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COVID-19

ToF sensor platform extends long-range sensing to 5 m

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TDK Corporation announces the worldwide availability of the Chirp CH201 long-range ultra-low power integrated ultrasonic Time-of-Flight (ToF) range sensor platform. The solution includes the CH201 MEMS sensor, sensor modules, and developer kits – and accompanies Chirp’s original CH101 ultrasonic ToF sensor product. CH101 provides accurate range measurements for use cases scenarios of up to 1.2m, and the new CH201 builds to provide exact long-range measurements to targets at distances up to 5m. Chirp’s MEMS ultrasonic technologies leverage proprietary Time-of-Flight (ToF) range sensors in a 3.5 mm x 3.5 mm package that combines a MEMS ultrasonic transducer with a power-efficient digital signal processor (DSP) on a low-power mixed-signal ASIC.

Following on CH101 as the first commercially available MEMS-based ultrasonic ToF sensor, CH201 is also ultra-low power and compact, provides millimeter-accurate range measurements, and works in any lighting condition, including full sunlight to complete darkness independent of the target’s color and optical transparency. Matching CH101, the CH201 has a configurable Field-of-View (FoV) and a flexible DSP capable of handling a variety of ultrasonic signal-processing algorithms.

The CH201 platform mirrors the flexibility of the CH101, offering flexible industrial design options for a broad range of use-case scenarios, including range-finding, presence/proximity sensing, and object-detection/avoidance.

CH201: The CH201 MEMS sensor provides accurate range measurements to targets up to 5m away. Using ultrasonic time-of-flight measurements, the sensor works in any lighting condition, including full sunlight, and provides millimeter-level accuracy, independent of the target’s color and optical transparency.

DK-CH201: Developer Kit for prototyping with one or more ToF sensors. The DK-CH201 includes one CH201 with the option to add up to four additional ultrasonic modules.

EV_MOD_CH201-03-01: Easy-to-use module for rapid integration and evaluation of hardware designs. Different acoustic housings are available to adjust the field of view.

In a free downloadable white paper, TDK describes how tracking-solution providers can use Chirp’s ultrasonic time-of-flight technology to measure when users come into contact and notify those who may have been exposed to SARS-COV-2 when an infection does occur. Chirp provides a complete sensor API and reference design to make it easy for solution providers to quickly incorporate ultrasonic range-finding technology into their tracking solutions. The complete hardware and software reference design combines Chirp ultrasonic solutions along with a BLE-enabled MCU, for a complete social distancing solution including contact tracing.

The all-in-one sensor platform solution is now available from multiple distributors worldwide.

Second generation 2.5GbE chip provides advanced Ethernet for enterprise connectivity

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As people around the world make the shift to a longer-term remote work environment caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for more Ethernet bandwidth to meet the needs of companies and their employees is rising. To help accelerate the upgrade of network environments and improve performance for the enterprise and gaming communities, Realtek Semiconductor has launched the second generation of its 2.5GbE chip.

While most companies continue to upgrade their wireless routers to Wi-Fi 6 with 2.5GbE ports, this solution falls short of truly increasing connection speed. The entire environment, including bridges such as internet cards and switches, needs to be equipped with Ethernet connections faster than 1Gbps to reach 2.5GbE speeds. Realtek’s second-generation 2.5GbE, part of its RTL8125B series for business applications, provides original equipment manufacturers and enterprises with rapid development while offering home entertainment enthusiasts, gamers, streamers, and audiovisual specialists quicker, more stable, and diversified interface solutions.

Eco-friendly, smaller design: The surface area has been reduced by 64% and power consumption by 50% compared to the first-generation models. Thinner and more energy-efficient, the 2.5GbE lowers the amount of power lost for long-term and large-scale transmissions, making it even more environmentally friendly.

