Displays

Requirements for Medical Display Modules

Medical displays are not simply “brighter and more expensive monitors”. They are system-level engineering products, covering optics, electronics, grayscale fidelity, long-term stability, and regulatory compliance.

This blog provides a technical, engineering-oriented breakdown, clearly distinguishing:

  • Mandatory requirements
  • Advanced requirements for high-end or diagnostic-grade displays

1. Classification of Medical Displays

Grade Typical Use Cases Stringency
Observation / Clinical Review OR auxiliary displays, patient monitoring, endoscopy, PACU, bedside viewing ★★★☆☆
Clinical (General Clinical Use) Routine clinical image review, department workstations ★★★★☆
Diagnostic Radiology, mammography, pathology, image-based diagnosis ★★★★★

Important:
Most products marketed as “medical displays” only meet observation-grade requirements.
True diagnostic-grade displays are far more demanding, with a significant cost gap.

 

2. Optical & Display Core Requirements (Most Critical)

2.1 Resolution & Size Matching (Mandatory)

Principle:

  • Image pixel resolution should match the native panel resolution
  • Strong interpolation or upscaling that affects diagnostic fidelity is unacceptable

 

2.2 Luminance (Brightness) (Mandatory / Stricter for Diagnostic)

Grade Typical Peak Luminance
Observation ≥ 300 cd/m²
Clinical ≥ 400 cd/m²
Diagnostic ≥ 1000 cd/m² (Mammography ≥ 2000 cd/m²)

Requirements:

  • Long-term luminance decay ≤ 10–15%
  • Stable operation under continuous use

Common Techniques:

  • LED constant-current backlight driving
  • Integrated luminance sensor (for closed-loop control)

 

2.3 Contrast Ratio & Black Level (Mandatory)

Typical Targets:

  • Observation / Clinical: ≥ 1000:1
  • Diagnostic: ≥ 1500–2000:1

Black level must be minimized, especially for lung and soft-tissue visualization.

 

2.4 Grayscale Performance & DICOM GSDF (Mandatory for Diagnostic)

This is one of the fundamental differentiators of medical displays.

  • Diagnostic displays must comply with DICOM Part 14 (GSDF)
  • Displays without DICOM GSDF compliance cannot legally be marketed as diagnostic displays

Technical Requirements:

  • True 10-bit grayscale (1024 levels)
  • Diagnostic-grade commonly uses 12-bit LUT + 10-bit panel
  • Long-term grayscale consistency without drift
  • Support for automatic or semi-automatic DICOM calibration

 

2.5 Color Performance (Application-Dependent)

Application Color Requirement
Ultrasound / Monitoring sRGB, 8-bit sufficient
Endoscopy / Surgery High color gamut & color accuracy
Pathology High color accuracy, ΔE ≤ 2

High-end configurations:

  • Adobe RGB ≥ 90%
  • True 10-bit color depth
  • Long-term color stability

 

3. Stability & Reliability (Critical for Medical Use)

3.1 Long-Term Stability & Aging (Mandatory / Diagnostic Critical)

  • 24/7 continuous operation
  • Aging tests ≥ 10,000–50,000 hours
  • Controlled drift in luminance, grayscale, and color

 

3.2 Luminance Uniformity (Mandatory / Diagnostic Critical)

Grade Uniformity Target
Clinical ≥ 80–85%
Diagnostic ≥ 90–95%

Typical Techniques:

  • Panel-level zone compensation
  • Factory uniformity correction LUTs

 

3.3 Viewing Angle Consistency (Mandatory)

  • IPS or equivalent wide-view technology
  • No grayscale distortion with viewing angle changes (critical for diagnosis)

 

4. Hardware & Mechanical Design (Often Underestimated)

4.1 Electrical Interface (Mandatory)

Common Interfaces:

  • DisplayPort (preferred)
  • DVI (legacy systems)
  • HDMI (not preferred for medical-critical use)

Requirements:

  • Stable high-resolution output
  • EMI robustness for medical environments

 

4.2 Surface, Housing & Medical Environment Compatibility (Mandatory)

  • Easy to clean
  • Resistant to disinfectants

Optional Enhancements:

  • Liquid ingress protection (IPx1 / IPx2)
  • White or medical-gray surfaces to reduce reflections

 

4.3 Power System Reliability (Mandatory)

  • Medical-grade power design
  • Strong EMI / ESD immunity
  • Strict leakage current control

 

5. Software & Quality Control (Invisible Core)

QA / QC System (Mandatory for Diagnostic)

