Practical real-time computing system for biomedical experiment interface

Many biomedical experiments require a precisely timed real-time (RT) comput er interface. Because commonly used desktop operating systems are inherentl y non-real-time, real-time laboratory computer systems are often based on o utdated DOS software or expensive proprietary real-time operating systems. Here we discuss a real-lime computing system, based on the free RT-LINUX op erating system, which we have developed for adaptive pacing control in a cl inical cardiac electrophysiology laboratory. This powerful, flexible, and i nexpensive system demonstrates that RT-LINUX is well suited for realtime bi omedical experiment interface. (C) 1999 Biomedical Engineering Society. [S0 090-6964(99)02102-5].