SHL Telemedicine recently announced the Smartheart, a lightweight personal ECG. The device, about the size of the average smartphone, is strapped around the chest and records a full 12-lead ECG. The strap seems to include many of the ecg electrodes that are normally attached separately to the chest. One separate lead is still needed that connects to the lower left part of the belly. The device is to be used in conjunction with a mobile app, available on iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry, which connects to the ECG wirelessly and captures the ECG within about 30 seconds. The results can be emailed to the cardiologist or hospital, and the device will sport some form of automatic assessment.
A few questions about the device still remain unanswered. While we can see how this device will be able to measure the V1-V6 leads, it is still a mystery how it will produce accurate results for each of the limb leads. Also it will be interesting to see if the company can limit the amount of false positives that often plague automatic ECG interpretations. The device is planned to be released coming fall, and still has to achieve regulatory approval. The device itself will cost 500 dollars, while a subscription based analysis and medical advice service will cost under 20 dollars a month. The announcement of the Smartheart was recently made at Disrupt NYC, an event organized by Techcrunch.
Source: Techcrunch: Smartheart Turns Your Mobile Phone Into A Heart Monitor…
Product page: Smartheart…
(hat tip: iMedicalapps)
Sleep apnea testing generally requires an overnight stay in a sleep clinic, tens of wires attached to your head and body (glued), and tubes inserted into your nose and in front of your mouth. This setup makes for a difficult sleep on top of existing abnormalities, and, because the clinics need to be staffed all night, is relatively expensive.
Covidien received U.S. and E.U. approvals to bring to market its Parietex Optimized Composite (PCOx) mesh. The device is an improvement on the company’s Parietex Composite (PCO) mesh used in open and laparoscopic ventral hernia repair procedures. According to Covidien, “the new product design incorporates a more resistant barrier and a proprietary textile design with better visibility and increased strength.”
An estimated 40 million medical devices currently include Bluetooth, the wireless technology that allows many of our mobile devices to communicate with each other. The newest upcoming standard, Bluetooth 4.0, features lower power and higher speed transmission while supporting older Bluetooth services. In a press release from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), it was announced that medical devices would be the first to use the new Bluetooth 4.0 technology.
Furthermore, the company is looking into ways to develop both transapical and transfemoral deliveries for the valve. And, in addition, the device, when it is finally approved, might feature the company’s proprietary Linx anticalcification technology that might actually prolong the life of the device and/or prevent calcium buildup and things like embolizations.
