Project

This year the course project will involve specifying and verifying the software of two medical devices:

• An “Isolette” (infant incubator) - the medical goal of the Isolette is to keep a new-born baby at an appropriate temperature for the first hours of its life by placing it in an enclosure in which the air in the enclosure can be monitored and controlled.
• A Patient-Controlled Analgesic (PCA) Pump - the medical goal of a PCA pump is to provide a hospital patient with pain relief by intravenously infusing opioids at intervals partially controlled by a patient.

Both of these devices have

• control systems which automatically control the actions of the device (turning the Isolette heater off/on, controlling the flow of opioids into an IV line) and safety systems, and
• safety systems which monitor the device/environment for safety problems (too hot or too cold air, or too much opioid) and take appropriate actions within the device or by alerting caregivers to ensure that the patient is kept in a safe state.

Our project will involve studying sections of these devices and writing different forms of requirements, specifications, verification plans, as well as carrying out various verification and validation techniques (primarily focusing on formal verification of code against contracts and testing against contracts).

Isolette Resources

• FAA Requirements Engineering Management Handbook (note that Appendix A contains a summary of Isolette requirements)

PCA Pump Resources

• Open PCA Pump web site