TI introduces the first integrated analog front end for photometry and showcases HealthTech at CES 2013

DALLAS, Jan. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) today unveiled the industry's first family of fully integrated analog front ends (AFEs) for photometry. The new analog integrated circuits (ICs) support TI HealthTech's vision for helping engineers design innovative electronics for transforming healthcare worldwide. The AFE44xx family integrates all the front end components and associated timing control circuitry of a typical photometry solution. Applications include clinical and home health pulse oximeters, photometry-based blood glucose meters, and photoplethysmograph-based (PPG) heart rate monitors. The AFE44xx family will be showcased at CES 2013 in the TI Village, North Hall, in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

By incorporating fully programmable transmitter and receiver circuits into one device, the AFE44xx family reduces end equipment manufacturers' design time, board space and need for in-house analog design expertise compared to discrete solutions. With less than 1-mA supply current, the AFE44xx family consumes less power than discrete solutions, which results in longer battery life. The AFE44xx family enables optimal measurement performance, even in ambient light settings.

With its high level of integration and low power, the AFE44xx family enables smaller, more portable traditional photometry solutions, as well as the new emerging market of wireless and smart connected pulse oximeter accessories. Available in the AFE44xx family are the AFE4490, targeted at clinical applications; and the AFE4400, targeted for home health applications. For information, samples and evaluation modules (EVMs), visit www.ti.com/afe4400-pr.

Key features and benefits

• Faster time to market and smaller form factor: The AFE44xx family's receive path includes a programmable transimpedance amplifier (TIA), ambient cancellation circuitry and analog-to-digital converter (ADC).  The transmit path incorporates the LED driver and programmable 8-bit current source of up to 150 mA. With both transmit and receive paths integrated into a single device, less time and board space is required to design with the device.
• Low power: The AFE44xx family consumes less than 1 mA of power, to extend battery life.
• Simple diagnostics for easier design and debugging: The AFE44xx family's open/short detection features make it easier for engineers to diagnose system errors during design.
• Reduced demand on system software: The AFE44xx family provides a flexible integrated timing controller module that significantly reduces the demands and overhead on system software.

Availability and pricing
Both the AFE4490 and the AFE4400 are available now in a compact 6-mm x 6-mm, 40-pin QFN package.  The AFE4490 is priced at $7.95 and the AFE4400 is priced at $2.95 in quantities of 1,000.

Tools and support
Designers can immediately take advantage of the AFE4490 and AFE4400 evaluation modules (EVMs) by visiting www.ti.com/afe4400evm-pr. The AFE4490EVM and AFE4400EVM feature DB9 pulse oximeter sensor cable support, include two modes of operation for evaluation and live SPO2 / heart rate, and provide access to all the AFE44xx device registers via an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI).  

Learn more about the AFE44xx family and other TI products for health and fitness applications:

• Download the datasheet and order samples at www.ti.com/afe4400-pr.
• Order the AFE4490 or AFE4400 EVM at www.ti.com/afe4400evm-pr.
• Learn more about the AFE44xx family by watching the video at www.ti.com/afe4400video-pr.  
• View TI's technical and product information for a variety of consumer medical and home healthcare applications, including: heart rate and fitness monitoring systems, blood glucose and other diagnostic meters, blood pressure monitors, and digital thermometers and download TI's HealthTech Guide: www.ti.com/healthtech.
• Learn more about TI's full portfolio for medical applications www.ti.com/healthtech.  

Not attending CES? Stay connected with TI:

• TI's CES activities
• TI on Twitter
• TI on Facebook
• TI on Google +

About TI HealthTech components for healthcare, fitness and medical imaging
TI HealthTech is helping medical device companies revolutionize healthcare and improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare, fitness and medical imaging equipment in the 21st century and beyond. With its wide range of analog and embedded processing products, from building blocks to complete semiconductor solutions, systems insight, global support infrastructure, advanced process technology and medical industry experience, TI HealthTech enables TI's medical customers to deliver innovative healthcare, fitness and medical imaging products that are more flexible, reliable, affordable and accessible. TI's experience in diverse markets, including wireless communications, consumer electronics, automotive and aerospace, enables engineers to design products that are faster, more precise, energy efficient and smaller in size, while maintaining the high standards for quality and reliability that the healthcare market demands. For more information, please visit www.ti.com/healthtech.

About Innovation at TI
For more than 80 years, TI has been at the forefront of technical innovation, enabling customers to differentiate products with higher integration, faster speeds and lower power. Today, we are engineering the future with advances in energy harvesting, power management, cloud computing, safety and security, health technology, and more. Learn more about how TI's Analog and Embedded Processing products are improving how we live, work and play, today and well into the future, at www.ti.com/innovation.

About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments semiconductor innovations help 90,000 customers unlock the possibilities of the world as it could be – smarter, safer, greener, healthier and more fun. Our commitment to building a better future is ingrained in everything we do – from the responsible manufacturing of our semiconductors, to caring for our employees, to giving back inside our communities. This is just the beginning of our story. Learn more at http://www.ti.com.

Trademarks
All registered trademarks and other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated