본 자료는 Medgadget 온라인 저널에서 'wearable'이라는 단어로 검색된 일부 제품들임.
2004년부터 2015년까지의 혁신적인 웨어러블 헬스케어 디바이스들을 소개함.
2004
The LifeVest Conspiracy
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Dec 28, 2004
The LifeVest is the first wearable defibrillator. Unlike an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), the LifeVest is worn outside the body rather than implanted in the chest. This device continuously monitors the patient’s heart with dry, non-adhesive sensing electrodes to detect life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms. If a life-threatening rhythm is detected, the device alerts the patient prior to delivering a shock, and thus allows a conscious patient to disarm the shock. If the patient is unconscious, the device releases a gel over the therapy electrodes and delivers an electrical shock to restore normal rhythm.
2005
The HealthWear System for Weight Management
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Mar 8, 2005
The HealthWear System is a revolutionary weight loss monitoring system utilizing a wearable body monitor, proprietary algorithms, and a user friendly Internet application. The HealthWear Armband uses a collection of sensors to gather information. Data from the body is then downloaded to www.HealthWear.com where proprietary algorithms are used to calculate the wearer’s caloric expenditure, number of steps, and duration of physical activity. The Internet application can also track, summarize, and graph lifestyle and physiological data. The HealthWear System has received multiple industry awards including Gold and Silver Leadership Awards for best Web site by eHealthcare Strategy and Trends Magazine and was recently a recipient of a 2004 Medical Design Excellence Award sponsored by Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry Magazine.
2006
SKeeper™
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Feb 16, 2006
SKeeper™ is intended to provide peace of mind for its users, their families and caregivers. It enables users to carry on with their daily routines without compromising safety and well being, by enabling them to stay in touch with relatives and caregivers in case of need. With SKeeper™ elderly people get immediate assistance by simply pressing a single button on the device, and parents can rest assured that their children can easily contact them should they be lost or need assistance.
“SKeeper™ is taking Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) and social alarm systems, to the next level,” says Ofer Atzmon, business development manager at Tadiran LifeCare, “Fitted with a dedicated safety call button it can activate a warning signal or initiate a voice call in case of need, enabling wearers to get immediate care and assistance.”
Using its embedded Siemens MC55 wireless module and built-in speakerphone, SKeeper™ can activate cellular voice calls to pre-defined numbers (e.g. a relative or a health professional) or receive calls from anyone. When a call is made to a monitoring center, a pre-defined SMS message can be sent automatically to a relative. Incoming calls can be screened and/or answered automatically. Most of the product features, such as speed dialing numbers, auto-answering, predefined text messages, etc. are remotely programmable by the monitoring center, or by the users or their authorized relatives via a Web based interface.
SKeeper™ takes advantage of location based services provided by many operators, so that users can be located in case of need or upon wandering outside of a specified zone (e.g. a neighborhood or a school area). In such cases the system sends automatic alerts via SMS messages to the monitoring center and/or to another mobile phone. Tadiran LifeCare plans to launch a GPS based system, with higher location accuracy, later this year.
Luminous Beings Are We
by NICHOLAS GENES on Apr 24, 2006
Crigler-Najjar syndrome is a genetic disorder in which patients can’t properly process bilirubin — they get jaundice and need phototherapy — often for hours a day. Our new friends at Fresh Technology tipped us off to this cool device that frees the patients from the photo-bed — a wearable, luminous wrap:
This sleeping bag consists of two cloths of breathable material. In these cloth there are twelve Ledfoils. The photonix textiles division of Philips developed these Ledfoils, flexible disks with integrated LEDs. When Philips was looking for a medical application of this mobile lightsystem they found Philomeen Engels. The two cloths can be used as a sleeping bag but also as a suit with two trouserlegs. Because the LEDs use a lot of electricity the Ledwrap has to be plugged into a wall plug.
…The Ledwrap has not yet been tested on medical results and Engels also does not know if the LEDs produce too much heat.
Eventually, this technology might find its way into the nursery and to psoriasis clinics — but we suspect the general public will first notice it around Halloween.
SmartShirt: A Breathable Fabric (That Monitors Your Breathing)
by NICHOLAS GENES on May 30, 2006
The light, breathable, cotton fabric has fully integrated conductive fibres that create connectivity to acquire and transfer analogue physiological signals to a small personal controller. The controller digitizes the data signals and wirelessly transmits them to a remote location where the data is received for monitoring. The system was developed to interface with wireless communication systems using ZigBee technology so that data can be transmitted to virtually any back-end system, and designed so that it is not necessary to have a trained technician present to send or receive data.
Unlike similar products, only the Sensatex SmartShirt System combines innovative technologies in the textile, wireless, and biomedical engineering fields. Field testing of the SmartShirt System is planned for later this year. Sensatex is also testing a one-lead EKG band and a SmartBra that would employ the same system to remotely monitor vital signs and plans to add other sensor capabilities in the future.
Device to Aid People With Muscular Dystrophy
by EDITORS on Jun 12, 2006
The brace, called an arm orthosis. grew out of a series of WPI student projects conducted for the Massachusetts Hospital School, in Canton, Mass., where student teams, advised by Hoffman, have been working on rehabilitation engineering projects since 1989. With advice from Gary Rabideau, director of rehabilitation engineering at the hospital, and input from patients with muscular dystrophy, Scarsella, Toddes, and Daniel Abramovich ’05 developed a prototype of a wearable, powered orthosis. Scarsella and Toddes have continued to refine the device as WPI graduate students.
Young people with muscular dystrophy retain dexterity in their hands, but, due to the wasting in their shoulders, upper arms, and trunk, are unable move their arms. The orthosis is a brace that fits over the arm. A joystick, held with the free hand, is used to operate motors that flex the arm at the elbow and rotate it to direct the hand to where it is needed. With the brace, the user can grip and move up to three pounds, making it possible, for example, to use a toothbrush or utensils for eating. A lap tray is used as a horizontal pivot point for the elbow, giving the user two degrees of freedom.
