QNX versus Linux: Which is best for IEC 62304 medical devices?

A few weeks ago, I invited you to a webinar on this very topic. If you missed the webinar, no worries: the archived version is now available for download. And speaking of downloads, you can now read the accompanying whitepaper, written by my inimitable colleague Chris Hobbs.

If you're wondering whether the paper is for you, here's the official summary:

This paper is for anyone who must select an OS for a safety-critical medical system. It provides information to help with estimates of the real cost of choosing a Linux or QNX OS. It lists requirements identified by standards such as IEC 62304, ISO 14971 and IEC 61508, and offers comparative estimates of the effort required to meet these requirements. These estimates are for initial certification and pre-approval, subsequent re-certifications following OS upgrades, and ongoing costs.

While you're at it, check out these other whitepapers for medical-device developers:

• Clear SOUP and COTS Software for Medical Device Development
• Persistent Publish/Subscribe Messaging in Medical Devices
• Choosing an RTOS for Remote-care Medical Devices

Come to think of it, there's no reason to stop with these, when you can peruse the entire library of medical whitepapers on the QNX website.

Which OS for IEC 62304 medical systems?

The question, to some degree, is rhetorical. I work for an OS company, that company has developed a 62304-compliant OS for medical device manufacturers... you see where this is going.

But don't go yet. This week, my colleague Chris Ault will present a webinar on this very topic, and the content he'll cover should prove useful to anyone choosing an OS for a medical device — or, for that matter, any device that must operate reliably and safely.

In case you're wondering, the Linux question will definitely come up. Linux does lots of things very well, but does it belong in a safety-critical device? Knowing Chris, he'll offer a suitably unambiguous answer — and some solid reasoning to back it up.

Okay, enough from me. To learn more about the webinar, which will be held this
Thursday, September 27, at 2 pm eastern, visit the QNX website.