  • Individual factory calibration report per unit
  • Per-unit LUT calibration
  • Full serial-number traceability

 

6. Regulatory & Compliance (Critical)

Category Standard
Electrical Safety IEC 60601-1
EMC IEC 60601-1-2
Medical Software IEC 62304
China NMPA (formerly CFDA)
USA FDA (Class I / II)
EU CE / MDR

DICOM Compliance Declaration (Diagnostic Mandatory):

  • Explicit statement of DICOM Part 14 support
  • Test and validation documentation

 

7. Engineering Summary

Observation-Grade Medical Displays (Most Common)

  • IEC 60601 compliant
  • Stable luminance & reliability
  • DICOM GSDF not mandatory

True Diagnostic Medical Displays

  • Full DICOM GSDF pipeline
  • Stable grayscale & uniformity
  • 12-bit LUT + luminance sensor
  • Calibration & QA systems
  • Cost typically 3–10× consumer displays

 

8. Observation-Grade Medical Display Module Requirements

(LCD Module Level)

Observation-grade ≈ clinical review, monitoring, surgical viewing
Not used for final diagnosis
Requirements are relaxed compared to diagnostic grade, but still governed by IEC 62563-1

 

8.1 Optical Performance (Panel-Level)

Resolution & Pixel Density

  • Common: FHD (1920×1080), 1920×1200, 2560×1440
  • Recommended pixel pitch ≤ 0.27 mm

Grayscale

  • Minimum 8-bit
  • Preferred: 8-bit + FRC (~10-bit equivalent)

 

8.2 Luminance / Contrast / Uniformity

  • Typical peak luminance: 350–400 cd/m²
  • Calibrated working luminance: ≥ 250–300 cd/m²
  • Contrast ratio: ≥ 1000:1
  • Black level: ≤ 0.3 cd/m² (at working luminance)
  • Uniformity: ≥ 80–90% (min/center)

 

8.3 Panel Technology & Viewing Angle

  • IPS / ADS preferred
  • Viewing angle ≥ 178° / 178°
  • TN panels are not acceptable

 

8.4 Grayscale Linearity & Gamma

  • Stable Gamma 2.2 default
  • Smooth grayscale transitions, no banding
  • Reserve headroom for future DICOM calibration

 

8.5 Color Performance (Color-Critical Observation)

  • ≥ 100% sRGB
  • Optional: ≥ 95% DCI-P3
  • ΔE_avg < 2–3 after calibration
  • White point: D65 (≈ 6500K)

 

8.6 Stability & Aging

  • Backlight constant-current control
  • Temperature compensation
  • Target lifetime: 30k–50k hours
  • Reserved positions for luminance / temperature sensors

 

8.7 Electrical & Interface

  • eDP 1.2+ or dual-channel LVDS
  • 8/10-bit support
  • ≥ 60 Hz refresh (video/endoscopy: 75–120 Hz recommended)
  • PWM + DC dimming with flicker control
  • Wide dimming range (1–10% to 100%)

 

8.8 Mechanical & Environmental Design

  • Support optical bonding
  • AG / AR / AF surface treatment
  • Alcohol & disinfectant resistance
  • Thermal design suitable for 7×24 operation

 

9. Typical Applications (Observation-Grade)

9.1 Life-Support & Therapy Devices (Bedside / OR)

These are classic observation-grade displays: continuous viewing, safety-critical, but not image-diagnostic.

Respiratory & Critical Care

  • Ventilators
    • ICU ventilators
    • Transport ventilators
    • Anesthesia ventilators
    • Neonatal ventilators
  • Resuscitators
    • Manual & automated resuscitation systems
  • CPAP / BiPAP devices (clinical versions)
  • Oxygen concentrators (hospital-grade)

Display role:
Waveforms, numeric parameters, alarms, trends

 

9.2 Infusion & Drug Delivery Systems

All are observation-grade, even though they are safety-critical.

Pumps

  • Infusion Pumps
    • Volumetric infusion pumps
    • Smart infusion pumps
  • Syringe Pumps
  • PCA Pumps (Patient-Controlled Analgesia)
  • Insulin infusion systems (hospital use)
  • Enteral feeding pumps

Display role:
Dosage, flow rate, volume, time remaining, alarms

 

9.3 Patient Monitoring Devices

Vital-Signs Monitoring

  • ECG Monitors
  • Multi-parameter Monitors
    • ECG
    • SpO₂
    • NIBP / IBP
    • Respiration
    • Temperature
  • Bedside monitors
  • Central monitoring stations (viewing-only screens)

Neuro / Physiological Monitoring

  • EEG monitors (routine monitoring)
  • EMG monitors
  • Sleep monitoring systems

Borderline:
EEG used for research or clinical monitoring → Observation
EEG used for formal neurological diagnosis → Diagnostic-adjacent

 

9.4 Imaging Devices (Viewing, Not Diagnosis)

These are very common sources of confusion.

