Medgadget

My Lab One Portable Ultrasound from Esaote Makes Debut

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:46:33 -0800

At the ongoing Medica 2009 in Düsseldorf, Esaote out of Genoa, Italy is releasing a new portable ultrasound system that features a 12 inch touch screen for manipulating settings without having to use buttons. The My Lab One can be worn on a shoulder strap and is designed for mobile applications such as ambulatory anesthesia, EMT, military and sports medicine.

From the press release:

The automatic rotation of the image according to the position of the system, an ergonomic probe equipped with controls, a long life battery, all add up to making this ultrasound an extraordinary innovation in the medical system arena.
MyLab One is a “dedicated” ultrasound, which reflects perfectly today’s need for diagnostic capabilities in many different fields of application: from Radiology to Cardiology, from to Orthopaedics, Anaesthesia, Sports Medicine, etc… or in first-aid, emergency, vascular screening as well as in general practices.

Press release: Esaote presents “My Lab One” Innovative “wearable” ultrasound scanner ARM HELD

Product page: Esaote ultrasound...

Toumaz Sensium Digital Plaster Goes on Trial

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:49:32 -0800

Toumaz Technology out of Abingdon, UK has announced it partnered with the Imperial College London to perform a clinical trial on the company's "Digital Plaster" vital signs monitor. The technology, which we covered in the past (see flashbacks below), allows for continuous monitoring and wireless transmission of temperature, heart and respiratory rates to help speed up workflow and get rid of some of the cables.

The focus of the trial will be to verify that the physiological data acquired by the digital plaster system within a clinical setting is equivalent to that acquired using current gold-standard monitors in use in hospitals – equipment that is often bulky, expensive and fixed, such that patient mobility is impaired. The Sensium digital plaster is wireless and unobtrusive, meaning that patients can remain ambulatory in hospital while still being monitored. This flexibility allows continuous vital sign monitoring to be extended to patients who would not normally be monitored, thereby offering the potential to increase patient safety. The Sensium digital plaster is a disposable device with a working lifetime of several days, after which the plaster is disposed of in the appropriate waste receptacle.

The trial is being conducted in three phases, an initial phase with non-patient volunteers followed by two patient study groups: patients recovering from surgery, and patients with specific medical conditions in the general wards.

The Sensium digital plaster is targeted for use in clinical monitoring applications such as acute care, general ward environments, tele-care, chronic disease monitoring, and in care home settings. For all these applications, disposability provides convenience, simplicity and patient comfort while ensuring infection control is maintained to the highest standards. Powered by thin batteries, body-worn Sensium-enabled monitors deliver clinical-quality data and intelligently integrate it into an electronic medical record via a network built on Toumaz’s power-optimised wireless operating and networking system, Nano Sensor Protocol (NSP).

Press release: Toumaz Technology and Imperial College London In Landmark Clinical Trial Of Sensium

Product page: Toumaz Sensium ...

Flashbacks: Sensium Life Pebble Wireless Vitals Monitor for Sport Training, Cardiac Health Auditing ; EU Aims to Develop Blood Glucose Prediction Device ; Sensium Chip: An Ultra Low Power Sensor Interface

Philips DirectLife Activity Monitor at TEDMED

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:30:52 -0800

Last week at TEDMED, Philips was giving away their DirectLife devices that monitor person's daily activity using a built-in accelerometer. In a crowded room at the conference, we spoke to one of the representatives of Philips to find out what the product is all about:

To learn more about the product, here's a link: Philips DirectLife...

AlterG M300 Trainer Takes The Strain Off Fragile Joints

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:33:44 -0800

Being able to drop half your body weight for a run can take quite a bit of strain off your joints. People recovering from surgery or injuries can use the AlterG (Fremont, California) treadmill to do just that and get a good workout for their lower extremities muscles. The device is able to continuously pump air into a cavity enclosing the legs and helps lift a person a bit, thereby reducing effective weight. AlterG just released a new model, the M300, which costs a third of their previous unit, features the same technology, and looks pretty damn slick.

Control unweighting from 100% to as low as 20% in 1% increments

Allows full range of motion for upper and lower body

Natural gait mechanics promote improved balance and strengthening

Keeps user in place, supports laterally and prevents falls

Highly comfortable at any level of partial weight-bearing for prolonged exercise

Accommodates a wide range of body types (90 - 400 lbs)

Easy-to-use controls for decrease/increase in body weight, speed and incline.

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Press release: AlterG's Revolutionary Anti-Gravity Treadmill(R) Reaches a Wider Audience With the New M300 Series...

Flashback: G-Trainer Weight Reducing Treadmill Approved as Medgadget by FDA

Sensium Life Pebble Wireless Vitals Monitor for Sport Training, Cardiac Health Auditing

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:57:30 -0800

Toumaz Technology out of Abingdon, UK has released the Sensium™ Life Pebble vital sign monitoring device. Featuring a single lead ECG, a skin thermometer, and an accelerometer to monitor physical activity, the unit can track one's performance for later analysis by a clinician.

Device features:

Wireless monitoring of heart rate and activity optimised for ambulatory conditions

Accurate electrically-derived heart rate from R to R peak measurements

3-axis accelerometer to detect and measure physical activity

Skin temperature sensor

Robust data communication, even in noisy channels

Up to 5 days' operational use on a single hearing aid battery

Light weight and ultra-small size (20gm with LR44 battery, excluding EKG leads)

Press release: Toumaz Technology Announces Availability of Sensium Life Pebble Wireless Vital Signs Monitor...

