Freescale MCUs keep medical applications pumping

Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley 2010, SAN JOSE, USA: Medical electronics represents the fastest-growing opportunity for industrial semiconductors, with year-on-year growth expected to top 11 percent, according to Databeans.

Freescale Semiconductor increased its commitment to and investment in this growing market by introducing five microcontroller (MCU) product lines specifically designed to meet the rigorous demands of medical applications.

These MCUs draw extremely low power with stop currents of less than 450 nanoamps and integrate an LCD segment display, USB connectivity and advanced analog circuitry. As a result, Freescale medical MCU solutions can offer up to a 30 percent reduction in components, providing significant system cost savings compared to the leading competitor. These products are included in the Freescale Product Longevity Program, with a minimum of 15 years of assured supply from the date of qualification.

“With the introduction of these five medical MCU families, engineers have the power at their fingertips to design the medical equipment of tomorrow,” said Aiden Mitchell, director of industrial and multi-market MCUs for Freescale. “We’re creating best-in-class MCU solutions with the portable medical designer in mind, and these medical devices provide the accuracy, connectivity and flexibility that have become synonymous with Freescale products.”

The Freescale chips are tailored for the embedded medical market and are best suited for portable medical applications, such as blood glucose meters and heart rate monitors. Other applications include diagnostic and therapy solutions, such as electrocardiograms (ECG), patient monitors and medical lab equipment.

Freescale’s medical MCUs are also designed to meet or exceed the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) accuracy standards for specific portable medical applications like blood glucose meters.