Red Pitaya in Medical Industry
Red Pitaya STEMlab has proven invaluable in advancing cutting-edge medical instrumentation across various applications. Originally designed for broader engineering contexts, Red Pitaya platforms have seamlessly integrated into the life sciences arena, enabling innovation and miniaturization of medical solutions.
Key applications of Red Pitaya STEMlab in medical instrumentation include:
- Prototyping and Proof of Concept: STEMlab offers a versatile platform for quickly prototyping medical instruments, enabling rapid testing and iteration of sensor setups, signal processing, and user interfaces with its blend of analog and digital inputs and outputs.
- Sensor Interface: Facilitating seamless integration with a wide range of sensors used in medical devices, such as bioelectric sensors (e.g., ECG electrodes, EMG sensors), temperature sensors, and optical sensors, for real-time data acquisition and analysis.
- Signal Processing: Leveraging high-performance ADCs and digital signal processing capabilities to implement sophisticated algorithms for signal filtering, feature extraction, and machine learning in biomedical signal analysis.
- Control and Automation: Integrating into medical instruments to control actuators, pumps, valves, and other components. It enables developers to implement closed-loop control systems for regulating parameters like flow rate, pressure, temperature, and drug dosage.
- Data Logging and Storage: Supporting local data storage and transmission to external devices or cloud servers, essential for long-term data trends, clinical trials, and compliance with regulatory requirements in medical device development.
- User Interface Development: Allowing developers to create custom graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for medical devices, enhancing user interaction and data visualization through real-time data, status indicators, alarms, and interactive controls.
- Collaborative Development: Fostering collaboration among researchers, engineers, and clinicians through an open-source environment, accelerating innovation and sharing best practices in medical technology.
Overall, Red Pitaya STEMlab stands out as a versatile, cost-effective platform driving advancements in diagnostics, monitoring, therapy, and rehabilitation within the medical industry. Its adaptable nature and robust capabilities make it indispensable for innovators pushing the boundaries of medical technology.
These applications demonstrate Red Pitaya's versatility and effectiveness, making it an essential tool for engineers in these fields. Read more about them below.
Revolutionizing Biomedical Imaging: Portable Electrical Impedance Tomography with Red Pitaya
Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is widely used in the biomedical field due to its advantages of low cost, fast response, safety, absence of radiation, and non-invasiveness. A portable EIT system has been developed using the Red Pitaya STEMlab for biomedical applications. The Red Pitaya STEMlab is a versatile device used for voltage generation and data acquisition within the EIT system. This system includes a modified Howland circuit as a voltage-controlled current source, a high-speed analog multiplexer module, an 8-electrode array, and a personal computer. Results have confirmed that the developed portable EIT system, incorporating the Red Pitaya STEMlab, can measure biological tissues with high accuracy at a low cost.
Harnessing Red Pitaya for Advanced Bioimpedance Spectroscopy
In the realm of DNA hybridization, Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (BIS) stands out for its precision in characterizing molecular interactions. The Red Pitaya STEMlab board has been pivotal in this innovative approach, facilitating the design of a cutting-edge biosensor for DNA sequence detection. This project involved optimizing biosensor geometry to minimize the cell factor (Kcell), using CoventorWare software for accurate modeling and design. Additionally, the Red Pitaya STEMlab 125-14's rapid acquisition capabilities were crucial for measuring bioimpedance parameters, ensuring the biosensor's performance was both efficient and effective.
Project MICELI (MICrofluidic, ELectrical, Impedance): Revolutionizing Point-of-Care Testing with Red Pitaya
In a groundbreaking shift from traditional bulky lab equipment, the MICELI (MICrofluidic, ELectrical, Impedance) project showcases how compact, high-performance tools are transforming medical diagnostics. The project, detailed by Y. Roka-Moiia et al., demonstrates the use of Red Pitaya's STEMlab unit in prototyping an advanced Point-of-Care Impedance Platelet Aggregometer. This innovative device provides rapid and precise analysis of blood platelets, which are crucial for vascular health and tissue repair.
