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.