High compatibility and stable transmission: The Realtek RTL8125B series is compatible with existing network cables, and it does not require switches for connections under 110 meters. It is also capable of providing stable uni- and bi-directional transmissions (uploading and downloading) even when combined with multiple brands of switches. It provides enterprises and users with a high-speed network environment out of the box, giving them a stable and fast network for teleconferences, data recovery, file transmission, gaming, and video streaming.

Unique bandwidth-regulating software: The included ‘Dragon’ network bandwidth management software developed by Realtek can be used to assign packet priority. Smart distribution of bandwidth ensures that users’ most essential applications will not lag.

Ethernet is still the most stable method of network transmission. With the demand for high-speed network environments on the rise, Realtek’s Second Generation 2.5GbE solution can be widely applied to motherboards, external PCIe cards, and USB network extenders. In addition, other network-related products including web cameras, online hard drives, servers, routers, cable boxes, printers, and base stations can all make use ofRealtek’s network solutions, satisfying the need for stable, high-speed network environments from enterprise and network users.

Ultrasonic ToF sensor platform handles range-sensing tags to enable social distancing

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TDK Corporation announces the worldwide availability of the Chirp CH101 ultra-low power integrated ultrasonic Time-of-Flight (ToF) range sensor platform solution, which includes the CH101 MEMS sensor, sensor modules, and developer kits. Chirp’s MEMS ultrasonic technology leverages a proprietary Time-of-Flight (ToF) range sensor in a 3.5 mm x 3.5 mm package that combines a MEMS ultrasonic transducer with a power-efficient digital signal processor (DSP) on a low-power mixed-signal ASIC. As the first commercially available MEMS-based ultrasonic ToF sensor, it is ultra-low power, compact, immune to lighting conditions and target composition/color, has a configurable Field-of-View (FoV), and a flexible DSP capable of handling a variety of ultrasonic signal-processing algorithms.

The CH101 enables flexible industrial design options for a broad range of use-case scenarios, including range-finding, presence/proximity sensing, object-detection/avoidance, material composition, as well as wearable range-sensing tags to enable social distancing and contact tracing to help people remain safely distanced from one another, during COVID-19 and other scenarios.

Sensor platform solution:

• CH101: The CH101 MEMS sensor provides accurate range measurements to targets up to 1.2m away. Using ultrasonic time-of-flight measurements, the sensor works in any lighting condition, including full sunlight, and provides millimeter-level accuracy, independent of the target’s color and optical transparency.
• DK-CH101: Developer Kit for prototyping with one or more ToF sensors. The DK-CH101 includes one CH101 with the option to add up to four additional ultrasonic modules.
• EV_MOD_CH101-03-01: Easy-to-use module for rapid integration and evaluation of hardware designs. Different acoustic housings available to adjust the field of view.
• MOD_CH101-03-02: Complete module solution with a 45° FoV acoustic housing and IP5 particle ingress filter for rapid mass production and accelerated time to market

Ensuring safe social distancing in the workplace is one piece of the puzzle in the age of COVID-19. Tracking-solution providers can use Chirp ultrasonic ToF sensors to detect proximity breaches and provide warnings before crossing social distancing guidelines. Chirp provides a complete hardware and software reference design to make it easy for solution providers to quickly incorporate ultrasonic range-finding technology into their tracking solutions.

Bluetooth modules now run IoT security middleware

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MCU embedded Bluetooth Module with VitaNet SuiteMurata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has completed compatibility verification of the MCU embedded Bluetooth Module with VitaNet Suite, the secure IoT platform that VitaNet, Inc. will begin offering in July 2020.

The industrial IoT, also known as Industry 4.0, has been grappling with the challenge of dramatically improving productivity. In the COVID-19 world more than ever, cloud-based remote and secure control over industrial IoT without the need for a highly trained workforce has become a must. However, the need for manual work in order to securely operate the industrial IoT has been a persistent problem. VitaNet Suite provides a breakthrough in this regard by allowing IP network cloud control over non-IP Bluetooth IoT devices.

