Real-time data acquisition system for monitoring patients in Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

In Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patient's physiological variables such as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, ventilation and brain activity are constantly monitored on-line, and medicine doses are given to ensure that these variables remain within desired limits. Such data are vital not only for on-line but also for off-line analyses and for medical staff training. Furthermore, in cases of deceased patients it is very important to retrieve these data in order to investigate the causes of deaths. This paper is introducing a design of a Real-Time Data Acquisition System for monitoring patients in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The proposed design is implemented on a standard personal computer (PC) and operating system without using any sophisticated hardware or interface devices.