Ultrasound

  • Ultrasound systems (real-time viewing)
  • Portable ultrasound
  • POCUS (Point-of-Care Ultrasound)

Diagnostic decisions are often made with ultrasound,
but the display itself is usually observation-grade, not DICOM-calibrated.

9.5 Endoscopy & Surgical Visualization

Endoscopic Systems

  • Gastroscopes
  • Colonoscopes
  • Bronchoscopes
  • Laparoscopes
  • Arthroscopes
  • Ureteroscopes

Surgical Displays

  • OR surgical monitors
  • Surgeon-side displays
  • Assistant displays

Display role:
Real-time color video, motion clarity, low latency

Key point:
These are never diagnostic-grade displays, even though surgeons make decisions while viewing them.

 

9.6 Emergency & Acute Care Equipment

  • Defibrillators
    • AEDs
    • Manual defibrillators
  • Patient transport monitors
  • Ambulance monitors
  • Portable emergency monitors

 

9.7 Laboratory & Clinical Instruments

Analytical Devices

  • Blood glucose meters
  • Alcometers (breath alcohol testers)
  • Blood gas analyzers
  • Coagulation analyzers
  • Immunoassay analyzers

Lab Equipment

  • Centrifuges
  • Incubators
  • Blood cell counters
  • Urine analyzers

Display role:
Results display, status, workflow, alarms

 

9.8 Renal & Long-Term Therapy Devices

  • Dialysis machines
    • Hemodialysis
    • Peritoneal dialysis
  • CRRT systems

 

9.9 Medical IT & Workflow Displays

  • Digital medical records terminals
  • Nurse station displays
  • Clinical workflow panels
  • Medication administration record (MAR) terminals
  • Bedside information displays
  • Patient-facing displays (education/status)

 

9.10 Rehabilitation & Assistive Devices

  • Physiotherapy equipment
  • Rehabilitation robots
  • Gait analysis systems
  • Patient feedback terminals

 

9.11 Portable & Home-Care Medical Devices (Clinical Grade, Not Consumer)

  • Hospital-grade portable monitors
  • Home dialysis systems (clinical versions)
  • Remote patient monitoring hubs
  • Telemedicine carts (display side)

 

Summary Table (Quick Reference)

Category Observation-Grade? Notes
Ventilators Yes Safety-critical, non-diagnostic
Infusion / Syringe / PCA pumps Yes Numeric + alarm displays
ECG / Multi-parameter monitors Yes Diagnostic logic elsewhere
EEG (routine monitoring) Yes Diagnostic only if formal neuro
Ultrasound displays Yes Typically not DICOM
Endoscopy / Surgical displays Yes Video accuracy > grayscale
Defibrillators Yes Numeric + waveform
Dialysis machines Yes Continuous monitoring
Blood glucose meters Yes Result display
Lab analyzers Yes Data review only
EMR / Nurse station displays Yes Workflow viewing

 

10. Common Display sizes for Observation-Grade Medical Applications

Application → Optimal Panel Size (Small → Large)