Incorporating the Murata Module and VitaNet Suite into Bluetooth Low Energy IoT devices, Murata has achieved the world’s first automated identification and authentication (for automated device pairing), thereby enabling secure and remote IoT device control including remote alive monitoring and automated data collection. Attaching a QR code that contains device information on pumps, motors, and other industrial components eliminates the need for the LCD panel and operation buttons previously required for Bluetooth operation and management. The Murata Module makes the conversion of industrial components into secure IoT devices more cost-effective than ever.

VitaNet Suite is a platform service consisting of middleware that runs on each gateway and IoT device together with protocol conversion support from the cloud. VitaNet’s patented technology converts protocols between IP networks and non-IP Bluetooth, making possible the connection of hundreds of IoT devices with secure two-way encrypted communication via a single gateway for the first time ever. There is no theoretical limit to the number of IoT devices that a gateway can accommodate.

VitaNet-equipped IoT devices do not emit any radio signals during standby, which ensures privacy and prevents congestion in the 2.4GHz band. In addition, VitaNet equipped IoT devices support smartphone applications as before with improved UX design.

VitaNet Suite SDK is compliant with the Bluetooth standards and utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Security Mode 1 Level 4 which is difficult to verify and tends to increase development time and cost. The SDK features an easy-to-understand API that follows the programming flow to make it easy to develop applications for the product and the gateway.

The IP network controls the secure authentication of both IoT devices and the gateway, using VitaNet’s software authentication key for authentication and pairing. This is the first time in the industry that security and pairing have been automated and integrated with AES-128 packet encryption supported by the Bluetooth standard.2. Enabling IT networks to securely manage and control Bluetooth IoT devices

Incorporating the Murata Module allows encrypted two-way communication with IoT devices to be performed from a cloud server, enabling secure remote control and management of large numbers of IoT devices, including alive monitoring, automatic data collection, and other operational tasks.

Murata has applied its expertise in communication module design and manufacturing to further miniaturize the Murata Module, thereby contributing to the design of high-density electronic circuits and the increasing compactness of IoT devices.

When used together with VitaNet Suite, it is possible to identify IoT device IDs with a QR code and authenticate IoT devices with the VitaNet software authentication key. This eliminates the need to install an LCD panel or operation buttons as a user interface, allowing the Murata Module to be installed in pumps and motors that conventionally do not have interfaces for manual operation.

Reference design calculates proximity to nearby Bluetooth non-connecting beacons

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BlueNRG-Tile reference design STMicroelectronics announces the availability of a compact and cost-effective reference design ideally suited for monitoring social distancing, assuring remote operation, provisioning, as well as warning, anti-tampering, and potentially providing contact tracing to protect human health in all environments, including in response to global or local pandemic conditions.

Leveraging Bluetooth Low Energy technology through its incorporation of ST’s ultra-low-power BlueNRG-2 System-on-Chip with tunable RF output power, the BlueNRG-Tile reference design measures the signal strength of nearby Bluetooth non-connecting beacons and, in real-time, calculates proximity to these sources. The circuit can be provisioned and then operate, issuing warnings when another beacon intrudes on an adjustable perimeter or when tampered with – even when not connected to a smartphone or 5G network. The base reference design can be supplemented with ST’s S2-LP sub-GHz ultra-low-power RF transceiver to add bi-directional tag-to-cloud communication through the Sigfox “0G” Global Network, allowing private and anonymous tag provisioning, notifications, and an advisory return-channel for emergency warnings. To assure power economy and extend battery lifetime, the ultra-low power components are further enhanced with a MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) accelerometer that power cycles the unit when it isn’t moving. Optionally, internal or external memory could provide long-term storage of nearby beacons, allowing contact tracing.

Several members of the ST Partner Program have evaluated and adopted the reference design as a foundation for location-monitoring and contact-tracing platforms. These platforms provide a range of capabilities, including proximity alerts and contact recording, using the ST reference design packaged in compact, ultra-low-power tags.

