Elektromagnetische Risicoanalyse aan de Hand van Systeemdenken voor het Maken van Veiligere Beslissingen

In recent years, ensuring that electronic devices operate reliably without interfering with each other has become increasingly demanding. This challenge is especially prominent within complex systems deployed in medical environments. As advanced electronic technologies become integral to medical devices and systems, the risks associated with electromagnetic interference (EMI) have grown. Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) aims to manage interactions between devices, reducing the occurrence of disturbances and improving immunity. The conventional 'rule-based' approach, based on EMC testing, struggles with modern systems, where nonlinear interactions can cause malfunctions even with correct inputs. Consequently, a risk-based methodology has emerged to improve safety, effectiveness, and reliability in electronic devices and systems. The main goal of this Ph.D. is to combine the principles of systems thinking with a risk-based approach for EMC. First, the systems thinking technique STPA (systems-theoretic process analysis) is extended to identify EM-related hazards. The feasibility of this methodology is validated in three medical use cases, which serve to identify the strengths and weaknesses of STPA for EMI risk assessment. The second objective of this dissertation is to develop decision-making algorithms to improve the system's resilience to EMDs within EM diverse communication channels. By incorporating knowledge of the EM environment, these algorithms can detect EMI-induced errors and take corrective actions to ensure the reliability and availability of the system. By combining systems thinking principles with risk-based EMC, this work contributes to the development of safer and more dependable technologies, able to adapt to the increasing complexity of electromagnetic environments. <!-- notionvc: 56ee60eb-edfe-4e5b-9f78-297950247d07 -->