ECG Measurements with Red Pitaya
Tony Bauer, from the Chair of RF Engineering at Technische Universität Dresden, has repurposed the Red Pitaya board into sophisticated electrocardiogram (ECG) equipment. By designing a custom shield that amplifies and cleans the heartbeat signal, Bauer has transformed Red Pitaya into a precision tool for generating clear, accurate ECG graphs.
16-channel Electrical Impedance Tomography system
Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) involves injecting tiny currents into the body through a series of electrodes and measuring the resulting voltages. Variations in tissue conductivity are then used to create images of body parts, similar to traditional MRI scans, to detect possible anomalies. The Red Pitaya unit was programmed in MATLAB to generate the output voltage signal, acquire measurement data, and send the digitized information to a computer for post-processing. This experiment demonstrates that a low-cost setup can be highly effective and yield promising results, exemplifying what Red Pitaya units are all about: compact, powerful solutions for modest budgets.
Tabletop MRI: The OCRA Project at MIT
The OCRA (Open-source Console for Real-time Acquisition) project at MIT is revolutionizing MRI education with an innovative, low-cost solution. By leveraging the Red Pitaya board and other affordable components, MIT’s team has developed a highly effective MRI console for under $500. These educational scanners, now in use in 26 MIT classrooms, feature a 0.4T field strength and a 1cm imaging field-of-view. OCRA is empowering students with hands-on MRI experience while demonstrating the potential of open-source technology in advanced imaging.
Red Pitaya-Powered NMR Relaxation Spectrometers: Mk3 and Mk4
The evolution of NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectroscopy is being driven by the integration of the Red Pitaya unit into Lab-Tools' Mk3 and Mk4 spectrometers. Traditionally, NMR spectroscopy required bulky, high-precision equipment confined to the lab. However, the Red Pitaya’s compact size and powerful capabilities are transforming this landscape. By embedding this versatile FPGA-based unit into their spectrometers, Lab-Tools has created portable, high-performance devices that deliver precise material analysis in the field. The Mk3 and Mk4 models, now as compact as a credit card, exemplify the leap towards more accessible, field-ready NMR technology.
SDRLab 122-16 controlling low-field MRI application
MRI scanning technology can be considered one of the most important and useful imaging tools in the medical world. The core of the MaRCoS (MAgnetic Resonance COntrol System) consists of the Red Pitaya SDRLab 122-16 unit. Its two analog inputs are used for digitizing, while the outputs generate the RF transmit waveforms with a bandwidth of around 50 MHz, making it suitable for proton MRI at field strengths up to 1.17 Tesla
Red Pitaya at the heart of a 3D Robotic Ultrasound System
Ultrasound imaging is a staple in medical diagnostics, offering a safe and cost-effective alternative to traditional radiography and CT scans. Unlike the conventional 2D ultrasound that relies heavily on the operator's skill to mentally construct a 3D image, the integration of precise probe positioning and advanced data acquisition tools can digitally render detailed 3D images for thorough analysis. Philips Research's Wearable Ultrasound Platform (WUP) used the Red Pitaya STEMlab 125-14 unit, known for its 14-bit resolution, as the core element in this cutting-edge system. This integration enhances the accuracy and reliability of 3D ultrasound imaging, minimizing human error and advancing medical diagnostics.
Brain-Computer Interface with the Red Pitaya’s STEMLab 125-10
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) are transforming the way humans interact with computers by interpreting brain signals for direct communication. Initially inspired by medical applications, BCIs now extend their potential to entertainment, gaming, home automation, and human enhancement. A popular BCI method involves identifying brain signals related to imagined movements using EEG signals. In this project, an EEGNet-based architecture was implemented on the FPGA of the Xilinx Zynq 7010 system-on-chip (SoC), the core component of the Red Pitaya STEMlab 125-10. This integration showcases the powerful capabilities of Red Pitaya in advancing BCI technology, opening up new possibilities in human-computer interaction.