Hoffman says the technology has progressed to the point where it is ready for patenting and licensing. With the help of the Kalenian Award, he says he hopes the orthosis can be commercialized and made available widely to improve life for those with muscular dystrophy. “This device could have quite an impact,” he says. “We’re still in the development stage, but we feel it’s a usable device. Right now, these people need assistance in all these activities. This device would allow them to do a number of activities independently.”
Gaze Detector Lets You Hear with Your Eyes
by JOSH UMBEHR on Jun 22, 2006
Well, we are still big fans of being able to control things with the mind, but with the hat-sized-MRI-machine still months to years away, this may be the next best thing. Creator Manabe Hiroyuki has developed a machine that could eventually allow you to control things in your environment simply by looking at it.
A headphone-type gaze detector for a full-time wearable interface is proposed. It uses a Kalman filter to analyze multiple channels of EOG signals measured at the locations of headphone cushions to estimate gaze direction. Evaluations show that the average estimation error is 4.4® (horizontal) and 8.3® (vertical), and that the drift is suppressed to the same level as in ordinary EOG. The method is especially robust against signal anomalies. Selecting a real object from among many surrounding ones is one possible application of this headphone gaze detector.
Wireless Wearable Physiological Monitor for Remote Location
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Nov 29, 2006
When Steve Sutphen from University of Alberta Department of Computing went to Mount Kilimanjaro at the end of October, he was studying the performance of a medical monitor worn by another climber: a tiny specially designed wrist watch called “wireless wearable physiological monitor” (WWPM).
Sutphen made the rugged journey the week of Oct. 28 – Nov. 10 primarily to give technical assistance to the Canadian Space Agency’s Martin Lebeuf, who volunteered to wear the WWPM device during a climb to raise money for the Arthritis Society.
The watch-sized tele-health unit is designed to monitor vital signs and transmit them to a patient’s doctor or health-care provider over the Internet. The device isn’t designed for wilderness use, but a few modifications on Sutphen’s part ensured that it successfully monitored both his and Lebeuf’s vital signs as they ascended the 4,600-metre peak.
Sutphen used a satellite phone, powered by a battery pack instead of a plug-in, to transmit the data thousands of miles away to the central server at the U of A. Each day, for 15 minutes only in order to conserve power, Sutphen would transmit the information.
Portable Device to Monitor Tiny ‘Earthquakes’ of Stress Fractures
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Sep 13, 2006
Investigators at Purdue University and the University of Toledo, utilizing an already existing technology that monitors the state of materials under stress, are developing a monitor that might warn patients and prevent bone stress fractures:
“The goal is to create a wearable device that would alert the person when a stress fracture was imminent so that they could stop rigorous physical activity long enough for the bone to heal,” said Ozan Akkus (pronounced Ah-Koosh), an associate professor in Purdue’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.
The system records “acoustic emission data,” or sound waves created by the tiny bone fissures. The same sorts of acoustic emissions are used to monitor the integrity of bridges, other structures and mechanical parts like helicopter turbine blades…
Akkus is working with researchers at the University of Toledo to develop a wearable prototype that will record crack-formation data, which could be downloaded to a portable digital assistant, or PDA, for review by medical professionals. Such a device could immediately alert the person by sounding an alarm, and the data could then be scrutinized by a doctor.
“All of the technology is available, and the sensors exist off the shelf,” he said. “We just have to modify them to work with our system.”
Sensors made of a “piezoceramic” material generate electricity when compressed by a force, such as the vibration created by seismic waves resulting from crack formation.
“Recently, flexible polymer-based sensors have appeared on the market, and these could be incorporated into athletic apparel, such as running shoes and exercise tights to monitor areas most susceptible to fractures,” Akkus said. “Ultimately, we would like to do real-time monitoring of damage activity and learn how to distinguish between a small crack and a more structurally threatening defect.
“There are different types of cracks that occur, and it’s important to be able to distinguish among them so that we can determine how serious the damage is.”
To distinguish the difference between the various types of cracks, researchers are integrating “pattern recognition” software and earthquake models, working with Robert Nowak, a Purdue professor of earth and atmospheric sciences. The multidisciplinary research involves biomedical and electrical engineering, veterinary medicine, and earth and atmospheric sciences.
“One challenge will be to learn when damage is serious enough that you should stop exercising,” Akkus said. “You don’t want to give a professional athlete a premature warning.”
2007
NeuroRobotic Brace for Stroke Recovery
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Mar 20, 2007
In the past we’ve seen quite a few devices that were designed to help patients after stroke to regain functionality, by improving muscle function and by accelerating brain plasticity. This new robotic-assisted arm brace from MIT is another such device.
A study to appear in the April 2007 issue of the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation shows that the device, which helped Fermental [Maggie Fermental, age 32 –ed.], also had positive results for five other severe stroke patients in a pilot clinical trial.
Fermental, a former surgical nurse, used the rehabilitation device 18 times over nine weeks. After 16 sessions, Fermental, now a stroke education nurse at Beth Israel Hospital, was able to fully bend and straighten her elbow on her own for the first time since the stroke. “It was incredible to be able to move my arm again on command,” she said. “Cooking, dressing, shopping, turning on light switches, opening cabinets–it’s easier now that I have two arms again.”
The device–which sensed Fermental’s electrical muscle activity and provided power assistance to facilitate her movements–also altered her brain.
Following a stroke, the destruction of brain cells leads to loss of motor function. With painstakingly repetitive exercise therapy, other neurons can take over some of the lost function. Devices such as the MIT-developed robotic brace can help people exploit their neural plasticity–the increasingly recognized ability of the brain to rewire itself in response to experience and training.
