FACOM-R is a low-priced mini-computer with high performance and can be applied to various kinds of data processing. It can be widely used for acquisition and analysis of biomedical data or automation of clinical test procedure and so on owing to the characteristics such as; high processor speed, flexible input-output interface, compactness and reasonable price.
This paper introduces the features and specification of FACOM-R including the description of system organization, word formats, addressing, instruction set, input-output and basic software. The specifications of FACOM-R are summerized as; 1.5 μs cycle tyme with magnetic core memory capacity of 4 K words (expandable to 32 K. words), 16 bit.s for each, and 28 basic instruction sets. Standard peripheral devices include; typewriter, paper tape devices, card devices, magnetic tape drive, line printer, disc storage, Analog to Digital/Digital to Analog converters and high speed communication lines. Assembler, FORTRAN compiler, system subroutines, utility programs are included in the basic software of FACOM-R.
As an application example of FACOM-R to automations of clinical test procedures, “Full Automated Analyzing System” is also introduced. In this system, FACOM-R is connected to as many as 8 Auto Analyzers via an A/D converter and multiplexor and is used to; collect data, analyze them, and generate reports.

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A computer controlled Auto-Analyzer system, using a mini-computer (FRCOM-R 4KW), has been developed.
This system can monitor simultaneously up to 16 single or simultaneous Auto-Analyzers, up to 32 items each. (6 channels and 16 items are now being used.)
This system has two capabilities :
1. On-line monitoring of a group of operating Auto-Analyzers and calculate the results.
2. Report results in printed digitalized form.
The characteristics of this system are :
1. This 'mini'-computer can automatically process 32 items of clinical laboratory procedures.
2. This system is operated using 'control-boxes' arranged at each Auto-Analyzer.Thus, once the computer is started, the technician unfamiliar with the computer can operate all of the system by pushing down the start or stop buttons or by setting the test item dials of these boxes.
The specimen of this system are identified by the ordinal number of the position in the tray, but a different specimen identification system of our own is now being developed. An automated blood test system is being developed.

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Computers have made being progress, but computer-manufactures have not been able to satisfy the user such as in the point of usability. Some users desire computers which are simple and easy to operate. In response to this request, “HITAC-10” was designed for use as “A personal computer”. HITAC-10 is an “IC”, “plug-in” computer, using “main memory technique” developed by Hitachi Ltd. HITAC-10 is a low-cost mini-computer with high performance and high reliability.
Though it is small, it is provided with fine software such as FORTRAN, Assembler, etc. Especially, it can be used a personal computer for scientific application in batch process, and for on-line analog-digital data processing. HITAC-10 can be very useful in the medical field.

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JRA-5 Spectrum Computer is a small size digital computer designed for the analog signal processing.
In this paper, the specification of JRA-5 is explained and the application of it to the medical field is discussed.

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The LINC-8 is a dual computer system, combining LINC, specifically designed at MIT for use in laboratories and Digital Equipment Corporation's PDP-8, a small-scale general purpose computer which can serve as the control element in a complex processing system.
Both LINC and the PDP-8 are one-address, fixed length computer, using 12-bit binary arithmetic. Cycle time of the 4 096 word magnetic core memory, which is shared by both computers, is 1.5 μs. The basic LINC-8 system includes a standard teletype, CRT display, multi-channel A-D converter and dual magnetic tape transport. In addition to these, LINC-8 can easily be connected to many types of equipment of special design. LINC-8 is manually controlled by means of keys and switches on the operator console.
The LINC-8 system consists of two major sub-systems, the LINC sub-system operating under PROGOFOP, and the software system of the PDP-8 sub-system, which provides two distinct modes of operation, the LINC mode and the PDP-8 mode.
In the LINC mode, the GUIDE system can be used. GUIDE is a system of routines that controls a file of binary programs stored on magnetic tape. Answering the question, which is asked by GUIDE, the user, by typing the teletypewriter, may execute any one of the programs in the file. GUIDE can respond to seven system commands. One of these serves for communication with the LAP system which performs useful functions in the creation and manipulation of symbolic programs and the filing and execution of binary programs.
GUIDE can file “data programs” which facilitate treatment of data acquired in biomedical experiments. The methods for using these programs are explained in the last part of this paper.

