Medgadget

Dyna-Vision Real-Time Remote Patient Monitoring System Gets US Green Light

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:54:11 -0800

RS TechMedic BV out of Broek op Langedijk, The Netherlands has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Dyna-Vision line of portable cardiac monitors. The devices, already approved in Europe, transmit ECG data wirelessly to a clinician via Bluetooth or through a mobile phone network.

Features of the top end Dyna-Vision device from the product page:

Remote Monitoring of Vital Signs: > 3, 5 and 12 lead ECG > Heart Rate > Plethysmogram & SpO2 > Respiration & Respiratory Rate

Benefits:
> Real-Time Remote Monitoring without limitations
> Internal GSM, Bluetooth Class I and USB connection
> No peripherals required for transmission
> Dyna-Vision© supports all mobile networks

Turn-key Telemedicine Solutions and Interfacing:
> Integration of Dyna-Vision© in existing platforms
> Server Solution, PC software and monitoring devices
> Remote Cardiac Diagnostic Services

Here's a demo video about Dyna-Vision:

Product page: Dyna-Vision...

Here's an interview Ivor Kovic, our former editor, took with the CEO of RS TechMedic in October 2008: Dyna-Vision Monitoring from RS TechMedic...

Corventis Gets US OK for Wireless Cardiac Arrhythmia Monitoring System

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:01:17 -0800

Corventis out of San Jose, CA won FDA 510(k) approval to market the NUVANT Mobile Cardiac Telemetry (MCT) System. The company's wireless technology revolves around the chest worn PiiX electrocardiograph, a high precision single lead ECG, which sends readings to a mobile phone based device for further transmission of the data to a hosted application for clinician's access.

The NUVANT Mobile Cardiac Telemetry System is the second product launched from the Corventis portfolio of wireless cardiovascular solutions. Designed with a specific focus on ambulatory arrhythmia monitoring, the NUVANT MCT System leverages the low profile form factor, advanced algorithms and multi-sensor capabilities of the PiiX wearable platform to enable continuous monitoring for a broad set of arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, as well as patient falls that may be associated with arrhythmias. Patients can also trigger the collection of an electrocardiogram (ECG), on-demand, upon experiencing symptoms, further aiding in the correlation of symptoms with the ECG.

All ECGs are promptly transmitted to the Corventis Monitoring Center via the wireless-enabled zLink, for review and response by trained cardiographic technicians. Physicians receive prompt notification of urgent events as well as actionable information in the form of Episode Reports, Daily Reports and End of Use Reports via fax, email and/or the secure www.corventis.com website. Using this information, a physician can diagnose symptomatic and asymptomatic cardiac arrhythmias and proactively manage patients remotely from anywhere across the globe.

Press release: CORVENTIS ANNOUNCES FDA CLEARANCE AND US LAUNCH OF THE NUVANT™ MOBILE CARDIAC TELEMETRY SYSTEM...

Product page: NUVANT™ Mobile Cardiac Telemetry (MCT) System

Flashbacks: Piix Wireless Home Cardiac Monitoring to Undergo Randomized Trial; PiiX Monitors for Signs of Decompensated Heart Failure

Wireless Wearable ECG, Vital Monitoring System Released in Japan

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:47:33 -0800

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)

Vitalsens Patient Monitoring System Gets EU OK

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:42:19 -0800

Intelesens out of Belfast, Northern Ireland has received the European CE Mark for its Vitalsens continuous vital signs monitoring platform. The packaged system is capable of measuring single and 3-lead ECG, temperature, respiratory rate, pulse oximetry, and activity levels. The system can also expand its capabilities by interfacing with other monitoring devices via a wire, or wirelessly through Bluetooth. All this data is then uploaded to a nurse's station or an EMR via the internal WiFi or cell phone network interfaces. What this means is that the Vitalsens can be used for continuous clinical monitoring or as a take-home device for remote patient observation.

Here's the list of system's components:

Disposable, non irritant, easy-to-apply, adhesive body-worn patch electrodes for high quality collection of vital signs

Reuseable, miniaturised clip-on transmitter (powered with long life battery) with telemetry and on-board analysis

Optional matching belt-worn device forms a telemetry gateway using cellphone networks

On-board intelligence monitors for and triggers on medical events, eg arrhythmias, transmitting data immediately for access by the clinician via the internet.

Product page: Vitalsens...

Press release: CE Class 2a Approval...

HealthPal Wireless Monitoring System Going on Sale in Canada, EU

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:31:23 -0800

MedApps of Scottsdale, Arizona has received European and Canadian approvals for its mobile health telemetry reporting system. The company's flagship product, HealthPal, interfaces with medical devices like glucometers to wirelessly transmit data to a health care providers or to personal health record management systems, such as Microsoft HealthVault and Google Health. The system, which works just about anywhere in the world over GSM, GPRS, and M2M cellular networks, already has FDA approval for marketing in the US.