Product page: The Sensium Life Pebble...

Flashback: Sensium™ Chip: An Ultra Low Power Sensor Interface

Fitbit Tracks Your Movement Day and Night

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:57:47 -0800

Fitbit, a small device designed to track your every physical move, is now for sale after a year of hype and development. Fitbit clips onto your clothing and, using a 3D motion sensor, passively tracks how many calories you burn, your patterns of physical activity, and even how much sleep you get at night. Every time you're in range of the Fitbit base station, it automatically uploads your data and syncs with your computer. The idea is that you can then log in to Fitbit.com to monitor your data, set activity goals, input food intake, look at your activity trends over time, etc. The battery in Fitbit lasts ten days between charges so you can pretty much keep Fitbit by your side at all times.

Head to the Fitbit blog for more details about the product development, manufacturing, and even an explanation about how the algorithms work that track your movement...

Product Page: Fitbit...

Flashback: Passive Tracking of Physical Activity with Fitbit

(hat tip: TechCrunch)

The Access: Inclusive Fitness Equipment

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:50:34 -0800

The James Dyson Awards have introduced this year a "People's Choice" component of the judging process to determine the best in contemporary design. One of the entries we found interesting is The Access, an exercise machine designed for people with and without disabilities to work out the upper body. The features include push button weight selection, adjustable arms for different size people to get proper leverage, and controls that require little manual dexterity.

Here's a description from the contest entry:

The Access is universal fitness equipment that accommodates those with various disabilities and able-bodied users alike. It bridges the gap between segregated users and provides an equal platform of fitness for all. Comprised of a central tower with two arms extending laterally, each arm rotates 180 degrees independently. Additionally, each arm contains a cart that travels the length of the arm. This configuration allows any user, regardless of their size, shape, or mobility levels to achieve a personalized workout catered to their body type. No longer does the user adapt to the equipment, but the equipment adapts to its user. The Access provides an non intimidating, seamless interaction between user and machine. No longer does the user need to pull pins, pinch fingers, and contort their body in awkward positions. All of the touch points are designed in which even the most limited user, an incomplete quadriplegic, can perform an independent workout with ease.

Link: The Access: Inclusive Fitness Equipment...

James Dyson Award entries...

(hat tip: Core77)

Avalanche Safety System to Help Extend Survival Time

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:42:15 -0800

One of the entries submitted to the Dyson Design Awards for consideration is the AvaJacket, a safety vest to help skiers survive a meeting with an avalanche. It features airbags that open up to restrain the head from being twisted into dangerous positions, and a breathing system that aims to separate exhaled air from the much needed oxygen rich variety.

From the submission to the award contest:

The device works by extracting the mouthpiece from its pocket: in just a few seconds, the airbag located in the collar is inflated around the neck of the victim, protecting a vital part of the body and decreasing the burial depth. Once submerged by the snow, the airbag slowly deflates; with its volume, around which the snow has become thick and solid, it has gained space around the victim's neck and kept the airways clear, besides having given more chances to the victim's motion and wiggle. Meanwhile, it is possible to breathe through the mouthpiece which separates the inhaled air from the exhaled air.

Video submission explaining the AvaJacket:

Award entry page: AvaJacket...

James Dyson Award entries...

New Fabric Aims to Detect High Body Temperature in Children

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:18:47 -0800

Being able to detect when a child's temperature rises above 37°C would be a welcome ability for worried parents. The same could be said about doctors on professional sport teams. A British inventor seems to have developed a fabric that loses its color and turns white above the standard temperature threshold.

From the Daily Mail:

Mr Ebejer, who had his idea while watching a documentary about babies, began the search for an ink pigment with heat-sensitive molecules.
He spent six years and £700,000 working with scientists to develop-the pigments to embed into cotton babygrows.
The blue Babyglow suit for boys turns white when the child's temperature rises too much

The blue Babyglow suit for boys turns white when the child's temperature rises too much. The Babyglows come in pink, blue and pastel green, all of which turn white as soon as the baby's temperature rises above 37c. They will be available from October for £20 a pack.

The worldwide patent has been bought by manufacturers Quality Workwear 4 U, in Milton Keynes.

Helmets Monitor Player Temperatures to Watch for Heat Stroke

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:43:17 -0800

Football players are prone to heat strokes due to the gear and helmets they wear, compounded by working out in off-season training facilities in places like Florida and Arizona. While training in 2001, Minnesota Vikings lineman Korey Stringer died due to heat stroke. To allow teams to monitor the players' individual temperatures, Hothead Technologies out of Atlanta, Georgia has developed sensors that can be built into helmets to provide live wireless updates.

From Popular Science:

The Heat Observation Technology (HOT) system uses an electric thermometer called a thermistor, a spoon-size device made of metals whose electrical resistance vary with temperature. Inserted under the padding of a standard helmet, the thermistor measures the temperature in the player's temporal artery and uses a built-in radio to transmit temperatures between 99.9° and 110°F — heat illness typically sets in around 104° — every 10 seconds to a PDA monitored by a coach or trainer on the sidelines.