The IBM 5880, also known as the IBM 5880 ECG Acquisition and Analysis System, is one of the worlds first portable computerized electrocardiograph and diagnostic tools. Its development came from work performed by IBM scientist Ray Bonner[1] in the 1970s.[2]
| Developer | Ray Bonner |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | IBM |
| Type | Electrocardiograph |
History
editStarting in 1968 IBM began performing electrocardiograms (also called EKGs) on its employees (by 1980 had collected the results of more than 160,000 tests). These were initially stored on tape for computer analysis and in 1974 IBM began analyzing them with software developed by an IBM research Scientist named Raymond Bonner called the "Bonner 12-lead program version 1" (also referred to as the Bonner/IBM software), using an IBM S/370. At that time the vast majority of ECGs were not computer analyzed. As an example, only an estimated 4 million out of roughly 80 million ECGs performed in the USA in 1976 were sent for computer analysis.[3]
The program was first released in 1972, written in a mix of PL/1 and S/370 assembler, but was lated converted to Fortran by IBM so it could be run on non-IBM systems. This meant that by 1977, 75% of all ECGs analysed by the software were performed using the Marquette processing system, rather than on an IBM Mainframe.[4] The Bonner/IBM program was widely used at this time and was highly rated by cardiologists.[5]
Early computer solutions developed in the 1970s used products like the DEC PDP8 and later the PDP11 to perform analysis in the hospital, but to make this more practical, a self contained and portable device was needed and with the development of microprocessors this became possible. [6] The IBM 5880 was designed to analyze electrocardiograms, measurements of the electrical activity of the heart, and provide diagnostic advice to the same standards as a cardiologist.[5] It was one of the first EKGs that could be placed in a cart and taken into hospital conditions.[6]
An IBM commercial in the American Journal of Cardiologists from December 1978 describes it as the "New IBM 5880 ECG Acquisition and Analysis System", under the headline "Announcing bedside computer-assisted | ECG interpretation within minutes", suggesting it was released in 1978.[7]
Product Details
editThe IBM 5880 has the following features:[8][9]
- Uses a standard power socket
- The analysis takes around 80 seconds, but could take up to 3 minutes based on the arrhythmia that is detected
- Prints a 3-channel ECG trace with detailed interpretation
- Uses an advanced IBM Analysis Program designed by Raymond E. Bonner PhD, developed with practising cardiologists
- Stores ECGs electronically on magnetic diskette
- Has a keyboard to enter patient data which can be printed on the same report as the trace and analysis
- Can automatically apply paediatric interpretation criteria if the patient's age is 18 or younger
Pricing in 1978 was as follows:[9]
- The 5880 base cart list price listed at $19,800 USD with an extra diskette drive costing $2,500.
- The IBM ECG Analysis Program (5890-PP1) cost $350 per month and was supported by IBM Biomedical Systems in Dayton NJ.
Sale of IBM Biomedical Systems
editWhile based on published commercials, IBM were still selling the 5880 in 1982,[8] when IBM Biomedical Systems and all of its assets was sold to Cobe Laboratories in 1984, only the IBM Blood Products (IBM 2991 and IBM 2997) are mentioned in available sources.[10]
References
edit- ↑ Rautaharju, Pentti M. (2016-01-01). "Eyewitness to history: Landmarks in the development of computerized electrocardiography". Journal of Electrocardiology. 49 (1): 1–6. doi:10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2015.11.002. ISSN 0022-0736. PMID 26620728.
- ↑ "Computer Interpretation of Electrocardiogram Using portable bedside unit". New York State Journal of Medicine. 80 (9): 1385–1389. August 1980. PMID 7012706.
- ↑ Ariet, Mario (March 20, 1978). "Status Report on Computerized ECG Analysis". JAMA. 239 (12): 1201–1202. doi:10.1001/jama.1978.03280390097034.
- ↑ Trends in computer-processed electrocardiograms. North Holland Publishing Company. 1977. p. 117. ISBN 0-7204-0723-0.
- 1 2 Cardiology update: reviews for physicians. Internet Archive. New York : Elsevier. 1981. pp. 274–275. ISBN 978-0-444-00419-2.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) CS1 maint: publisher location (link) - 1 2 Macfarlane, Peter; Kennedy, Julie (23 September 2021). "Automated ECG Interpretation—A Brief History from High Expectations to Deepest Networks" (PDF). MDPI.
- ↑ "Announcing bedside computer-assisted | ECG interpretation within minutes". The American Journal of CARDIOLOGY. 42 (6): 632. December 1978.
- 1 2 "IBM 5880". British Heart Journal. 47 (1): 8. January 1982.
- 1 2 "IBM 5880 ECG Acquisition and Analysis System" (PDF). www.1000bit.it. 16 October 1978. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
- ↑ "Blood cell processor". IBM History.