The robotic therapy device, which is awaiting FDA approval, was tested on stroke patients at MIT’s Clinical Research Center and at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston. According to the researchers, the results show that “the ability of the device to provide a ‘power assist’ to muscle groups may help close the feedback loop of brain intention and actual limb movement that is believed to be a key component of cerebral plasticity in motor recovery.”
The study showed that the severely impaired patients’ arm function improved, on average, 23 percent after using the brace, and the arm muscle tightness typical of stroke victims was significantly reduced…
The wearable, portable, lightweight robotic brace slides onto the arm. By sensing the patient’s electrical muscle activity through electromyography (EMG)–which detects muscle cells’ electrical activity when they contract–and sending that data to a motor, it allows stroke patients to control their affected limbs.
Lumus Displays
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Mar 23, 2007
The technology of Lumus Ltd., a Rehovot , Israel company, has just received the Red Herring 100 Europe Award, a recognition given to the 100 “most promising” companies driving the future of technology. Though not a medical device, the company’s augmented reality display could be incorporated into a variety of surgical and interventional radiology devices, such as intraoperative mapping and preoperative surgical planning systems. In addition, one can also see how this system can be used for training residents and medical students.
The Lumus PD-10 Professional Series Displays offer full see-through, full color and high brightness. The frameless, top-down design, enables unobstructed peripheral vision, and is particularly suitable for mounting on professional head-gear. The superior performance of the Lumus PD-10 makes it the optical wearable display solution for mixed and augmented reality (MR & AR) applications.
Lumus’ patented, revolutionary Light-guide Optical Element (LOE) comprises a flat, transparent optical substrate that incorporates a set of embedded partially reflecting facets. The upper figure illustrates the LOE function. An optical image, generated by a microdisplay (e.g. LCD, LCoS or OLED), is coupled into the LOE substrate. Trapped by total internal reflection, the image components are guided along the LOE. The image is then expanded and coupled out by a set of partial reflectors for viewing by the user. The LOE provides the viewing experience of a large distant screen: an enlarged, distant image, with a large field-of-view (FoV).
Virtual reality device helps multiple sclerosis patients walk
by JOSH UMBEHR on May 2, 2007
http://www.cs.technion.ac.il/~baram/tiles.html
Scientists at the famed Technion Institute of Technology in Israel have created a wearable virtual reality device to provide patients suffering from balance disorders with supplemental auditory and visual information to restore normal gait.
According to lead researcher Professor Yoram Baram of the Faculty of Computer Science, the device combines a wearable, cell phone-sized audio component – which measures body movement, processes it and sends feedback to the user through earphones – with a visual feedback apparatus he developed for Parkinson’s patients 10 years ago.
The visual component presents users with a virtual, tiled-floor image displayed on one eye via a tiny piece that clips onto glasses worn by the user. This allows the user to distinguish between the virtual floor and real obstacles, making it possible to navigate even rough terrain or stairs.
The researchers found that auditory feedback significantly improved the gait of both MS and Parkinson’s patients (though the improvement was less pronounced in Parkinson’s patients). With regard to walking speed, patients showed an average improvement of 12.84% while wearing the device. There were also positive residual short-term therapeutic effects (18.75% improvement) after use. Average improvement in stride was 8.30% while wearing the device and 9.93% residually.
“Healthy people have other tools, such as sensory feedback from muscles nerves, which report on muscle control, telling them whether or not they are using their muscles correctly,” says Baram. “This feedback is damaged in Parkinson and MS patients and the elderly, but auditory feedback can be used to help them walk at a fixed pace.”
Results from a small study (14 randomly selected patients with gait disturbances predominantly due to MS) on the device are published in the February 2007 issue of the Journal of the Neurological Sciences .
The integrated device – the first to respond to the patient’s motions rather than just providing fixed visual or auditory cues – is already in use at a number of medical centers in Israel and the United States, including the University of Cincinnati and the State University of New York.
Electronic CPR Glove Coming to An Emergency Near You
by JOSH UMBEHR on May 23, 2007
The last we heard about the CPR Glove, it was just some students’ entry for the University of Ontario’s School of Engineering Competition. Now they’re working on obtaining patent protection and securing investors to help launch the CPR Glove.
The CPRGloveTM is a significant development in cardiopulmonary resuscitation technology. It is a portable, inexpensive, and adaptive device designed to greatly improve the success rate of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). As simple as putting on a glove, this device will jump into action in an emergency, calmly guiding you through the life-saving steps of CPR. The CPRGloveTM also includes an array of sensors that immediately provide you with important feedback. Not only will the CPRGlove improve emergency CPR, but it will also help improve both CPR training and testing.cpr glove 2.JPG What most distinguishes CPRGloveTM from all other technologies is that every component is completely incorporated into a wearable glove, increasing device accessibility, portability and autonomy.
The CPRGloveTM has been named one of the Top Ten Inventions of the Year by Popular Science Magazine.
Yaawwnn…Another Attempt at “Smart Clothing”
by JOSH UMBEHR on Jun 4, 2007
There was a time not so long ago that we got pretty excited about “smart clothing,” but eventually the idea of monitoring sweat pH and pulse oximetry loses its luster. Besides, how often does a clinician use the pH of sweat to make any kind of clinical decision? Can we even order that from the lab?!?
As the first of its kind, the BIOTEX project is developing optimal electric, electrochemical and optical sensors which will be embedded into a textile substrate to create ‘sensing patches’ able to monitor the biochemical parameters of a user.
The aim of these ‘sensing patches’ will be to continuously monitor the bodily fluids (blood, sweat and urine) of the wearer throughout the day. In this way, the project aims to be of particular use for people working in extreme conditions as well as people suffering from diabetes or sportspeople.
‘The main idea behind the project is to develop biochemical sensors for three potential applications. The first will be to monitor sweat including the pH, salinity and perspiration rate of the user. The second will be to detect the level of infection of patients suffering from burns so as to monitor the healing of their wounds. And the third will be to monitor blood oxygen saturation levels for medical, sport and even security applications,’ said Isabelle Chartier of the French Atomic Energy Commission, one of the partners in the project.
The next step in the project will be to try out the first multi-parameter sensing-patches on test subjects.
The project consortium consists of eight partners from four countries. It includes two research institutes in the field of micro and nanotechnology, two small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) active in clothing research and development and production, two universities with leadership in wearable bioengineering, and two companies with expertise in the engineering and manufacturing of textiles for demanding markets.
SpeechEasy® for European Stammerers
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Jul 19, 2007
SpeechEasy, an anti-stuttering device that functions via the echo effect is now available in Europe. This device has been quite a success in the US, as we previously reported (see flashbacks below).
SpeechEasy fluency devices are based on a natural phenomenon called the “Choral effect”. The choral effect occurs when a person’s stutter is dramatically reduced or even eliminated when they speak or sing in unison with others. This choral effect has been well documented for decades. However, it is only recently that scientist have been able to re-create it in a small, wearable device that can be used in everyday life.
SpeechEasy devices are worn similar to a hearing aid. However, rather than amplify sound, they use a technology called Altered Auditory Feedback (AAF) to re-create and optimize the choral effect. So when someone speaks while wearing a SpeechEasy device, their words are digitally replayed in their ear with a very slight delay and frequency modification. As a result, the brain preceives that it is speaking in unision’ creates the choral effect, thus reducing or even elimination the stutter.
An innovative alternative to wheelchairs designed in SolidWorks® 3D CAD software lets paralyzed people do what was previously considered impossible: stand, walk, and climb stairs.
MEMENTO Memory LifeBook Concept
by GENE OSTROVSKY on May 12, 2008
MEMENTO Memory LifeBook is designed as a “wearable mobile product solution" to serve as a multi-faceted holistic mobile memory aid device as well as providing a security safeguard for elderly individuals with mild-to-moderate dementia. The User-Centered design approach and ergonomic studies are undertaken to devise a product which is effective and meeting the needs and concerns of the target users. The product aims to allow the elderly demented users manage their lives more effectively and efficiently by providing them with the confidence and ability to carry on their day-to-day living independently as normal as possible and for as long as possible by rendering cognitive assistance in various spheres: e.g. maintaining contacts, reminiscence, effecting everyday routine tasks, keeping track of appointments, and keeping close to medication routines among others.
Wearable Muscle Tension Sensors Know More Than What You Feel
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Jul 2, 2008
The vest consists of sensors woven into the fabric that register the electrical excitation of the muscle fibers, and thin conducting metallic fibers that pass the signals to an electronic analysis system. People’s muscle tension changes with their stress level – the greater the stress, the more likely the muscles are to produce a synchronous twitching effect. Though this is barely perceptible, the electrodes register the change. The idea of the sensor vest originated with biomedical scientists at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, who needed an inconspicuous measuring tool for stress studies. Until then, they had affixed electrodes directly to their test subjects’ chests. But this itself induced stress, with the result that the tests delivered very little useful information. The new vest is designed to ensure a more relaxed test environment. The project members are exploring further potential applications such as a special vest for computer games. By selectively tensing the torso muscles, players could use the vest to control figures on the monitor and for instance burst their heroes’ chains and fetters. The vest could also contribute to safety at the workplace – perhaps ensuring that workers do not lift loads that are too heavy for them. And sports coaches could tell from the electronic vest whether athletes have reached their performance limits or still possess energy reserves.
”The most important requirement for everyday use is a robust electronic system,” says Torsten Linz of the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin, the partner responsible for the “packaging”. The entire electronic system has to be resistant to water and perspiration. The electric conductors must not fray even after repeated laundry cycles, and the sensors must be no larger than buttons to ensure that the garment is comfortable. The IZM researchers have meanwhile developed stable metallic fibers, watertight connections and durable sensor buttons. Their task over the next few months will be to integrate the analysis electronics. The project partners have already demonstrated during field hockey training that the vest really works; it enabled players to choose the ideal moment for striking the ball and to hit it much further than usual.
Project to Develop Wearable Battlefield “Hospital”
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Nov 3, 2008
A team at the University of California San Diego has received a grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research to develop a “hospital-on-a-chip” system that will, in the far off distant future, have a wearable device to sense the body’s biochemical changes, which will then be linked through a computer controller to a unit that can administer medicine based on the sensor’s findings. Hopefully one day this technology will provide initial treatment to soldiers wounded in the field, and may very well find itself in commercial applications such automated systems for diabetics.
An Update On The Progress of Wearable Artificial Kidney
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Aug 25, 2009
Victor Gura, a clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine, has been developing a portable, wearable dialysis machine, as we’ve been reporting before (see flashbacks below). Now, as more data has been analyzed from clinical trials, Gura’s research team has published additional details about the WAK in the latest Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Novel Product Design Aims to Address Common Autism Behavior
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Oct 20, 2009
http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/10/13/wearable-regulation-for-children-with-autism/
Some children with autism tend to perform compulsive rituals, and these can distract kids from the rest of the world. Jesse Resnick, a recent graduate of the product design program at Parsons the New School for Design, proposes a new toy-like device to grab kids’ attention and limit compulsive behavior to a short time. The Repeat wrist worn device has flashing rubber knobs that blink in preprogrammed patterns, while the child follows along by using fingers to pinch them. According to the product page, Repeat is “an early-intervention tool for autistic children designed to replace repetitive behaviours (arm flapping, head banging, etc.) with a less distracting, less harmful alternative.” It’s not clear whether the benefit will be clinically valuable, but it does seem like a novel idea.
