Sports Medicine Archive

Thursday, March 11, 2010

New Video Game Powered Fitness Tools Announced

Electronic Arts, the video game development company, has announced its next generation of fitness tools. Following up on its popular EA SPORTS Active product line, the release scheduled for this fall should include a heart rate monitor, arm and leg accelerometers, and an online program to track and share one's workouts. The name for the new system has yet to be finalized, so for now EA just tacked on a "2.0" to the end of the current name.

The new EA SPORTS Active 2.0 innovative wireless control system will give users complete freedom of motion, making it even easier to get a workout that delivers great results. Using innovative heart rate detection technology, the heart rate monitor will help users monitor their intensity during their workout, providing constant on-screen monitoring throughout the workout and tracking user data over time to optimize performance.

The EA SPORTS Active 2.0 online hub will allow users to track and share all of their workout data providing a centralized destination for all fitness, wellness and training needs. It will host a thriving online global community of EA SPORTS Active users who can share their fitness journeys, interact with workout groups and send messages to each other online to stay inspired and engaged. Users will also have the ability to download new workouts and exercises to their online connected PlayStation 3 console to keep their workouts fresh and maintain motivation.

The new EA SPORTS Active 2.0 provides total body conditioning using progressive exercise in the new prescribed programs. A three-phase, nine-week program provides a fitness roadmap to help keep users motivated and on track of their fitness goals. Additional mini-programs will also be available to add on, keeping workouts fresh and inspiring. The EA SPORTS Active personal trainer will walk users through their workout and provide continued encouragement with feedback to ensure an optimal workout experience.

Press release: EA Expands Interactive Fitness Product Line With New EA SPORTS Active ...

(hat tip: Engadget)

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Friday, March 5, 2010

Baseball Pitcher's Live Motion Monitoring System

Baseball pitchers are some of the most scrutinized players of any sport because their performance can make or break a game for the rest of the team. Engineering students at Northeastern University have developed a shirt that can be used to closely monitor the characteristics of every pitch served, and whether the player is getting tired or perhaps even causing injury to himself.

Here's a video reel from Northeastern about the project:

Press release: Pitching an idea ...

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

A Simple Test for Concussion Diagnosis

A group of neurologists from the University of Michigan have developed a simple test to diagnose mild concussions in athletes. The original idea for the test was conceived by Michigan high school student Ian Richardson, whose father James K. Richardson, M.D. is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

According to American Academy of Neurology, this reaction test has now undergone a preliminary clinical trial with encouraging early results for diagnosis of concussion:

“Research has shown that reaction time is slower after a concussion—even as long as several days after other symptoms are gone,” said study author James T. Eckner, MD, of the University of Michigan Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Ann Arbor. “But the tests currently used to measure reaction time require computers and special software.”
Eckner and his colleagues developed a simple, inexpensive device to measure reaction time: a cylinder attached to a weighted disk. The examiner releases the device and the athlete catches it as soon as possible.

For the study, the researchers gave the test to 209 Division I college football, wrestling and women’s soccer athletes during their preseason physicals. Then any athlete who had a concussion diagnosed by a physician during the season took the test again within three days of the concussion.

Eight athletes had concussions during the study. Of those, seven of the athletes had a prolonged reaction time after the concussion compared to the preseason time. Catching the object took about 15 percent longer.

“Because of its simplicity and low cost, this test may work well with youth athletes, where there is limited access to computerized testing of reaction time,” Eckner said.

Press release: Simple Test May Help Judge Concussion in Athletes ...

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Oxyfit is Bringing Bottled Oxygen to Your Exercise Routine

The Japan Trend Shop is selling an oxygen pack to help people train at a more intense level by breathing a more oxygenated mix than is available naturally. Apparently manufactured by Mitachi Industry, the Oxyfit was announced back in 2008 and is now available for $2,681 plus shipping. We won't comment on the actual benefits this thing promises to bring to your exercise routine and overall health, but a serious talk with your doctor would be appropriate before investing in the device.

Some hype from the product page:

Lightweight and discreet, it can be worn during nearly any activity, and boosts available oxygen from 20% or lower up to 30%. Not only can this help with fatigue and other symptoms of low oxygen, but it can actually boost brainpower and metabolism as well. More oxygen lets you run farther, work longer, and even lose weight! An increased supply of oxygen speeds up your body's metabolic engine, burning more calories and stimulating fat loss. Finally, the improved circulation from increased oxygen levels can produce nootropic (brain-stimulating) and anti-aging effects (through increased moisturization of the skin).

Advanced electronic oxygen generation pack

Mobile, discreet unit

Power: Lithium-ion battery provides 1.5 hours of runtime

Charger input: AC 100V

Size: 222 x 168 x 68mm (8.8 x 6.6 x 2.7")

Weight: 1500g

Package contents: Oxyfit unit, remote, oxygen tube, aspirator, battery pack, charger, tote bag

Product page: Oxyfit Mobile Oxygen Supply ...

(hat tip: CNET)

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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Wireless Wearable ECG, Vital Monitoring System Released in Japan

Nikkei's Tech-On! is reporting that WIN Human Recorder, a Japanese firm, has released a new body sensor and wireless reporting platform for continuous monitoring of patient vitals. The 7 gram HRS-I device seems to be a two lead electrocardiograph with a thermometer and an accelerometer as an activity sensor. All this is linked to a 2.4GHz wireless transmitter that communicates with a mobile phone or a computer, and it all can be continuously powered for three days by a watch battery. Unfortunately, Tech-On!'s report seems to be the only source of information about the device and no more details are available. We'll be on the lookout for anything else we can discover about the HRS-I.

Tech-On!: Wearable Health Monitoring Sensor Debuts in Japanese Market

(hat tip: mobihealthnews)

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Thermahelm Motorcycle Helmet Cools Head Upon Impact

A University of Edinburgh PhD student from the United Kingdom has created a motorcycle helmet that uses an endothermic chemical reaction to self-cool upon impact. The company, Termahelm, will soon offer the ability to either buy a helmet directly from them or retrofit your current helmet with the cooling technology.

The website is misleading on the benefit of this technology in that it points to a multitude of studies investigating systemic hypothermia in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) where the entire patient is cooled for an extended period of time. That's not what the helmet is doing and even if it were, whether or not this actually helps seems to still be an open question (see review). Also, the premise of the idea rests upon two assumptions: one, that prophylactic local hypothermia (icin' the noggin') leads to better severe head trauma outcomes. And two, that applying this therapy immediately, even before an ambulance arrives, has a clinical benefit.

That being said, it seems like a neat idea and leaves us with the obvious question: Can you activate it while riding on a hot summer day?

Product page: Thermahelm...

(hat tip: Gizmodo)

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Hemostatic "Shaving Cream" Wins Award

Remedium Technologies won first prize in the Most Promising Security Idea category of the Global Security Challenge 2009 for their shaving cream-like foam that can stop bleeding. The foam incorporates chitosan, a natural low-cost hemostatic substance derived from shellfish. It is designed to be sprayed into wounds where it expands and adheres to tissues in order to slow or stop bleeding. The company is also working on a novel chitosan-based wound dressing which uses "nano-hooks" in order to better adhere to bleeding tissues.

Press release: Remedium Technologies Wins Most Promising Security Idea at Global Security Challenge 2009 with Blood-Clotting Foam

Chitosan flashbacks: HemCon Receives U.S. Army Award, Preventing Slimy Biofilms, Synthetic/Natural Hybrid Material to Help With Nerve Repair

(Image: Dramatization, not actual product)

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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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