"Fifty Shades of Grey and More": Medical Use of Systems of Systems, Trends, Challenges and, Implications for EMC

The complexity and diversity of medical electrical equipment and their intended use environments are increasing. The complexity and diversity make clinical environments "grey" in terms of EM behaviour compared to controlled laboratory environments in which they are tested for EMC compliance. Different clinical environments (even functionally similar ones) may have different EM behaviour making them have different "shades of grey" compared to each other depending on factors such as types of equipment, the density of equipment, and structural differences. On the other hand, the susceptibility of medical devices to EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) tends to increase posing more challenges [1]. This "greyness" due to the growing complexity of medical equipment and their intended use environments and increasing susceptibility has led to unprecedented EMC concerns. This paper briefs current trends in the clinical use of systems of systems (SoS), challenges that arise regarding EMC/EMI and suggestions for potential ways to address such challenges in the medical technology domain.