Sports Medicine Archive

Thursday, November 19, 2009

My Lab One Portable Ultrasound from Esaote Makes Debut

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...

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Monday, November 9, 2009

Toumaz Sensium Digital Plaster Goes on Trial

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

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Monday, November 2, 2009

Philips DirectLife Activity Monitor at TEDMED

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...

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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

AlterG M300 Trainer Takes The Strain Off Fragile Joints

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.

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

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Monday, October 26, 2009

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

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

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Monday, September 28, 2009

Fitbit Tracks Your Movement Day and Night

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)

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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

The Access: Inclusive Fitness Equipment

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)

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Avalanche Safety System to Help Extend Survival Time

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...

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Friday, June 19, 2009

New Fabric Aims to Detect High Body Temperature in Children

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.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Helmets Monitor Player Temperatures to Watch for Heat Stroke

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.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

NASA Creates New Sports Drink

As part of NASA's program to develop tools for astronaut training and living in space, researchers at NASA's Ames Research Center have developed a new hydration beverage that will rival Gatorade, itself originally created for the Florida Gators football team. The recipe has been licensed to a private firm, Wellness Brands, that will sell it under the name The Right Stuff.

From a NASA statement:

To help keep astronauts at peak performance during missions, NASA researched, qualified and patented a highly effective electrolyte concentrate formula that maintains and restores optimal body hydration levels quickly and conveniently. Developed as a remedy for dehydration, it helps prevent the loss of body fluids during heavy exercise, heat exposure and illness. It also can be used to treat and prevent dehydration caused by altitude sickness and jetlag.
NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., licensed the patented rehydration formula to Wellness Brands Inc., Boulder, Colo. Wellness Brands plans to launch its first electrolyte concentrate brand, 'The Right Stuff' in June 2009.

The novel electrolyte formula contains a specific ratio of key ingredients, sodium chloride and sodium citrate, for rapid restoration of hydration. These electrolytes, dissolved in water, optimize the levels of sodium ions in the body. The beverage is an isotonic formulation that restores both intra- and extracellular body fluid volumes in dehydrated astronauts, athletes and others.

Press release: NASA Develops Rehydration Beverage

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Friday, May 8, 2009

Lactate Monitoring May Become As Common As Heartbeat in Sports

Measuring lactate levels in the blood is a common activity among athletes that closely monitor their condition. The process usually requires visiting a clinic, but now German researchers claim to have developed a scaled down version of the monitoring device that may soon find itself in over the counter lactate testers.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft reports:

“We have found a way of miniaturizing the measurement system so that it can be accommodated in an ear clip. The results could be radioed by the ear clip to a training wristwatch or a cellphone,” says Thomas van den Boom, group manager at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS in Duisburg. An electrochemical method is used to measure the lactate value. In a chemical reaction, an enzyme triggers a redox flow from the lactate which can be measured using electrodes. The measurement system, which could be installed for example in an ear clip, consists of two microchips: the innovative nanopotentiostat fits on a chip measuring just two by three millimeters and costs less than one euro. “The second chip incorporates microelectrodes which we have developed for this purpose and which we can couple with the nanopotentiostat,” explains van den Boom. One of the microelectrodes is coated with a thin layer of gel containing the enzyme. There are altogether three microelectrodes on the chip, which are activated by the nanopotentiostat. Two serve the purpose of electrochemical measurement while the third keeps the electrochemical potential constant end thus ensures a stable voltage.
The engineers can coat the electrode with different enzymes so that, apart from lactate measurement, various other analyses can be performed in the blood or other electrolytes. The advantage is that the electrodes are very small and cheap – and the analyses can be carried out in a mobile environment. A first demonstrator of the nanopotentiostat for lactate measurement (without earclip) has already been produced.

Press release: Lactate test made easy ...

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

FiTrainer Automatic Heart Rate Monitor Helps With Exercise

FiTrainer is an interesting product that combines headphones and a heart beat meter into one convenient unit. Featuring an ear clip that detects one's heart rhythm, the system notifies the user of the current number via voice inside the headphones, which avoids having to manually check the reading on a display.

Features from the product page:

Complete 1 Unit Training System

Heart Rate Sensor Equipped

Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitor

Voice Feedback Commands
Training Rhythm & Music

MP3 Player Compatible

MP3 Integration

Customized Exercise Modes

PC/Mac Software Setup

Minimum 15 hr. Battery Life

Product page: FiTrainer...