2010
Microsoft Patents EMG Human-Computer Controllers
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Jan 4, 2010
Ambulight PDT for Outpatient Photodynamic Skin Cancer Therapy
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Mar 16, 2010
Ambicare Health out of Fife, Scotland just received the European CE mark of approval and is subsequently launching the Ambulight PDT device for on-the-go photodynamic therapy. PDT typically requires in-hospital equipment, so skin cancer patients are tied to a clinical environment when receiving treatment. The Ambulight PDT is small and portable enough to be worn inconspicuously as a skin patch, taking the patient out of the hospital for a better experience and reduced costs.
Futuristic Undies Monitor Your Secretions
by AARON RULSEH on Apr 21, 2010
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2010/AN/b926339j#!divAbstract
Finally, after an evolutionary plateau that would raise the metaphorical eyebrow of an amphibious reptile, the future of underwear is here. Researchers in the US and Taiwan have been hard at work developing wearable amperometric biosensors that can be printed onto clothing and could one day find their way into your underpants. As a proof-of-concept, the team developed sensors for the detection of NADH and H2O2. They found that their new biosensors, which were printed on the elastic waistband of men’s underwear, were able to withstand the deformatory forces typically endured by clothing. In the future, the researchers plan to develop sensors enabling the detection of other substances such as lactate and ethanol. The technology could greatly assist in monitoring certain biochemical parameters in patients outside the hospital, and may also find application in sports and the military.
Proteus’ Wireless Personal Health Monitor Receives 510(k) Clearance
by EDITORS on Apr 21, 2010
Proteus BIomedical out of Redwood City, CA has received FDA approval for its wireless Raisin Personal Monitor, a wearable device which records heart rate, physical activity, body position and patient-logged events and transmits the data via Bluetooth to mobile phones, mHealth systems, or any computerized device.
The monitor is developed as part of Proteus’ integrated intelligent medicine system to link sensor-based formulations of pharmaceutical products to individualized physiologic response and outcomes-based treatment systems for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, psychiatric disorders, organ transplantation and infectious disease.
Wireless Platform to Make Medical Devices Talk Over Mobile Phone Networks
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Jun 21, 2010
The new, low-cost platform is a combination of Qualcomm Incorporated’s Wearable Mobile Device cellular module and Cambridge Consultants’ Vena software stack. The platform enables the collection of data from Continua certified devices over the Continua Personal Area Network (PAN) interface, and transmits this data over the Continua Wide Area Network (WAN) interface* to on-line health services. The Wearable Mobile Device module has dimensions of 21 x 22 x 4.5mm, enabling a Continua Application Hosting Device (AHD) to be built that provides a PAN-to-WAN bridge within a small highly portable footprint.
Cambridge Consultants’ Vena wireless healthcare software stack, which implements the standards selected by the Continua Health Alliance, empowers patients to manage health and wellness anytime, anywhere. It embeds the Bluetooth™ Health Device Profile (HDP) optimized for the secure transport of medical data and the IEEE 11073 standards for compatible exchange of information between health devices.
The Qualcomm Wearable Mobile Device 1X, 1X EV-DO and UMTS modules are industry-leading products that support a variety of 3G networks and provide integrated GPS, an accelerometer and Bluetooth technologies. With data and voice support, a standardized USB 2.0 interface and defined APIs and development kit, the modules provide unprecedented functionality and streamlined 3G connectivity for M2M and CE devices.
Draper Working on Inner Ear Drug Delivery Device
by WOUTER STOMP on Jul 6, 2010
Continuous ECG Monitoring on an Android Phone
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Oct 7, 2010
Imec, an electronics research institute out of Leuven, Belgium, has teamed up with the R&D Holst Centre and TASS, a software company out of Augusta, Kansas, to create a mobile and wearable ECG system based around an Android smartphone. It looks like the major achievement was overcoming the power hungry nature of Bluetooth, which was achieved by using a totally different, low power transmission system. Relying on less power should allow for longer continuous monitoring sessions while the patient is going about his day.
The interface is based on a standard Secure Digital Input Output (SDIO) interface on Android mobile phones, enabling the integration of all the features available on Google’s operating system (SMS, e-mail and data transmission over the internet, GPS to track user location). Moreover, the mobile phone’s hardware is extended to operate with low-power communication protocols and low-power radios, enabling long-term medical telemonitoring. As the interface is based on the Linux kernel, the system is also easily portable on other Linux-based devices, such as PDA’s or laptops. And, the system allows configuration of thresholds on the measured parameters and automatic sending of alerts such as SMS messages and e-mails based on these values.
Lifestreaming Wearable Cameras To Chart Dementia
by NICHOLAS GENES on Aug 9, 2010
Researchers at the University of Bordeaux, working on the problem of categorizing lifestream footage from body-mounted cameras, have stumbled upon a useful application — objectively measuring the cognitive decline associated with dementia:
Doctors usually rely on the accounts given by relatives or carers whose perception of whether a patient is better or worse can be coloured by all kinds of other factors. The data from a lifestreaming camera, on the other hand, can tell you exactly how many times a patient visited the kitchen on Wednesday, for example, and how that compared to the same period six months ago.
The hope, say Karaman and co, is that this kind of data can be an important tool in evaluating the onset of dementia and the way it is advancing.
Cambridge Consultants Working on a Data Router for Home Healthcare Devices
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Nov 19, 2010
Cambridge Consultants has developed a new product idea, called Minder, that can link any Continua certified device with a physician or EMR system. It can also display reminder messages to take your pills from a health management system or directly from your doctor. One can imagine this device as being a central control unit for continuous glucose monitors and BP meters, while managing a drug regiment and exercise routines.
With the goal of increasing compliance via user engagement, the Minder displays an interactive timed to-do list that can be customized for individual patients. For instance, the recovering heart attack victim can now transmit their blood pressure readings from home to their EMR in real-time. If the reading is high, the Minder could instantly alert a care provider who could have the patient carry out necessary steps by sending tasks back to the Minder. If the reading is on target, it could prevent an unnecessary hospital visit.
The Vena technology used in Minder, leverages Cambridge Consultants experience with CSR’s BlueCore and Qualcomm’s Wearable Mobile Device (WMD) hardware and implements Continua Health Alliance standards for Personal Area Network (PAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) interfaces. Devices based on Vena can receive data via Bluetooth or USB from any Continua Certified devices and transmit this data via HL7 over cellular networks, thus empowering users to manage health and wellness anytime, anywhere. The Vena wireless healthcare software stack, embeds the Bluetooth™ Health Device Profile (HDP) optimized for the secure transport of medical data and the IEEE 11073 standards for compatible exchange of information between devices.
2011
iSense Device Optimizes Athletic Performance By Detecting Muscle Fatigue
by SCOTT JUNG on Feb 16, 2011
For most athletes, “no pain, no gain” is a philosophy to live by. However, too much pain can be bad, as excessive muscle fatigue could lead to serious injury. The difficulty is that athletes rely on their own perception of muscle fatigue when training, and often it is too late by the time they feel sore.
A new device from the University of Essex, called the iSense, allows athletes to train without risking injuring their muscles due to overexertion. The iSense works by predicting and detecting the status of muscles during training. Sensors measure small electrical signals muscles produce when they contract. If the device detects that there is too much strain on a muscle, it will warn the user.
Though the iSense was designed with athletes in mind, the technology can be used in other applications, such as for the elderly and disabled, who often suffer from muscle fatigue due to lack of movement.
Kansas State University Student Creates Ultra-Portable Vitals Monitor
by SCOTT JUNG on Mar 7, 2011
One day soon, the key to staying healthy may lie-on your keychain.
Kansas State University doctoral student Keijia Li has developed a multifunctional monitoring device that’s about the size of a pack of gum. Nicknamed the GumPack, the battery-operated device is a reconfigurable unit with slots for up to four biosensors, such as a pulse oximeter or an electrocardiograph. The GumPack also has a camera and microphone, as well as Wi-Fi capabilities to transmit data over the internet. All the data and signal processing is done on the device itself, as opposed to most wearable wireless medical devices that usually transmit raw bits of information to a larger computer for processing.
According to Li, "this device could increase the quality of care for individuals who desire mobility yet require frequent or continuous health monitoring. Sensor-laden devices that offer the connectivity of a cell phone and are small enough to attach to a keychain or be carried in a purse like lipstick or an inhaler are especially attractive, as such items are common, inconspicuous and would minimize the distraction of daily medical monitoring."
Li’s device is a finalist for the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology’s (CIMIT) Student Prize for Primary Health Care. The 2011 competition consists now of ten finalists from various universities who have developed ideas "to support and catalyze improved delivery of healthcare at the frontlines of medicine".
RatCAP: Miniature Wearable PET-Scanner for Rats
by WOUTER STOMP on Mar 14, 2011
http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/v8/n4/full/nmeth.1582.html
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University have developed a wearable, portable PET scanner for rats. The system makes it possible to simultaneously study brain function and behavior in fully awake, moving animals. The device and its validation are described in an article in the April 2011 issue of Nature Methods.
PreVue Wearable Ultrasound Concept for Real Time Bonding In Utero
by GENE OSTROVSKY on Mar 24, 2011
Melody Shiue, a recent industrial design graduate from University of New South Wales, is proposing a wearable fetal ultrasound system that would display the child on the mother’s belly. The ridiculous nature of the device, aside from the fact that wearing something extra when things are already getting heavy, would probably still find wealthy buyers.
Masimo’s Smaller Signal Extraction Pulse Oximetry Platform
by EDITORS on Jun 1, 2011
Masimo is miniaturizing its pulse oximetry offerings thanks to a tiny new sub-45 milliwatt board that offers “the same proven unprecedented Measure-Through Motion and Low Perfusion oxygen saturation (SpO2), pulse rate, and perfusion index (PI) measurement capabilities of Masimo SET® pulse oximetry, in addition to Pleth Variability Index (PVI).” The board is half the size and eats a third of the electricity of previous comparable boards, which will bring advanced pulse oximetry to smaller and more portable devices. The device is now available as a component for medical device developers to integrate into new products or as a “board-in-cable” solution to expand the capabilities of existing devices.
Flexible Biosensors Could Be Used to Monitor Heart or Brain
by BRIAN KLEIN on Jul 29, 2011
Nanowire electronics recently developed by researchers at Stanford can bend to accommodate almost any shape and can be used on virtually any material. The electronics can attach to a surface and be released from it repeatedly without any damage. The researchers tested the nanowire electronics on a variety of materials including paper, textiles, plastics, glass, aluminum foil, and latex gloves. Potential applications of the circuitry include ultrasensitive biosensors that can be attached to organs like the heart and brain, flexible computer displays, and wearable electronics.
When developing the electronics, the researchers used a polymer layer 15 times thinner than plastic wrap to insulate and support the electronics mechanically. The polymer’s high level of flexibility enables it to conform to the shape of any object, explains Xiaolin Zheng, an engineering professor at Stanford who oversaw the research.
Vibrating Glove May Enhance Sense of Touch
by SHIV GAGLANI on Aug 4, 2011
The device uses an actuator made of a stack of lead zirconate titanate layers to generate high-frequency vibration. The ceramic layers are piezoelectric, which means they vibrate when an electrical charge is applied to them. The actuator is attached to the side of the fingertip so that the palm-side of the finger remains free and the individual wearing the glove can continue to manipulate objects.
For this study, the researchers attached the device to 10 healthy adult volunteers who performed common sensory and motor skill tasks, including texture discrimination, two-point discrimination, single-point touch and grasp tests. The experimental results showed that the volunteers performed statistically better on all of the tasks when mechanical vibration was applied.
“All of the experimental results showed that some mechanical vibration was better than none at all, but the level of vibration that statistically improved sensorimotor functions varied by test,” noted Ueda [Jun Ueda, an assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech]
All four sensing ability tests confirmed that the application of certain levels of mechanical vibration enhanced the tactile sensitivity of the fingertip. However, because the levels of vibration that created statistically significant results varied, the researchers are currently conducting experiments to determine the optimal amplitude and frequency characteristics of vibration and the influence of long-term exposure to vibrations. The researchers are also working on optimizing the design of the glove and testing the effect of attaching actuators to both sides of the fingertip or the fingernail.
WIMM Labs Launches Android Powered Smart Watch
by GAVIN CORLEY on Aug 10, 2011
Silicon Valley based WIMM Labs have announced details of a smart watch based on their Android OS powered WIMM hardware platform. The platform, which could be incorporated into a number of wearable systems, contains much of the contents of a modern smartphone: a touchscreen, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth connectivity, accelerometers, a GPS module and a magnetometer. There’s also a speaker, a buzzer and an expansion slot just in case you need more bells and whistles.
Foxconn, the manufacturer of countless Apple products, has licensed the technology and is currently ramping up production of a WIMM powered watch. While the device isn’t strictly a health monitor, it has a lot of the core features needed to get developers started on a new generation of android powered mHealth watches.
Awak Portable Peritoneal Dialysis for Better Life, Cleaner Blood
by EDITORS on Aug 19, 2011
Contemporary peritoneal dialysis machines are large and heavy, keeping them stationary in a world turning rapidly mobile. Instead of machines serving patients, people with kidney failure visit dialysis machines, seemingly to feed them more precious bodily fluids.
Awak Technologies Pte. Ltd. out Singapore has unveiled a wearable dialysis machine the size of a woman’s purse that may fundamentally change life for millions of people with renal disease. Besides the lifestyle change of not having to visit the clinic, the new device may improve physical well being because it provides continuous dialysis and therefore prevents toxins from building up over time.
Philips’ New IntelliVue MX40 Remotely Monitors Mobile Patients, Helps Prevent Infection
by SMIT SHAH on Aug 30, 2011
Many patients can benefit from mobile monitoring in the hospital, including those who can be monitored in a progressive care area or during supervised recovery from an acute event or surgical procedure. Mobile monitors also help clinicians spend more time with patients: one hospital estimates that its nursing staff saves an average of 40 minutes every day by using the MX40 display to check patients’ ECG rhythms, instead of calling a technician at the central station monitor.
IntelliVue MX40 offers a comprehensive package of benefits including continuous monitoring over a greater range in the hospital, access to the industry-leading IntelliVue Smart-hopping Network and a color touch screen display that presents the patient’s name as well as easily accessible vital information such as ECG, SpO2 and non-invasive blood pressure. MX40 is also interoperable with the IntelliVue family of products.
iPro2 Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device Receives FDA Approval
by GAVIN CORLEY on Nov 23, 2011
Medtronic, Inc. has announced FDA approval for company’s iPro2, Professional Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system. The iPro2 has been previously covered on Medgadget . The system comprises a wearable continuous glucose monitoring sensor/data logger and docking station for uploading the recorded data. The technology is tailored for healthcare providers looking to monitor and retrospectively review their patients’ glucose management. The assessments are carried out over a three day period and can help the clinician identify excursions from optimal glucose levels and adjust the patient’s glucose management plan accordingly.
Microneedle Array Allows Real-Time Monitoring Of Body Chemistry
by JAN SINNIGE on Dec 13, 2011
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039914011010289
Researchers from North Carolina State University, Sandia National Laboratories, and the University of California, San Diego published about a new technology that uses micro needles for real-time detection of chemical changes in the body. The paper, “Multiplexed Microneedle-based Biosensor Array for Characterization of Metabolic Acidosis” was published online in the journal Talanta this week.
The microneedle-based biosensor array can measure multiple analytes at the same time. The researchers describe testing conditions such as exercise-induced metabolic acidosis, tumor microenvironment, and other variations in tissue chemistry. Simultaneous and selective detection of pH, glucose, and lactate over a range of physiologically-relevant concentrations in complex media is demonstrated in the paper.
Dr. Roger Narayan, professor in the joint biomedical engineering department of NC State’s College of Engineering and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explains:
“We’ve loaded the hollow channels within microneedles with electrochemical sensors that can be used to detect specific molecules or pH levels. The idea is that customized microneedle sensor arrays could be developed and incorporated into wearable devices, such as something like a wristwatch, to help answer specific medical or research questions. For example, it could monitor glucose levels in a diabetic patient.”
Existing technology relies on taking samples and testing them, whereas this approach allows continuous monitoring. In addition to its clinical applications, the new technology may also create opportunities for new research endeavors. For example, the microneedle sensor arrays could be used to track changes in lactate levels while people are exercising – rather than measuring those levels only before and after exercise.
The researchers also point out that the micro needles are such small things that they won’t hurt you, so needle-phobics need not worry.