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Today, there are few bio-medical use computers in the true sense of the term, because most computers are designed and manufactured for general uses.
Nevertheless, computer application in medical and/or bio-medical fields is no longer in the minority but is becoming the majority in the total number of computers in use. This article presents a brief explanation of a bio-medical computer how it is and how it will be.
PDP-12 recently developed by DEC is a succcessor to the former model LINC-8, noted as the world's first bio-medical computer. PDP-12 has great flexibility both in hardware configurations and software system than the LINC-8 and encourages bio-medical scientists with its ease of handling.
This article presents several requirements needed for bio-medical computers which differ from the so-called general purpose computers.

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This paper describes the characteristics, instructions and peripheral devices of the NEAC-3100 (MC-1) and the NEAC-3200 computers which have been produced by Nippon Electric Co., Ltd., and which have been applied to laboratory data handling in physiology or bio-medical engineering, and to continuous monitoring systems in the clinical field.
The NEAC-3100 and the NEAC-3200 are integrated circuit general purpose digital computers with magnetic core memory, and are designed for both open-shop scientific application and real time on-line data processing and control.
The prototype of the NEAC-3100 central processor is the MC-1 computer. The NEAC-3100 is a 18-bit binary word machine with 2 μs cycle time and has an instruction repertoire of 45 commands.
On the other hand, the NEAC-3200 is a 16-bit binary word machine with 0.96 μs cycle time and has a flexible instruction repertoire of 88 commands.
Fast processing, modular design, a flexible I/O structure, and command repertoire make the NEAC-3100 and the NEAC-3200 adaptable to a broad variety of application in medicine both on-and off-line. This includes data reduction, process control, instrumentation, simulation and scientific computation.

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The small computer system, T-3000/M, was built for medical data processing and for clinical use. It is specifically designed for both on-and off-line data acquisition and analysis in wide medical fields. The basic system configuration includes a 4 096-word-core memory computer, keyboard typewriter with paper tape punch and reader, a dual magnetic unit, a 7-inch-face display unit and a versatile input-output cabinet. The latest cabinet houses an analog-to-digital converter with 16-channel multiplexer, dual digital-to-analog converters, pulse-digital input and output unit and 8-relay-contact output connectors. The computer is expandable to 32768 words with mass storage devices such as magnetic drum or disc systems. T-3000/M is made with integrated circuits and it helps make the standard peripheral machines compact and gives the whole system reliability. The system features versatile interfacing with other medical electronic devices available from the same manufacturer and it permits real-time computer application.
Fine-quality software packages are available to users for easy operation and service. The basic programming packages include BAP assembler, FORTRAN compiler, floating point interpreters, mathematical function subroutines, utility and maintenance programs. Also, many application programs can be used.

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A software system has been developed for a medical computer MC-1 with 4 096 word core memories and four versatile I/O channels, the basic system being equipped with two magnetic tape units, an input-output typewriter and a photo tape-reader.
The system helps users to make and run programs by giving them appropriate directions and receiving necessary information from an input-output typewriter, so that users need no special knowledge regarding operation of the computer and the system. Each user has his own magnetic tape which contains system programs, library programs and data. He can stop and restart his work at any time desired and can greatly reduce programming and debugging time by the use of EDIT, one of the system routines. After completion of his new program he can store it into his magnetic tape by the FILE routine with an arbitrarily chosen title and thereafter the program can be called by that name. Some other routines like INDEX, COPY, DELETE and MOVE, are also prepared to make effective use of the magnetic tape.
The system serves as a powerful experimental tool to all scientists and engineers, especially to medical and clinical researchers.