Medical Application Typical Viewing Distance Info Density Recommended Panel Size(s) Why This Size Is Optimal
Blood Glucose Meter Handheld (30–40 cm) Low 3.5″ Numeric + simple graphs; handheld ergonomics dominate
Alcometer (Breath Alcohol Tester) Handheld Very Low 3.5″ Digits, icons, pass/fail status only
Portable Pulse Oximeter Handheld Low 3.5″ → 4.3″ SpO₂, pulse waveform; 4.3″ improves readability
Syringe Pump Bedside (0.5–1 m) Low–Medium 4.3″ → 5″ Flow rate + alarms; must be readable at angle
PCA Pump Bedside Medium 4.3″ → 5″ Adds patient status + lockout info
Infusion Pump Bedside Medium 5″ Multiple parameters + trend visibility
Portable ECG Monitor Bedside / Transport Medium 5″ → 7″ Waveform clarity becomes important
Patient Monitor (Basic) Bedside Medium 7″ Multi-wave + numeric panels
Ventilator Bedside Medium–High 7″ → 10.1″ Loops, waveforms, settings simultaneously
Resuscitator / Emergency Ventilation Unit Mobile / Emergency Medium 7″ Quick recognition, gloves, harsh lighting
Defibrillator (Manual / AED) Emergency Medium 7″ ECG waveform + prompts + alarms
Multi-Parameter Monitor ICU / OR High 10.1″ → 12.1″ ECG, SpO₂, BP, CO₂, trends
EEG Monitor (Bedside) Clinical workstation High 10.1″ → 12.1″ Dense waveforms; longer observation
Centrifuge Control Panel Equipment front panel Medium 5″ → 7″ Parameters + program selection
Ultrasound (Portable) Near-field viewing High 10.1″ Image interpretation needs area
Ultrasound (Cart-based) Workstation Very High 12.1″ → 15.6″ Imaging clarity over portability
Endoscopy Processor (Gastroscope) OR cart High 10.1″ → 15.6″ Color accuracy + detail
Dialysis Machine Bedside Medium–High 10.1″ Treatment duration + trends
Digital Medical Records Terminal Nurse station Medium 10.1″ → 15.6″ Readability + touch usability

 

Key Engineering Patterns

10.1 Small Control Devices → 3.5″ / 4.3″

Common traits

  • Handheld or single-hand operation
  • Numeric-dominant UI
  • BOM-sensitive
  • Battery powered

Typical platform

  • 3.5″ or 4.3″ TFT
  • 480×272 or 800×480
  • RGB or LVDS
  • 400–600 nits

 

10.2 Bedside Therapy Devices → 5″ / 7″

Common traits

  • Must be readable from 0.5–1 m
  • Waveforms + numeric overlays
  • Gloved operation
  • Continuous 24/7 use

Typical platform

  • 5″ or 7″ TFT
  • 800×480 / 1024×600 / 1280×800
  • IPS, wide angle
  • High contrast + stable backlight

 

10.3 Monitoring & Imaging Consoles → 10.1″+

Common traits

  • Multi-parameter visualization
  • Trend charts + waveforms
  • Longer viewing sessions
  • Less BOM pressure, more reliability pressure

Typical platform

  • 10.1″ / 12.1″ TFT
  • 1280×800 / 1920×1080
  • Optical bonding
  • Tight uniformity & color stability

Platform-Unification View (What You Can Reuse)

Platform Size Can Serve Applications
3.5″ Glucose, alcohol, small handheld monitors
4.3″ Syringe pumps, PCA pumps, portable oximeters
5″ Infusion pumps, transport ECG
7″ Ventilators, defibrillators, bedside monitors
10.1″ ICU monitors, dialysis, ultrasound, endoscopy
  • A 5-SKU panel strategy can realistically cover 90% of observation-grade devices

 

11. System-level, engineering-oriented mapping

11.1 Full list of Observation-Grade Medical Applications (practical scope)

Observation-grade = not for final diagnosis, but for monitoring, control, visualization, workflow, and guidance.

Life-support & Therapy Devices

  • Ventilators / Respirators
  • Anesthesia machines
  • Dialysis machines
  • Oxygen concentrators
  • Resuscitators
  • Defibrillators

Infusion & Drug Delivery

  • Infusion pumps
  • Syringe pumps
  • PCA pumps (patient-controlled analgesia)
  • Enteral feeding pumps

Monitoring & Vital Signs

  • ECG monitors
  • EEG monitors
  • Multi-parameter monitors (ECG + SpO₂ + NIBP + Temp)
  • Fetal monitors
  • Bedside monitors
  • Transport monitors

Imaging (non-diagnostic display role)

  • Ultrasound front panels
  • Ultrasound secondary displays
  • Endoscopy systems (gastroscope, colonoscope)
  • Surgical camera systems
  • C-arm auxiliary displays

Laboratory & Point-of-Care

  • Blood glucose meters
  • Blood gas analyzers
  • Alcometers
  • Centrifuges
  • Hematology analyzers
  • Immunoassay analyzers

Emergency & Transport

  • Ambulance monitors
  • Portable ultrasound
  • Portable ventilators
  • Emergency carts

Clinical IT & Workflow

  • EMR terminals
  • Nurse station displays
  • Bedside information terminals
  • Medical tablets / HMIs

 

