Erik,

I should confess that I didn't understand the meaning of "no option" exactly. Besides of my English ability, I have a fixed idea on the development of biomedical instruments because I myself am engaged in it.

On the development on the instruments to measure extracted sample, we don't care so much for safety, it is as much as the instruments for daily use, because they are not directly applied to human.

On the other hand, when we develop an instrument applied directly to human, we set up two development phase.

On the first prototyping phase, we make a rough prototype to show its feasibility to the client to get budget to continue development. In this phase, the product is awful thing that can never be applied to human directly.

On the second reliability phase, we review every parts and every firmware on the view point of reliability. We repeat tests using beef or swine blood to find problems. Most of parts are replaced for reliability, endurance and availability.

We should make many parts by ourselves, even a connector, because manufacturers prohibit to use their parts for life support instruments to avoid lawsuits. Therefore, sometimes simple mechanism that we can make it reliably is preferred than an elaborate device we cannot use.

Actual development phase continues to clinical phase in which the instruments practically apply to human with aid of doctors.

I hope I could explain my odd reaction for you.

Tsuneo