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Patni Forays Into Embedded Applications-Medical Devices Segment
EHM News Bureau
Embedded applications today are being utilised to reduce telemedicine
costs. This is made possible through transmitting patient records over a telecommunication
network; and lowering of infrastructure and bandwidth costs. Furthermore, medical
records of the patients can now be viewed over hand-held devices such as PDA's
(powered by embedded applications) by doctors to provide instant consultation
to patients.
Patni Computer Systems is currently focusing on verticals
like medical electronics, which encompasses a range of equipment with embedded
applications for cardiac rhythm management, pacemakers, pacemaker programmers
and radiodiagnosis equipment like CT, MRI, X-ray and blood analysers.
Says Ajay Chamania, Senior Vice-President, Patni Computer
Systems, "Demands on the embedded systems vary from highly-optimised to
extreme fault-tolerant and predictable real time systems. With implantable organs
on the rise, there is greater acceptance for implanted electronic devices as
a mode for delivery therapy. These can range from patient monitoring to diagnostics
and are currently being used to treat cases of brachycardia, tachycardia, diabetes,
deafness and irregular breathing. Implantable electronic products include drug
pumps, monitors and delivery systems, cochlear implants and neurostimulators."
The engineering discipline required for developing these devices is extremely
stringent and zero fault tolerant (in terms of hardware and software).
"Products are, therefore, designed with added features,
thus reducing the cost and improving functionality," adds Chamania. The
company is also foraying into industrial automation, consumer electronics, storage
devices and automotive electronics in the product engineering services segment.
Medical and life sciences product development is being characterised
today with well-designed fail-proof product on one side and faster product cycles,
quicker technology adoption and interoperability on the other. Development of
these devices stretches the engineering skills of an organisation to its seams.
This has fuelled the role of embedded applications that form a crucial part
in the functioning of the medical devices segment and healthcare management.
According to Nasscom estimates, R&D outsourcing in the
Product Engineering Services (which also includes embedded software and offshore
product development) accounted for nearly USD 2.3 billion in 2004 and is expected
to touch USD 8-11 billion by 2008.
Therefore, the focus is on research and development in the
medical devices segment so that healthcare costs can be reduced, new devices
to be made available over a period of time and to make telemedicine more popular
by increasing its usability. "The emphasis is, therefore, on tesing in
a simulated environment to generate real time output for simulating any body
function," avers Chamania.
Other key players in the embedded application-medical devices
segment are Wipro and Satyam. It is estimated that the revenues from these electronic
applications will grow at an average annual growth rate of 18 per cent over
the next five years, resulting in a market worth USD 179 billion by 2009.
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