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Progress in high speed computer made on-line real-time processing of input signal possible. And, with the appearance of mini-computer, it can now be used as a laboratory instrument. Under these circumstances, software which simulates various electronic equipment in real-time was constructed and named LINS after laboratory instrument simulator. This is a kind of block diagram oriented language. As the programming method consists only of connecting required macro-instructions with its parameter in sequence, even biological scientists who have not been trained in computer operation can do it easily.
LINS consists of three parts; the first is wave generator which is superior in versatility to commercial electronic stimulators, the second is on-line real-time electronic circuit simulators whose functions are delay, slice, envelope detection, Schmitt trigger, PAM, PWM and so on, and the last is the robot which automatically generates pulse wave sequence in accordance with experiment planning.
Since the frequency range of signal encountered in BME is low, this software is valuable especially for BME from the viewpoint of “real-time”.

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On-line diagnosis of electrocardiograms, including arrhythmias, was made successfully by a small-scale digital computer system.
This system is composed of a JRA-5 spectrum computer (with core memory capacity of 4096 words, 16 bits for each), an internally installed four channels, 8 bits for each of analog-to-digital conversion unit and an annexed magnetic drum of 8 192 words, 16 bits in length. In addition, a photo-reader, a tape puncher and a teletype (33 ASR) are installed. The X, Y and Z records of Frank lead system were used for automatic analysis and were fed from an electrocardiograph through the buffer amplifier into the computer. As the logic of diagnosis, a combination of branching logic and joint probability was adopted. It took about 10 seconds for the interpretation of ECGs.
For analysis of arrhythmias, the X or Y record of Frank lead system was fed into the computer for a period of 20 seconds, and measuring of RR and PQ intervals, and QRS duration and detection of P and f waves were performed.
Using these parameters, arrhythmia was interpreted automatically in 15 seconds.
The program for the arrhythmia was applied to monitor the heart beats of patients in the coronary care unit.
Computer analysis of phonocardiograms was also undertaken by the same computer system. The phonocardiogram was replaced by two continuous curves of maximum amplitude and a number of zero-crossing every 8 ms. The pattern recognition of heart sound was made, using the two computed curves.
This system may be suitable for-automatic analysis of analog information in the medical field.

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Data obtained from a patient needs to be quickly recognized, as life is an irreversible phenomenon. The principle in the designing of our medical computer laid emphasis on fast data processing in co-operation with automated and fast clinical laboratory methods to obtain adequate and instantaneous recognition of a patient's condition.The principal features of our computer are as follows : 1) It is operated by a programme package system, 2) It has a quick 16-channel data acquisition system with three digit accuracy, 3) A high speed color display is provided to accelerate the speed of recognition. This computer has no compiler but a simple assembler system, as the core capacity is normally limited to 4096 words. It can be operated by one person, even a high school graduate. The results obtained can be transmitted by a closed circuit TV system to any clinical office in a hospital. Two magnetic tape auxiliary memories are used.
As an example of application, the electrocardiographic potential distribution on chest wall in man was displayed on the cathode-ray display tube in color. About 200-400 frames were successively displayed by animation method during one cardiac cycle from P to T.

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The purpose of the present paper is to establish a real-time display system of the response characteristics of manual tracking systems.
By the application of the learning method for linear system identification, which was developed by the authors, and by the use of an on-line digital computer, the slowly-varying response characteristics of pursuit tracking systems for random input signals are identified and displayed on a CRT screen moment by moment. Software systems which facilitate the performing of various kinds of tracking experiments were developed.

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A biological experimental system aided by a digital computer has been developed in order to study the neurophysiological basis of vision in the cat.
The experimenter can communicate with the computer in conversational style. In accordance with the experimenter's commands, the computer selects one of several programs and executes the selected program with the specified parameters. During the execution of the programs, the computer generates various light stimulus patterns on a cathode ray tube with the help of a newly developed pattern generator. The generated patterns are projected on the desired portions of the cat's retina through the ophthalmoscope. The single unit activities are sent to the computer for various kinds of data processing. The processed data are displayed through the typewriter, pen recorder, cathode ray tube, etc. on the spot.
Thus one can easily and rapidly determine the temporal and spatial characteristics of the visual system quantitatively. Some of the experimental results are shown as illustrative examples. They consist of contour map representation of the receptive fields, post-stimulus time histograms for stationary and moving spots, interval histograms, etc.

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