Hardware Podcasts

An Interview with Jean Rintoul

The Amp Hour · 24 Jun 2019 · 1h 29m · Episode 448

What this episode covers

Jean Rintoul, founder of Mindseye Biomedical, discusses the Spectra, an open-source electrical impedance tomography (EIT) kit designed to make medical imaging accessible. He explains the physics of using low-level AC current to reconstruct images of internal body structures, contrasting this safe, low-cost approach with expensive, high-radiation alternatives like CT scans and MRIs. Rintoul details the hardware architecture, including the Analog Devices ADUCM350 MCU and multiplexing strategy, and shares his experience navigating the regulatory hurdles of medical device development, such as the FDA's de novo pathway.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Mindseye Biomedical, Zillico, Analog Devices
Products
Spectra
Chips
ADUCM350, ADG744
Tools
Keithley 6221
Also
Crowd Supply

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 01m

    388: Brains Generate EMF

    Alan Cohen, author of 'Prototype to Product' and medical device consultant, discusses the development of VolksEEG, an open-source electroencephalogram (EEG) designed for research and eventual clinical use. He details the hardware architecture, including the Texas Instruments ADS1299 chip and the Adafruit Feather nRF52840 Sense, and explains the regulatory strategy of targeting an Institutional Review Board (IRB) clearance before pursuing FDA certification. Cohen also addresses the challenges of open-source licensing, supply chain shortages, and the specific engineering constraints of building safe, low-amplitude signal acquisition systems.

    Medical & health devicesMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    8 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 03m

    83: The First Time I Was Electrocuted

    Mark Johnson, the anonymous creator of the open-source Raman Pi spectrometer, discusses building a low-cost Raman spectroscopy device using a Raspberry Pi, 3D printed parts, and off-the-shelf components. He details the technical challenges of aligning optics, selecting a linear CCD over the Raspberry Pi camera module, and managing the intense documentation and video production required for the Hackaday Prize. Johnson also shares his background in electronics surplus and his fascination with high-voltage hobbyist projects like fusors.

    Prototyping & iterationPCB design & layout
    8 chapters

  • Hackaday Podcast · 50m

    Ep 158: Phased Array Physics, CRTs Two Ways, A Micro Microcontroller, and a Surgically Implanted Red Herring

    Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Dan Maloney review community projects including a tiny BJ microcontroller, a CRT transplant from a fish finder, and a water-based phased array sonar demo. They discuss the engineering challenges of sealing soil moisture sensors against corrosion and analyze how synthetic aperture radar satellites can inadvertently expose military radar sites. The episode also covers a Hot Wheels PC case mod, exam cheating scandals, and crowdsourced soldering war stories.

    Microcontrollers & dev platformsWireless & RF
    10 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 1h 05m

    197: Smell the Transistor

    Hosts Elecia White and Christopher White discuss the intersection of science fiction and engineering inspiration, review Digilent's Analog Discovery 2 and Digital Discovery test equipment, and detail Christopher's experience building a QRP Labs Ultimate 3S ham radio kit for WSPR. They also cover Elecia's struggles with Ubuntu and the NVIDIA Jetson TX2, the choice of programming languages for embedded firmware, and Elecia's appearance on the Jennylyn Show.

    Debugging & failure analysisMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    6 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 43m

    293: Skateboard Tricks (Repeat)

    Limor Fried, founder of Adafruit, discusses the company's 13-year history of manufacturing open-source hardware in New York, highlighting recent products like the PyGamer and PyBadge. She explains the engineering philosophy behind TinyUSB, an open-source USB stack developed by engineer Hathach to replace proprietary vendor stacks, and details the business model of supporting a community of 4,000 products. Fried emphasizes that while hardware design is easy, the value lies in firmware, documentation, and tutorials, which she balances with business operations and education.

    PCB design & layoutEmbedded firmware
    13 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Amp Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.