Fluke Biomedical MPS450 - Manual (Page 123)

C-1
Appendix C
Glossary
Introduction
This glossary presents certain medical, electronic, and MPS450-specific terms, the
understanding of which may aid in operating the instrument. Words that appear in
boldface in a definition are themselves defined elsewhere in this glossary.
Table C-1. Glossary
Term Definition
AAMI Acronym for the Association for the Advancement of Medical
Instrumentation. A group of physicians, biomedical and clinical
engineers, nurses, manufacturers, and government representatives
who set industry guidelines for the performance and safety of
biomedical instrumentation.
AMPERE A unit of steady electrical current which, when flowing in straight
parallel wires of infinite length and negligible cross section, separated
by a distance of one
meter in free space, produces a force between
the wires of 2 × 107 newtons per meter of length.
AORTA The main trunk of the systemic arteries , carrying blood from the left
side of the heart to the arteries of all limbs and organs except the
lungs.
ARTERY Any of a branching system of muscular tubes that carry blood away
from the heart.
ARTIFACT An abnormal signal or structure produced by an external medium, such
as a muscle or electrical wiring. Artifacts are sometimes referred to as
noise.
ASYNCHRONOUS Signals sent to a computer at irregular intervals. Data is transmitted at
irregular intervals by preceding each character with a start bit and
following it with a stop bit. Asynchronous transmission allows a
character to be sent at random after the preceding character has been
sent, without regard to any timing device.
ATRIUM (1) One of the two upper chambers of the heart. (2) Any chamber
allowing entrance to another structure or organ.