Sterling Medical Devices participated in the development of Controller Area Network (CAN bus) protocols. These are typically used to facilitate the communication between microcontrollers and devices without a host computer in automotive vehicles. However, a host of innovative medical device developers have latched on to this embedded network concept to provide “real-time control”.
As experts in the medical device network integration field, Sterling Medical Devices helped update an application system to implement CAN protocols, to interface between a Class III medical device and ancillary devices, and to communicate with third-party peripherals.
The first step was to review the existing design and implementation in order to ensure that additional functionality was added in a safe and timely manner. This allowed us to create a realistic, comprehensive plan. Then, we updated the existing software to allow communication using CAN, standardized industry protocols. To prepare the updated system for FDA/CE submissions, documentation and testing was performed.
The integration of CAN protocols into the medical device made the device’s communication more reliable and easier to integrate with third party devices, as CAN is an international standard.
