On enhancing diagnostic effectiveness of autonomous test structures for digital circuits of medical devices

The problem of reliability of medical electronic systems (EMD) controlled by a digital subsystem is discussed. The environmental security of EMD results from conformance to standards applying to design, manufacture, testing and implementation (in the USA, Department of Heath & Human Services, Food and Drug Administration and Quality System Regulation QSR [6]). These standards describe the whole life cycle of a device and apply both to hardware and software. However, it is impossible to eliminate completely all failures, faults and defects; some of them could have catastrophic effects to the environment. This is why digital circuit tests are of utmost importance to ensure reliability of digital systems, thus also proper diagnostics and care of the patient's health and life. The researches on design of more effective digital circuit self-testing and minimizing them are of particular significance in such important applications as medical procedures that use EMD.