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Monday, March 9, 2009

Gruve Helps Keep Weight Loss Exercise on Track

Using technology licensed from the Mayo Clinic, a company called Muve from Minneapolis, Minnesota has created a simple device that can help optimize exercise habits. Essentially a 3-D accelerometer, the Gruve from Muve is designed to measure person's movement and roughly convert that into calories expended. By setting weight loss goals, the unit can help the user optimize and when and how much movement needs to be done.

From the Associated Press:

As a lifelong runner and cross-country skier, Wood [Andy Wood, chief "muvologist" at Muve] was surprised by what his Gruve showed him. Days of sitting in the office broken up by a long distance run at lunchtime did not bring him to his green goal.
However, steady movement and small walks throughout the day, minus the noon-time run, did make his Gruve green.

After sitting for a long time, the body changes and begins creating fat instead of energy. Wood calls this the E.C.P or energy conservation point. His is 74 minutes and after 69 minutes of sitting, the Gruve vibrates like a cell phone to remind him to move.

Those little bursts of energy keep his body from shifting into neutral and creating excess weight.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

High Speed RFID to Help Set New Records

RFID (radio frequency identification) technology is both controversial and amazing in its possibilities. In the field of sports, researchers are extending the precision of RFID to allow for accurate monitoring of performance. A new system attached to skis can provide feedback to a coach that is much more nuanced than an old fashioned video. The system has also the potential to improve safety for those who risk their lives on the giant slopes.

From Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft:

In the future, transponders – radio transmitters and receivers – will support coaches in their work. They can be attached to an athlete’s skis and transmit radio waves in every direction through small antennas one thousand times per second. The antennas are located to the front and the back of the skis. Receiving stations placed alongside a slope in regular intervals pick up the signals and analyze the time a signal needs to travel from the antenna to a station, thus accurately determining an antenna’s position within three centimeters. The underlying technology is radio frequency identification or RFID. A computer calculates the position of the skis every millisecond and displays their exact path on a monitor. “A coach recognizes whether both skis were parallel,” explains Richter, “whether the skier has drifted from her path in a curve and whether she is able to carve properly.” Carving involves taking the turns entirely on the edge of one’s skis.
The Austrian firm Abatec developed the system. Together with colleagues from the university in Magdeburg, the researchers at the Fraunhofer IFF are testing its systematic implementation in sports: What adhesive bonds the antennas to the skis so they do not loosen during a downhill run but can be detached when no longer needed? How can the radio signals be evaluated so a coach is able to draw conclusions about technique? Another challenge: Many skis contain metal layers of varying thicknesses, which shift a transmitter’s frequency. Depending on the skis’ design, the antennas transmit on another frequency and the base station no longer detects the signal. The solution: An additional metal plate under the antennas alters the signal so intensely and predictably that the slight differences between different skis are of no consequence: The antennas always transmit with the same controlled frequency. The technology performed well in initial tests in Bottrop ski hall and the system is now ready for use.

Press release: Signal opportunities on the slopes - with RFID

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Monday, February 9, 2009

Device Brings Together Health/Fitness Sensors with Digital Devices

iTMP Technology, a small company out of Santa Barbara, California, is releasing a simple device that links data coming from compatible wireless health and fitness sensors to iPhones, computers, and mobile devices. On the iPhone, things like heart rate meters, pedometers, and bicycle speedometers can be incorporated together via one the company's iPhone fitness applications.

iPhone apps the new SMHEART LINK is compatible with:

iRPM+(TM) - Bike Computer/Heart Monitor v 2.0 is a cardio fitness system and cycling computer that works with SMHEART LINK to track any cardio exercise, anywhere. Upload your completed workouts to eNewLeaf.com or MapMyFitness to add key cardio training and cycling metrics to your online fitness diary.

iSPINNING(TM) is a cardio fitness system and cycling computer that enables Spinning(R) enthusiasts around the world to track and record their cardio exercise anywhere, whether riding on a Spinner(R) bike, road bike or mountain bike. It is currently available as a demo, while the live app (v 2.0) is in review and expected to be available soon.

iNewLeaf (TM) is a cardio fitness system and cycling computer that allows you to incorporate unique metabolic profile data from New Leaf to more precisely track and monitor the right exercise intensity for "real results." Upload your completed workouts to eNewLeaf.com to add key cardio training and cycling metrics to your online fitness diary. It is also currently available as a demo, with the live app (v 2.0) in review and expected to be available soon.

