If the medical device last used on you didn’t fail or cause electric shock, thank the optocoupler

The advanced level of technical capability displayed by today’s medical equipment is truly astounding. From the largest MRI machines to the tiniest of diagnostic devices, the breadth of this sector’s gadgetry leaves one feeling confident that no matter the medical situation, there’s a piece of technology out there that can help doctors and medical professionals accurately diagnose it.

Now, with more capable medical technology comes increasingly complicated circuitry design. And when the high-voltage circuits come in contact with the low-voltage circuits, catastrophic failure of the equipment can occur, resulting in failure of the system and / or electrical shock to persons in contact with it.

To mitigate this risk, optocouplers are used. But they’re not just any normal optocouplers — companies like Avago Technologies specialize in manufacturing optocouplers that protect the piece of medical equipment, its operator, and the patient on whom it is being used.

These optocouplers cover a range of functions, including:
• Isolating electrical circuits
• Empowering the operator with the ability to manage different voltages and impedances
• Suppressing electrical noise and transient interference
• Eliminating ground loops

Companies that specialize in manufacturing optocouplers for medical equipment produce many different types of this component. For Avago, this includes:

• Digital Optocouplers : These versatile logic-gate optocouplers can be used in plenty of different isolation applications, including power and motor control circuits, data communications, digital logic interface circuits, and more. Switching speed options range from 100 kbaud to 100 Mbaud.
• Isolation Amplifiers : These components provide electrically isolated signal buffering and amplification. Highlight features include high common-mode rejection, wide bandwidth, and high linearity. Avago’s isolation amplifiers are also immune to magnetic fields (unlike Hall Effect transducers), which make them ideal for use in applications like MRI machines and CT scanners.
• Gate Drive Optocouplers : These include highly integrated gate drive optocouplers with output drive current up to 5.0 A. They’re optimized for driving IGBT and power MOSFET devices for motor control and power conversion applications. Some other key features worth noting: VCE desaturation (DESAT) detection, active Miller clamp, undervoltage lockout (UVLO) detection, “soft” IGBT turn-off, and isolated open-collector fault feedback.

If you’re a circuit designer working on medical equipment and are considering optocouplers from different manufacturers, keep in mind the importance of certification. Companies like Avago Technologies make sure their optocouplers meet international medical safety standards requirements for both component level and application specifications prior to listing them for sale. 

If you’re interested in learning more about this technology, visit avagotech.com/optocouplers or go to avagotech.com/hermetic-optocouplers. 

You can also download the brochure via the link at the bottom of this article.