Zeitschrift für Gesundheit und medizinische Informatik

Medical Electronics Story

Abstract

Kazuo Maeda*

Abstract Aims: To clarify past history of medical electronics to further promote the studies on medical engineering. Methods: The hand-made medical electronic devices in obstetrics and gynecology were described with their circuits in vacuum tube age, transistor age, integrated circuit (IC) and large scale integration (LSI) ages then customized computer age have been experienced. Results: EEGs were studied to clarify abnormal brain function of eclampsia. The ECG deteccted abnormal cardiac function before gynecologic operations. Fetal diagnosis shifted to fetal heart rate monitoring because of insufficient detection of fetal distress by fetal electro-and phonocardiograms. Simultaneous Doppler fetal movement records and fetal heart rate highly clarified the pathologic process of asphyxia by using actocardiogram. Maternal, fetal and neonatal medicine was highly improved by the electronics devices in every progress stage. Conclusion and recommendation: The physicians and researchers must ask the supply of necessary complicated devices instead of their hand-making at present.