Press release: iPhone Can Now Double as a Heart Rate Monitor and Fitness Tracking System

Product info page: SMHEART LINK

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Friday, December 12, 2008

Sport Helmet to Prevent Neck Injuries

This summer we missed an innovative new helmet that researchers at University of British Columbia developed to prevent neck injuries during serious collisions. Essentially, the helmet has an two concentric shells that can rotate relative to each other depending on the collision.

From the device info page:

The Pro-Neck-Tor™ technology will induce head motion if and only if a certain force threshold is reached at the interface between the shells. This means that helmets designed around the Pro-Neck-Tor™ technology should behave exactly like existing helmets except in a head-first impact. Pro-Neck-Tor™'s design is still under development, but preliminary proof-of-concept tests using mechanical models of the head and neck have been carried out by scientists and engineers at the Injury Biomechanics Laboratory at The University of British Columbia. In these tests the Pro-Neck-Tor™ helmet considerably reduced neck loads in head-first impacts over a range of impact conditions when compared to impacts to the unprotected head.

Pro-Neck-Tor homepage with video of how the helmet functions...

Press release: UBC Researchers Invent Helmet that Significantly Reduces Forces to Neck During Head-first Impact ...

(hat tip: Rohit Joshi)

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

One Of The Hardest Hitters In The NFL!!!

It's not just the line-backer glaring at you across the line of scrimmage that you have to worry about hitting you. There may be a bigger hitter coming to all football teams in the near future! MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) is sidelining more football players than NFL hall of famer "Mean" Joe Greene in his prime.

Perhaps we can make a suggestion to the recent Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology winner Wen Chyan. Consider coating NFL players' gear with your new hydrogel composite polymer to reduce MRSA transmission, and that may bring in more than the $100K grand prize from Siemens. When you consider the financial loss associated with the sidelining of Tom Brady, Joe Jurevicius, Peyton Manning and Kellen Winslow due to MRSA, $100K is pocket change (if you're reading Wen, a finders fee of 10% would be fine!).

From a press release by Molnlycke Health Care, maker of skin cleansers and other infection related products:

"All of us in the sports medicine profession know that protecting our players from infections such as staph or MRSA are priorities," said Dean Kleinschmidt, coordinator of athletic medicine/athletic trainer for the Detroit Lions. "To do this, many of us have started very strict facility cleaning procedures and provided our players with educational materials and workshops that show them how they can also prevent it."
The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) recently posted information to its web site about staph infections and MRSA provided by NFLPA Medical Director Dr. Thom Mayer. This includes how players can lower their chances of contracting staph such as:

-- Players need to have effective hygiene with equipment, which means wiping down a training bench or table.

-- Make sure the trainer uses a germicidal foam and wipes down the table between players.

-- Showering following whirlpool treatments.

-- The single most important thing for prevention is hand-washing with soap and water, or if MRSA is known to be present, with chlorhexidene (Hibiclens).

In addition to several other measures aimed at reducing the risk of infection, cleansers with chlorhexidene gluconate (CHG) have been recommended by medical organizations to be used prior to surgeries as a bathing agent, specifically 4 percent CHG since it is more effective than iodine or plain soap. The Centers for Disease Control also recommends that hospitals require patients to shower or bathe with an antiseptic agent at least the night before the operative day.

"Cleansers with 4 percent CHG cleanse the skin, but also add a barrier for hours of protection," said Jack Doornbos, executive director, Molnlycke Health Care, maker of Hibiclens(R) skin cleanser. "CHG has been used in hospitals and operating rooms for decades to prevent the spread of infection. But now, with MRSA and other resistant infections becoming more common in the community and sports, it's been even more important to add protection, while not leaving a residue that affects sports performance."

Infection risk can be even higher among amateur and recreation-level athletes. This is due to the fact that many athletes at an amateur level don't shower immediately after activities. For them, washing with a CHG product such as Hibiclens, especially the hands and arms, before an activity can dramatically reduce the risk of infection.

Press release: Staph Infections Hit Professional Football Hard

Image: Vlastula

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Monday, October 27, 2008

Passive Tracking of Physical Activity with FitBit

FitBit is a simple motion activated device that tracks the movement of the wearer and provides feedback about physical activity, calories expanded, and how much sleep was obtained by the user. Small enough to be strapped to one's underwear, the device records the internal accelerometer's activity for interpretation on the computer.

The company that makes the device just received $2 million to fund it and put the product on the market, according to TechCrunch.

We particularly like that the device wirelessly syncs with its base station, and keeps your status up to date on the computer.

Product page: FitBit

(hat tip: TechCrunch)

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