Some days, you're the instrument . . .
Brad Thompson, Contributing Technical Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 4/1/2005 2:00:00 AM
And some days, you're the device under test (DUT). In 18+ years of writing for Test &Measurement World, I've played the role of an instrument (if not an instrumental role) in exploring measurement trends and technology. On a damp Sunday just before Thanksgiving, I became a DUT and, for a few days, the center of attention for a batch of electronic instruments.Climbing a steep hill on my wife's and my daily walk, I experienced a crushing pain between my shoulder blades accompanied by loss of breath and a bout of sweating. When we reached home, the symptoms disappeared, only to return in force shortly after lunch. I phoned my physician, who ordered me to call 911 immediately.
Two members of our local rescue squad and one of our town's three police officers arrived within a few minutes, and shortly thereafter, an ambulance pulled into our driveway. Strapped to a stretcher, wired into a portable EKG system, and on my way to an uncertain future, I fended off my fears by discussing EKG technology with the ambulance technician.
At the hospital, I acquired a larger festoon of EKG test leads, a diagnosis—arterial blockage and a mild heart attack—and admission to the Intermediate Cardiac Care Unit. Two battery-powered intravenous pumps replete with colorful LEDs and LCD displays rounded out my electronics complement.
The following day, I received my very own alien implant: a 33-mm-long arterial stent installed with the assistance of real-time x-ray images displayed on a bank of CRTs for the surgeons' guidance and my edification. A day later and after an ultrasonic echocardiogram, I was sent home with a fistful of drug prescriptions, a new diet, and a cardiac rehabilitation plan.
Over the next couple of months, I attached myself to a short-range 610-MHz cardiac telemetry transmitter and exercised along with a roomful of other post-cardiac participants under the watchful eyes of the rehab unit's staff. A typical exercise machine's display features dozens of LEDs and a few digital readouts. As I pedaled, rowed, and climbed my way toward recovery, it occurred to me that equipping the exercise machines with their own telemetry systems could close the loop and simultaneously log exercise output along with patients' cardiac data.
All told, I received excellent medical and recovery care from the physicians and staff of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital. In addition, I came under indirect care supplied by the staff of biomedical engineers and technicians who calibrate and maintain a modern hospital's electronic instrumentation. That's a great comfort when you become a DUT.
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