2012
DuoFertility Ovulation Monitor Receives FDA Approval
by GAVIN CORLEY on Jan 24, 2012
Cambridge Temperature Concepts Ltd. received 510(k) approval for their DuoFertility ovulation Monitor. The DuoFertility monitor has been featured previously on Medgadget and comprises a wearable sensor and reader unit for measuring ovulation patterns. The sensor is worn under the armpit and measures subtle changes in basal body temperature which is indicative of ovulation. The reader wirelessly receives the sensor data and predicts when you are most likely to become pregnant up to six days in advance. A number of additional parameters can also be entered into the reader unit to improve the prediction quality. The recorded data can be visualized by connecting the reader unit to a PC, as shown in the video below.
The DuoFertility has been commercially available in Europe since 2009 and was the subject of a research paper published last year which demonstrated its efficacy in some couples eligible for IVF.
Squid Fitness Shirt Helps You Lift More To Get You In Shape
by SCOTT JUNG on Feb 6, 2012
Wearable fitness products are all the rage these days, but most of the ones on the market only track heart rate and location, and sometimes temperature and orientation. Students from Northeastern University in Boston have developed Squid, a sensor-laden compression shirt, smartphone app, and internet portal that measures and records muscle activity. The shirt contains four EMG sensors (the “tentacles”) that track muscle activity, essentially recording the number of repetitions of a resistance exercise. It also monitors heart rate activity so you can get a complete overview of your weight lifting sessions. All the data syncs with a companion smartphone app that in turn syncs to Squid’s internet portal. It’ll keep track of your workout history, but you’ll probably want to keep your workout partner to motivate you to do that one last rep.
Augmented Reality System Helps Astronauts Diagnose Medical Problems in Outer Space
by WOUTER STOMP on Feb 9, 2012
In space, nothing is as easy as it is on Earth, and an ill astronaut could pose a major problem to any space mission. For advanced diagnostis purposes, the International Space Station already carries an ultrasound device, but astronauts are generally not trained ultrasound operators. Also, a connection to ground-based expert help may involve unwieldy communication delays, so it is no surprise space agencies are looking into ways to make future space travellers more self-sufficient.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is working on an augmented reality system that will help astronauts better diagnose medical problems in space. The Computer Assisted Medical Diagnosis and Surgery System, CAMDASS as it is strangely called, is a wearable augmented reality system with a head-mounted display that merges actual and virtual reality by precisely combining computer-generated graphics with the wearer’s view.
The device, currently in the prototype stage, is initially focused on ultrasound as this is a very versatile diagnostic tool and already available in the International Space Station, but could be used with other modalities as well. The position of the ultrasound probe is tracked with an infrared camera and markers are applied to the patient. The patient’s body is coupled to a virtual reference body, and images are displayed on top of the patient within the head-mounted display, giving users an indication of what they should be seeing and providing guidance through the process.
The prototype was successfully tested at Saint-Pierre University Hospital in Brussels, Belgium, with untrained users able to perform a reasonably difficult procedure without the help of others. As a result of the tests the developers are now working on reducing the weight of the head-mounted display as well as the overall bulkiness of the prototype. Apart from helping astronauts, the system could also be used as part of a telemedicine system to provide remote medical assistance or as a self-sufficient tool for emergency responders.
UCSD Electronic Wireless Tattoo Receives Grant from the Gates Foundation
by SCOTT JUNG on May 18, 2012
Last week, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced its latest round of grant winners for its Grand Challenges Explorations initiative. Among the recipients is a team from the University of California, San Diego and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that is developing a tiny, flexible fetal monitor. We wrote about the technology behind the device back in August and were able to hear from David Icke, CEO of MC10, the company helping to commercialize it, at both FutureMed in February and at last month’s TEDMED conference.
Described as an electronic “tattoo”, the device is a wearable patch of circuits, sensors, and wireless transmitters that sticks to the skin like a temporary tattoo and is able to stretch and flex with the skin. The researchers hope that the final product will continuously measure and monitor uterine contractions, fetal heart rate and oxygen, and maternal heart rate and body temperature.
According to Todd Coleman, professor of bioengineering and head of the project, the device is unique because of its ability to continuously check a number of different measurements in an unobtrusive manner. Moreover, the device will work well in developing countries that lack sufficient healthcare access, but have high mobile phone usage, as it will transmit data wirelessly to a cellphone and on to the cloud to be viewed by physicians far away.
New Device Watches Your (LUMO)Back: Interview with Founder Monisha Perkash
by SHIV GAGLANI on Jul 10, 2012
Shiv Gaglani, Medgadget: How does the LUMOback work?
Monisha Perkash: LUMOback’s wireless sensor + mobile app provides real-time feedback on posture and movement, empowering people to live healthier lives. Our solution encourages small behavioral changes that yield dramatic improvements in health.
We sit much of our lives, and most of the time in bad posture. Besides being scientifically linked to back pain (which is a $50B/yr expense affecting 80% of Americans at some point in their lives) posture also impacts appearance, confidence, and fitness.
The hard part about posture is being aware, and that’s where LUMOback helps. The wearable sensor provides a gentle vibration when the user slouches, reminding him or her to sit or stand straight, and records biomechanical movements and posture data. The sensor can also transmit this data via Bluetooth to a mobile application which provides visual feedback through an avatar that mirrors the wearer’s movements, including sitting, standing, walking, running, sleeping, etc. The app also tracks the user’s progress by showing trend data about how a user’s posture and movement are improving or declining.
Medgadget: What are the main results from your user testing studies and have you published them anywhere?
Perkash: We do extensive user testing on every aspect of the product. In fact, it was user testing that compelled us to pivot away from the adhesive form factor and adapt to the band that we’re using today.
Our results are not published- we iterate fast and make changes based on what we observe. Therefore we haven’t set up studies in the traditional sense (i.e. clinical studies) yet, but we do have a few academic studies with leading institutions in the works.
I want to emphasize that we focus on postural improvement. We have also written a white paper about the strong correlation between posture and back pain.