11.2 Mapping Table: Application → Optimal Panel Size (Small → Large)

Rule of thumb

  • Data-centric → small
  • Waveform-centric → medium
  • Image-centric → large
Application Optimal Size Acceptable Range Rationale
Blood glucose meter 3.5″ 3.2–4.3″ Numeric-dominant, battery device
Alcometer 3.5″ 3.2–4.3″ Simple UI, handheld
Syringe pump 3.5″ 3.5–4.3″ Rate + volume + alerts
PCA pump 3.5″ 3.5–4.3″ Button-driven UI
Infusion pump 4.3″ 4.3–5″ Better trend & alarms
Ventilator (compact) 5″ 4.3–7″ Waveforms + loops
Ventilator (ICU) 7″ 7–10.1″ Multiple waveforms
ECG monitor (basic) 5″ 5–7″ ECG + vitals
Multi-parameter monitor 7″ 7–10.1″ ECG + SpO₂ + NIBP
Transport monitor 5″ 4.3–7″ Power-limited
EEG monitor (bedside) 7″ 7–10.1″ Multi-channel waves
Endoscopy control unit 10.1″ 7–12.1″ Image + menu
Ultrasound (secondary) 10.1″ 10.1–12.1″ Image-centric
Dialysis machine 10.1″ 7–12.1″ Process visualization
Defibrillator 5″ 4.3–7″ ECG + prompts
EMR bedside terminal 10.1″ 10.1–15.6″ Text + UI

 

11.3 Mapping: Application → SoC / Interface / Power Profile

This is where platform reuse becomes clear.

Small Panel Platform (3.5″–4.3″)

Typical Applications

  • Syringe pump
  • PCA pump
  • Glucose meter
  • Alcometer

SoC

  • STM32F4 / F7 / H7
  • NXP i.MX RT
  • GD32 / Renesas RA
  • No GPU required

Interface

  • RGB 16/18/24-bit
  • MCU-driven TFT
  • SPI + RGB hybrid

Power Profile

  • Backlight: 1–2 W
  • Total display module: < 3 W
  • Battery-friendly

Display Characteristics

  • 400–600 nits
  • 800:1–1000:1
  • 8-bit or 8-bit+FRC
  • PWM + DC dimming mandatory

 

Medium Panel Platform (5″–7″)

Typical Applications

  • Ventilators
  • ECG monitors
  • Infusion pumps
  • Defibrillators
  • Transport monitors

SoC

  • NXP i.MX6ULL / i.MX7
  • Allwinner T113 / V3
  • Rockchip RK3308
  • Sitara AM335x

Interface

  • RGB (low end)
  • LVDS (most common)
  • Single-lane eDP (emerging)

Power Profile

  • Backlight: 3–6 W
  • Module total: 4–8 W

Display Characteristics

  • ≥500 nits
  • IPS mandatory
  • 60–75 Hz
  • Optical bonding highly recommended

 

Large Panel Platform (10.1″–12.1″)

Typical Applications

  • Dialysis
  • Ultrasound UI
  • Endoscopy processors
  • Multi-parameter ICU monitors

SoC

  • NXP i.MX8M / i.MX8MP
  • Rockchip RK3566 / RK3568
  • TI AM62 / AM64
  • Qualcomm QCS (high-end)

Interface

  • eDP (preferred)
  • Dual-channel LVDS (legacy)
  • MIPI-DSI (tablet-like designs)

Power Profile

  • Backlight: 6–12 W
  • Module total: 8–15 W

Display Characteristics

  • 500–800 nits
  • Better uniformity
  • Optional touch (PCAP)
  • Strong EMI design required

 

11.4  Extracted Common Denominators → One Platform Module Strategy

 What all observation-grade devices share

Dimension Common Requirement
Display type IPS / ADS only
Brightness ≥400 nits
Operation 24/7 capable
EMI IEC 60601-1-2 ready
Backlight DC + PWM dimming
Temperature −10 to +60 °C panel-safe
Lifetime ≥30k–50k hours
Cleaning Alcohol-resistant front

 

Recommended Platform Family

Platform Size Interface Target Devices
Platform-S 3.5″/4.3″ RGB Pumps, meters
Platform-M 5″/7″ LVDS Ventilator, ECG
Platform-L 10.1″ eDP Dialysis, ultrasound

Each platform:

  • Same backlight driver architecture
  • Same optical bonding strategy
  • Same reliability qualification flow
  • Different glass & resolution only

11.5 MCU, low end MPU, MPU and Soc Explained

MCU (Microcontroller Unit)

  • Single-chip control brain
  • CPU + Flash + SRAM + peripherals on one die
  • Typically no external DRAM
  • Runs bare-metal or RTOS (FreeRTOS, Zephyr)