Magnetic Particle Imaging with Red Pitaya: The Future of Medical Diagnostics
Tomographic imaging modalities, such as MRI and CT, are essential for diagnosing various health conditions. Magnetic Particle Imaging, a new tracer-based technique, measures the concentration of tracers within the bloodstream. Leading this innovation are the Institute for Biomedical Imaging at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) and the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH). Together with their open software stack, the Red Pitaya DAQ Server, they use the STEMlab 125-14 to create a scalable and flexible system for signal generation and acquisition in their research.
Red Pitaya STEMlab helping medicine with new reporter cells (PATENT US10751715B1)
Reporter cell assays are useful probes of the biological function of a cell, yielding information on the status of the cell. This type of information is not easily obtainable from other classes of assays, such as binding assays or cell surface stains. While reporter cell assays have been performed within reaction well format or flow cytometry format, investigation of the status of at least one cell is not readily performed. There is need for improvement in this field to support basic biological research, pharmaceutical research and development, medical diagnostics, and treatment as well as for bioproduction of cells expressing useful biological/chemical species.
Red Pitaya STEMlab Used to Detect Antigens on Synthetic Surfaces and Modify Surfaces to Activate T Lymphocytes (PATENT US20200299351A1)
In biosciences and related fields, modifying the surfaces of apparatuses, devices, and materials that come into contact with biomaterials such as biomolecules and biological micro-objects can be highly beneficial. This patent describes reagents and methods for surface modification and functionalization aimed at activating T lymphocytes. In some applications, the Red Pitaya unit is utilized to measure the amplified voltage at a microfluidic device and adjust its own output voltage accordingly to ensure the measured voltage meets the desired value.
Red Pitaya STEMlab Used for Biological Sample Analysis (PATENT WO2021097449A1)
This patent document describes methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for analyzing biological samples. It details the process of identifying biological samples in multiple regions of interest within a microfluidic device, determining one or more types of regions of interest, assessing multiple characteristics of the biological samples, and counting the samples in a region of interest using a convolutional neural network.
Red Pitaya Used for Detecting and Isolating Biological Particles (PATENT US20210331166A1)
This patent document describes a method and device for isolating bacterial particles in a sample. The system uses a container with a material in a temporary fluid-blocking position to lower the orifice in the container. It includes a separation medium with lower electrical conductivity and higher physical density than the sample, positioned above the material. This setup supports sample concentration after the sample passes through the separation medium and is exposed to centrifugal force. A heating element liquefies the material to allow flow into a chamber, where an electrode array attracts and holds the subject particles. This system facilitates the rapid detection and isolation of particles from various sources, including animal, human, environmental sites, bio-industrial reactors, or food and beverage production facilities. It requires relatively small volumes and short incubation times, resulting in structurally intact particles for further analysis. The testing can be completed in a single unit, reducing technician manipulation, the number of steps, and cross-contamination.
Red Pitaya STEMlab Determining the Binding Affinity of Molecules (PATENT US20210270817A1)
This patent document describes a method and device for assaying the binding affinity between a first molecule and a second molecule in a microfluidic device. The Red Pitaya unit is used for waveform generation and for delivering the amplified voltage to the microfluidic device under test. In some embodiments, the Red Pitaya unit is configured to measure the amplified voltage at the microfluidic device and adjust its output voltage to the desired value.
Red Pitaya Included in Cellular Therapeutics Manufacture (PATENT US20220325240A1)
This patent document describes the process for creating cartridges used to manufacture a population of cells suitable for cellular therapeutic purposes. These cells can include immunological types such as T lymphocytes, including endogenous T cells (ETCs), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), CAR T-cells, TCR-engineered T-cells, or other engineered T-cells. The systems and methods described can be largely automated. The Red Pitaya unit is configured to measure the amplified voltage at the microfluidic devices.