Student Ground
Page 15
TMS
Microprocessors in Infusion Systems
Written By Actual Students
11/19/2011
Elizabeth Leon & Roy Ruiz.
Microprocessors in Infusion Pumps
A Look at the Abbot Plum A+
Technology is around us everywhere we go. In the past, computers were very rare and filled entire rooms. Technological developments of computer engineering have come a long way. Today some
computers can fit on the tip of a finger. This is not done without the development of microprocessors.
A microprocessor is an integrated circuit that contains the entire
central processing unit of a computer on a single chip. These have made
it possible for the development and advancement of so many different
devices that we find in our everyday lives, such as telephones, remote
controls, gaming systems, microwave ovens, calculators, automobiles,
IPods, and televisions. The uses of microprocessors make our everyday
living convenient and much more productive.
Microprocessors have also been very useful in the development of
medical devices. They have made it possible for the equipment and devices used to treat and provide care for patients of all kinds to do so
much more than they have ever before. One such device is the Abbott
Plum A+® infusion pump.
The Abbott Plum A+® Infusion pump is a general purpose infusion
device that provides precise, continuous, and controlled intravenous delivery of blood, fluids, and various medications to the vital organs of a patient. This infusion pump, released in 2000, has been designed to reduce
drug administration errors and help promote safe and on-time delivery of
medications. The Plum A+ system is very user friendly with a large LCD
screen, easy to read on screen instructions, dual channel infusion feature, and a large key pad. Microprocessor
technology makes this device very efficient
with little confusion for the user.
The microprocessor featured in this particular
pump is the Texas Instruments AM3517/05
Sitara ARM Microprocessor.
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