The influence of new medical instruments is large but not always easy to interpret. However, this author attempts to do just that. Included topics are: general trends, computers, economic considerations, and regulatory constraints. (BB)

The use of microelectronics and computers in medicine is reviewed, focusing on medical research; medical data collection, storage, retrieval, and manipulation; medical decision making; computed tomography; ultrasonic imaging; role in clinical laboratories; and use as adjuncts for diagnostic tests, monitors of critically-ill patients, and with the…

Computer applications in scientific instrumentation are traced from early data processing to modern computer-based instruments. Probable pathways toward instruments with increased "intelligence" include, among others, implementation of hierarchical computer networks and microprocessor controllers and the simplification of programing. The…