Built-in Timer
- Programmable Reminder to Assist in Compliance

Rechargeable Power Source
- Long-life Lithium Polymer Battery

Audio Speaker
- Gives Connected Devices Audio Capability

Multi-Lingual Capability
- Pre-Program to speak in the User's Language

Audio Earphone Jack
- Allows User to Review / Listen to Audio Discreetly

DIMENSIONS
- Size: 109 mm x 54 mm x 23 mm
- Weight: Approx. 3 ounces

Embedded Wireless Technology
- M2M Cellular, CDMA (pending), GSM, Bluetooth, GPS

Adaptable Technology
- Interchangeable Smart Cables
- Multiple Cellular Networks
- Expandable Memory

OLED Display Screen
- Intuitive User Feedback
- On-screen Menu Features

Easy to Use Control Pad
- One Touch Functions
- Access Menu Features

Press release: MedApps Receives Certifications to Market in Europe and Canada...

More from MobiHealthNews: MedApps attains CE Mark, eyes Europe, Canada...

Flashbacks: MedApps D-PAL™ Remote Patient Monitoring System for Diabetes ; HealthPAL Gets FDA's OK; Wirelessly Connects Providers With At-Home Devices; Wireless Monitoring of Diabetics

Modular Teleconferencing Tool Open to Variety of Medical Applications

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:58:12 -0800

Engineers from Fraunhofer Institute -- the same people who brought us the mp3 -- have developed a video teleconferencing tool specifically for medical applications. Designed to be upgradeable for specific tasks, the system tries to overcome issues associated with one-size-fits-all solutions.

In collaboration with the Protestant Hospital in the town of Witten, researchers at the ISST have now developed a software program that makes coordination both simple and cost-effective. “Our software is designed to be modular – you start with the basic core services and simply add the specialist individual services you need in each case,” Koch explains. For basic program functions such as barcode recognition, the scientists have chosen existing open-source solutions. To tailor these to a specific application, the programmer simply modifies certain parameters.
The software is used for a weekly “Wound Conference” in Witten, in which doctors present problematic wounds that are not healing properly and discuss possible courses of treatment. Doctors can click on a link to register and download the program, which includes an easy-to-use installation wizard. Once a doctor has obtained their patient's consent, they can enter the patient's data in an on-screen form, including a description of the wound and any laboratory findings. The doctor can then upload photos of the wound using a barcode that was photographed together with the wound. The barcode automatically assigns the images to the patient's file, and the doctor can add updated photos whenever required. To check how the healing process is going, conference participants simply click to display the photos in a series. In addition, the software automatically pulls in new information on how treatment is progressing. All the data is stored centrally on one of the hospital's servers. More than 300 cases have already been documented in the virtual network, and the researchers now intend to expand the pool of basic services and assess requirements for new services.

Press release: A virtual physician's conference

Remote Wound Management With Help of Smart Phones

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:29:03 -0800

Wound patients typically get lots of care at home, either from visiting nurses or from home care providers. Now technology is coming to even this forgotten medical market. And not surprisingly, it is mobile phone technology with backing from a big gun: AT&T. What we know is that the Wound Technology Network, a telehealth-based wound management service, is giving out HTC smart phones equipped with iVisit software to many of its providers for sending images back to specialists for remote analysis:

Under a two year agreement with AT&T, Wound Technology Network will equip its clinical staff including physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants across South Florida and Southern California with HTC FUZE™ smart mobile devices when providing care in patient’s homes. Clinical staff will use the devices to access an application developed by iVisit which creates videoconferencing tools for mobile devices and PCs and speak live with a wound care specialist at Wound Technology Network’s tele-health center who will assist them to assess the patients’ wounds and perform the necessary treatment. To aid in the treatment process, clinical staff will also capture images of the patient’s wounds using the HTC FUZE™ and transmit the images to the wound care specialists to upload onto an electronic medical record which is immediately faxed to the patient’s primary care physician.

Press release: Wound Technology Network Teams with AT&T to Faciliate Treatment of Chronically Wounded Patients in Their Homes...

Product pages: iVisit Mobile; HTC FUZE...

Flashback: Camera Phones to Interpret Visible World for Blind

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

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

Project ECHO Brings Specialists Virtually Out to The Farm

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:06:45 -0800

Video teleconferencing has been making inroads in helping doctors remotely interview patients when a visit to the clinic is unnecessary or is simply too much trouble. A companion problem for patients living in remote areas is that their physicians are also usually miles away from large medical facilities with an array of specialists. Because specialty advice is far away, rural patients may not receive sufficient attention without driving to a distant hospital. Now a project called ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) at the University of New Mexico is bringing together rural clinicians with university specialists to discuss individual patient cases.

Project page: Project ECHO...