October 22nd, 2011 by Medgadget in News
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Christie Medical Holdings’ has announced the VeinViewer Flex, the first portable offering in the company’s VeinViewer line. The new device’s reduced size and battery operation make it possible to use VeinViewer technology in home care settings and blood centers for the first time.
The VeinViewer technology projects an image of a patient’s blood vessels directly onto the skin in real time by detecting their location using near-infrared light, and is used to aid in needle placement.
From the press release: Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
October 19th, 2011 by Iltifat Husain, M.D. in News
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Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have developed a smartphone app that uses a camera to measure key vital signs. The type of technology used by the Worcester researchers is far and above more useful than a simple heart rate monitor, such as the Instant Heart Rate app.
Recently, the Instant Heart app makers received millions in funding – I hope it wasn’t based solely on the heart rate monitor app they have developed. Having a a patient’s heart rate alone isn’t that useful for a clinician, and it’s extremely easy to measure your heart rate on your own, just put your fingers to your wrist or neck.
But the work by Worcester researchers is completely different, exciting, and unlike the Instant Heart Rate app, Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at iMedicalApps*
September 26th, 2011 by Medgadget in News, Research
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A couple years ago, a team of researchers from the University of Utah managed to create a wireless network made from standard home automation devices to “see” through walls.
Now, the engineers are using the same technology to monitor breathing in patients with sleep apnea, post surgery, and babies at risk for SIDS. The system consists of Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*
May 29th, 2011 by John Mandrola, M.D. in Opinion
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I have been in Hamburg, Germany for the past five days. I enjoyed an amazing opportunity to visit one of the world’s most respected heart rhythm labs. Among other things, the main purpose was to learn a new way to ablate atrial fibrillation.
It was an incredible learning experience, one for which I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the kind and generous people of Dr Karl-Heinz Kuck’s EP lab. Though these people are famous, they treated me as a respected colleague.
Details of all that I learned regarding this newly-approved ablation technique is a matter for future posts. Suffice it to say, I already feel like a better AF doctor.
For now, may I highlight a few of the more striking differences between Europe and the States, as noted by a Kentuckian on his first trip across the Atlantic? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr John M*
May 27th, 2011 by Iltifat Husain, M.D. in News
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The Electrical and Computer Engineering in Medicine (ECEM) research group in collaboration with the Pediatric Anesthesia Research Team (PART) at the University of British Columbia have developed a mobile solution to measuring key vital signs — called the “Phone Oximeter”.
The Phone Oximeter uses a traditional FDA approved pulse oximetry sensor, but researchers have modified it to interface with a phone, in this case, your iPhone. Currently the setup is being interfaced with an iPhone for trial studies, but is compatible with Android, and other mobile operating systems.
What makes the Phone Oximeter special is its ability to capture SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation), heart rate, and respiratory rate — then dynamically comprehend the variables using the decision support software, giving medical staff or even laymen individuals key help in making decisions on medical care.
So how would a device like this be useful in the medical setting? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at iMedicalApps*
