiac data over time and store this information for further analysis.

This data can establish a baseline to be used for detecting abnormalities or changes in basic bioelectric heart patterns.

This unimpeded, continuous tracking allows early detection of small changes that can indicate heart muscle deterioration.

Recom's Model 100 is a portable, high-performance embedded system that requires absolute lowest power and maximum reliability.

TI's MSP430F149 MCU, a member of the industry's lowest power MSP430 MCU platform, handles the Model 100's data acquisition and preprocessing.

The MSP430F149 integrates a powerful 16bit RISC CPU, 16bit registers, constant generators for maximum code efficiency and a 12bit analogue-to-digital convertor (ADC).

The digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) allows wake-up from low-power modes to active mode in less than 6us.

The device's core and peripherals, which are optimised for ultralow power, significantly extend battery life, keeps the Recom Model 100 ECG operating over a longer period of time and makes it a more cost-effective solution.

TI's leading performance analogue components also help provide the high quality signal processing and low power required by the Model 100.

These include TI's: INA2141U, a high-accuracy, low-power dual instrumentation amplifier offering wide bandwidth at high gain; OPA2349, an ultra-low-power operational amplifier with only 1uA quiescent current; ADS8345, an eight-channel, 16bit analogue to digital convertor (ADC) featuring 8mW power dissipation at 100kHz conversion rate and an onboard multiplexer; and the TPS62056, a synchronous step-down DC/DC convertor with up to 95% efficiency for power management.

"We have long trusted TI for the quality solutions we require", said Dr Budimir S Drakulic, Recom's Chief Technical Officer.

"By providing the highest performance analogue components and the ultimate ultra-ow-power MCU solution, TI has helped us obtain unprecedented high fidelity and ultra low noise ECG data in ambulatory environments".

The Model 100 is currently in market preference evaluation and is expected to be available in 2006 as part of a full diagnostic system.

The Model 100 has also received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Texas Instruments (April 2001-March 2006): contact details and other news
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