Key characteristics

Aspect MCU
OS Bare-metal / RTOS
External DRAM ❌ No
MMU ❌ No
Clock ~50–300 MHz
Power Very low
Cost Very low
Boot time Instant

Display capability

  • Small displays only
  • RGB, SPI, 8080 interface
  • Simple UI (numbers, icons, basic waveforms)

Examples

STMicroelectronics

  • STM32F4 / F7 / H7
    (H7 can do small LCD + simple graphics)

NXP

  • LPC55xx
  • i.MX RT1060 / RT1170 (MCU but very fast)

Microchip

  • SAM E70

Medical use cases

✔ Syringe pumps
✔ PCA pumps
✔ Simple infusion pumps
✔ Blood glucose meters
✔ Small ECG transport monitors

Rule of thumb:

If UI is simple, deterministic, and safety-critical → MCU wins

Low-End MPU (Entry-Level Application Processor)

This category sits between MCU and full MPU

  • Application processor without GPU
  • External DDR memory
  • Often no MMU or very limited graphics acceleration
  • Can run Embedded Linux or RTOS

Key characteristics

Aspect Low-end MPU
OS RTOS / Embedded Linux
External DRAM  Yes
MMU  Limited
GPU  No
Clock ~400–800 MHz
Power Low–medium
Cost Low

Display capability

  • 4.3″–7″ LCD
  • RGB / LVDS / MIPI-DSI
  • Moderate UI complexity

Examples

NXP

  • i.MX6ULL
  • i.MX7ULP

Microchip

  • SAMA5D27

Allwinner

  • F1C200s / V3s (very common in Chinese pumps)

Medical use cases

✔ Infusion pumps (color UI)
✔ Compact ECG monitors
✔ Dialysis machine UI
✔ Portable patient monitors

Rule of thumb:

If you need Linux UI + moderate graphics, but no video → low-end MPU

 

MPU (Application Processor)

  • Full application processor
  • External DDR
  • MMU + often basic GPU
  • Runs Linux

Key characteristics

Aspect MPU
OS Embedded Linux
External DRAM  Yes
MMU  Yes
GPU  Basic
Clock ~1–1.5 GHz
Power Medium
Cost Medium

Display capability

  • 7″–10.1″
  • LVDS / MIPI-DSI / eDP
  • Waveforms + video + rich UI

Examples

NXP

  • i.MX6 Solo / DualLite
  • i.MX8M Mini

Rockchip

  • RK3288
  • RK3566

Allwinner

  • A64 / A133

Medical use cases

✔ Ventilators
✔ Multi-parameter monitors
✔ Bedside ECG monitors
✔ Endoscopy processor UI

Rule of thumb:

If you need waveforms + animations + Linux UI, choose MPU

 

SoC (System-on-Chip)

Technically everything above is a SoC,
but in industry people say “SoC” to mean high-integration + GPU/video

  • MPU plus GPU + video codec + AI accelerators
  • Multiple display pipelines
  • Multimedia-grade

Key characteristics

Aspect SoC
OS Linux / Android
External DRAM  Yes
GPU  Strong
Video  Encode/decode
Clock 1–2+ GHz
Power Medium–high
Cost Higher

Display capability

  • 10.1″+
  • Multiple displays
  • High-FPS waveforms, video, camera input

Examples

NXP

  • i.MX8M Plus (GPU + ISP)

Rockchip

  • RK3588

Qualcomm

  • QCS610 / QCS6490

Medical use cases

✔ Ultrasound
✔ Advanced endoscopy
✔ Imaging carts
✔ AI-assisted monitors

Rule of thumb:

If you need video, camera, AI, multi-display → SoC

 

Quick Comparison Table

Category MCU Low-end MPU MPU SoC
External DDR No Yes Yes Yes
Linux No Basic Yes Yes
GPU No No Basic Yes
Typical display ≤4.3″ 4.3–7″ 7–10.1″ 10.1″+
UI complexity Low Medium High Very high
Power Very low Low Medium Medium–High
Cost $ $$ $$$ $$$$

Medical Display-Centric Recommendation

Observation-grade medical display platform sweet spot

Device Best choice
Syringe / PCA pump MCU
Infusion pump MCU → low-end MPU
ECG transport Low-end MPU
ECG bedside MPU
Ventilator MPU
Multi-parameter monitor MPU
Ultrasound / endoscopy SoC

One-line takeaway

MCU = control
Low-end MPU = simple Linux UI
MPU = waveform-heavy medical UI
SoC = video / imaging / AI

 

Should you have any questions, please consult our engineering.

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