The Social Distancing reference design, including further technical detail on its operation, is available on ST.com and through local ST sales offices.

SDK adds accurate distance measurement capabilities to BLE SoCs for covid distancing needs

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Wireless Ranging (WiRa) Software Development Kit (SDK)Dialog Semiconductor plc announced a new Wireless Ranging (WiRa) Software Development Kit (SDK) that adds highly accurate and reliable distance measurement capabilities to its DA1469x family of BLE SoCs.

The need for more accurate and reliable distance measurement and tracing technology has become even more critical in the wake of COVID-19. With businesses across the globe planning a controlled reopening of their workplaces, they are looking for solutions that will help guarantee safe distances between employees and improved contact tracing capabilities, to ensure safe working environments and peace of mind for employees.

Current Bluetooth low energy market solutions for distance measurement and positioning are based on measuring the strength or power of the received radio signal, known as Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurements. However, these received power measurements may be inherently flawed due to the sensitivity of objects in the radio path blocking or reflecting the radio signals.

Dialog’s new Wireless Ranging SDK succeeds where RSSI falls short, leveraging a proprietary radar-like implementation for highly improved distance measurement accuracy between BLE connected devices. By interweaving Bluetooth LE data packets with constant tone frequency exchanges, the DA1469x on-chip 2.4 GHz radio generates the signals needed for phase-based ranging. The high-resolution on-chip sampling of radio waves provides high-quality IQ samples that form the input for distance determination. Data processing algorithms filter the data for noise, interference, and reflections, to produce the shortest over-the-air signal path length as an accurate distance output.

The BLE compliant stack and WiRa™ software implementation that Dialog offers does not require hardware adaptations or an external host processor, ensuring co-existence between the Bluetooth communication and the distance measurement process.

Resistive touchpads target medical, rugged environments

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VersaPad Plus resistive touchpadInterlink Electronics announced the availability of its VersaPad Plus resistive touchpad. The newest member of the VersaPad family of touchpads for rugged environments, the VersaPad Plus can be operated with gloved fingers and withstands exposure to liquids and extreme temperatures, making it ideal for use in medical devices such as laptops. This property is especially important in medical environments where frontline workers are caring for patients battling COVID-19 or other highly infectious conditions.

Once transferred to certain types of surfaces, COVID-19 can remain infectious for up to three days; other infectious agents like the norovirus can survive on surfaces for weeks. In hospital environments, bedside equipment and devices can quickly become major sources for the spread of disease. Healthcare workers in hospitals depend on disposable latex gloves to keep them safe from infected surfaces; however, latex and other glove materials can disrupt the performance of most capacitive touchpads found in everything from laptops to smartphones. Because the VersaPad Plus is designed using piezoresistive technology, it uses the physical pressure exerted by the user’s finger to detect position, making it glove-compatible.

Touch isn’t the only way a medical device can become tainted by the coronavirus. Airborne contagions, bodily fluids, and cross-contamination are all crucial concerns for medical professionals and first responders who need to use their devices in the field. VersaPad Plus, when integrated properly into a rugged laptop, can be subjected to deep cleanings—even sprayed directly with water and cleaning agents—without damaging or affecting the touchpad. For medical environments in which bedside equipment must be wiped down multiple times a day, this is an important feature.

Additionally, the VersaPad Plus is able to withstand extreme weather and electromagnetic interference. The ultralow-power VersaPad Plus also has the largest active surface area of any rugged touchpad on the market.

AI-assisted screening for COVID-19 using CT images

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Although COVID-19 tests are one means to determine infection, the rapid spread of the disease has created a shortage of test kits and a tight supply of reagents that are used to create test kits. Symptoms are another indication, but some of the infected show very mild or no symptoms. Another method leading to a swift diagnosis is to take an X-ray or CT scan of the patient’s lungs. CT scans provide a higher resolution image than X-rays. CT scans have also shown a higher sensitivity than real-time RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction). RT-PCR is known as the most sensitive technique for detecting mRNA, as a test in diagnosing COVID-19.

