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. 2016 Apr;2(2):78-83.
doi: 10.1136/bmjinnov-2015-000080. Epub 2016 Mar 14.

Open-source hardware for medical devices

Gerrit Niezen  1 , Parisa Eslambolchilar  1 , Harold Thimbleby  1
Affiliations

Open-source hardware for medical devices

Gerrit Niezen et al. BMJ Innov. 2016 Apr.

Abstract

Open-source hardware is hardware whose design is made publicly available so anyone can study, modify, distribute, make and sell the design or the hardware based on that design. Some open-source hardware projects can potentially be used as active medical devices. The open-source approach offers a unique combination of advantages, including reducing costs and faster innovation. This article compares 10 of open-source healthcare projects in terms of how easy it is to obtain the required components and build the device.

Keywords: Affordable; Global Health; Inventions.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Open-source CT scanner (Photo by Peter Jansen, image licensed under the Creative Commons BY-SA license).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Raspberry Pi Peristaltic Pump (Photo by Amber Fechko, image licensed under the Creative Commons BY-SA license).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Arduino (bottom, showing USB connector) and e-Health shield. UK £1 coin (2.25 cm diameter) for scale. (Photo by Patrick Oladimeji, image licensed under the Creative Commons BY-SA license).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Blood glucose meter connected to e-Health shield (Photo by Patrick Oladimeji, image licensed under the Creative Commons BY-SA license).
Figure 5
Figure 5
OpenBCI brain-computer interface (Photo by Wikimedia Commons, image licensed under the Creative Commons BY-SA license).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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