Hi,
I've just begun working on a new project for a medical device, and I'm in the early stages of deciding which RTOS we'll use.
To summarize the device, it's a medical device that will have a graphical user interface (and possibly a touchscreen), a control knob to set the power level, a footswitch, an RF power generator, and an 'applicator' that's connected to the system by a long cable.
The doctor will use the device by setting the desired power level using the knob (the knob position is read by the software), and when the footswitch is pressed, the device will deliver the appropriate level of RF energy to the patient via an applicator. During the 'treatment', the device will display the setpoint power level, the measured power level, the time in seconds since the treatment was started, and the temperature of the patient's tissue that's being 'treated'. The device will emit a beep tone every three seconds during 'treatment' to indicate that RF energy is being applied. When the doctor deems the 'treatment' is complete, he will release the footswitch, and the RF power will be turned off. Data aquisition (temperature and measured power level) will be performed every 10ms or so.
Of course the final device, including its software, will be run through rigorous testing and clinical trials as required by the US FDA. But it would be nice to select an operating system that has been used successfully in safety-critical (such as medical) applications, so that I won't be the first one going down that road with the OS we select.
At this stage, we have not decided which CPU will be used, but I suspect it will be a single-board computer (such as a PC/104 form factor) with an Intel x86 or compatible processor.
I am considering using embedded / RT Linux for this project, to help keep costs down by avoiding operating system per-copy royalty charges. How should I go about selecting a particular distro or Linux? I was reading about uCLinux, but it doesn't seem to have been ported to Intel x86 CPUs yet.
Any links or tips in selecting a particular version of Linux is appreciated!
David K