Part of the crushing burden of COVID-19 on medical personnel is also visited upon radiologists who determine whether X-ray or CT scans of a patient’s lungs indicate pneumonia, COVID-19, or something else. Other diagnostic tools include pulse oximeters, which indicate the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream. However, radiologists are vital in interpreting the severity of COVID-19 based on lung images. COVID-19 shows a “ground glass” appearance of opacity in the lungs, among other things.

Technology lends a…brain

The Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Emergency Response Epidemiology Team (NCPERT), operating in China, built and deployed Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a preliminary analysis of COVID-19 in lung scans. In a pre-print, unreviewed paper submitted to medRxIV the authors state, “Working in an interdisciplinary team of over 30 people with medical and/or AI background, geographically distributed in Beijing and Wuhan, we were able to overcome a series of challenges in this particular situation and deploy the system in four weeks. Using 1,136 training cases (723 positives for COVID-19) from five hospitals, we were able to achieve a sensitivity of 0.974 and specificity of 0.922 on the test dataset, which included a variety of pulmonary diseases.” The AI system also highlighted all areas with legions, which allowed for a faster examination. The deep learning (DL) system was deployed in 16 hospitals and has performed over 1,300 screenings per day.

NCPERT took advantage of end-to-end deep neural network models, adapting the models they had previously developed for other diagnoses, and constructed a training-interference pipeline. After quickly evaluating several promising models, they compiled training data from positive cases, including a negative set from existing images of other lung diseases so the model could effectively learn to distinguish a COVID-19 lung image from others.

AI-assisted COVID-19 screening
Figure 1: The framework of the system included a) data from 5 hospitals, b) three-stage annotation and quality control, c) a deep learning model training pipeline, and d) deployment to hospitals. (Image: medRxIV.org)

Using sample images from 5 hospitals and 11 different models of CT scanners to generalize the model, NCPERT “developed a three-stage annotation and quality control pipeline, allowing inexperienced data annotators to work with senior radiologists to create accurate annotations, with minimal time investment from the radiologists.” NCPERT continuously retrained the model to improve accuracy as more data came in. The tool was delivered in an easy-to-use, low-cost platform for hospital IT staff to set up, with a remote upgrade function. Using the tool, physicians were able to rapidly locate slides and regions for a detailed examination that assisted in improving their diagnosis, regardless of their personal experience with COVID-19.

Figure 2: Some examples of the typical predictions of the segmentation model, highlighting lesion regions, as seen from the AI tool’s user interface. The model identified typical lesions found in COVID-19 pneumonia, including ground-glass opacity, intralobular septal thickening, air bronchogram sign, vessel thickening, crazy-waving pattern, fiber stripes, and “honeycomb lung” syndrome. (Image: medRxIV.org)

The model missed some positives for ground-glass opacity of less than 1 cm in diameter and did not perform well with multiple types of lesions or images where subjects introduced motion or metal objects. However, the AI tool was able to help overwhelmed hospitals by providing preliminary results that sped up the triage process of filtering suspected COVID-19 patients. Also, less experienced radiologists were able to learn to better detect COVID-19 indicative features. After receiving the first set of data, NCPERT produced the first useable model in just one week.

Much more about the NCPERT team of Chinese engineers, scientists, and physicians that built this AI model for screening CT lung scans for the presence of COVID-19 can be found at medRxIV in the pre-review pre-print paper titled “AI-assisted CT imaging analysis for COVID-19 screening: Building and deploying a medical AI system in four weeks.”

 

References
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.24.20042317v1
https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/references/ambion-tech-support/rtpcr-analysis/general-articles/rt–pcr-the-basics.html
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.19.20039354v1