Medicine Archives

FitBit Announces Aria, the Wi-Fi Connected Smart Scale

by Scott Jung on Jan 11, 2012 •

fitbit scale FitBit Announces Aria, the Wi Fi Connected Smart ScaleToday at CES 2012 in Las Vegas, FitBit, the company behind the FitBit Ultra smart fitness tracker we reviewed a couple months ago, unveiled the Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale, a scale that goes far beyond making you feel guilty for snacking on that gallon of ice cream the previous night. In addition to tracking your weight, the Aria can also track body fat percentage and calculate your BMI based on your height. And, as the name states, the Aria is Wi-Fi connected so that a family of up to eight people can have their stats privately and securely uploaded to FitBit’s online tracking portal which contains social networking, weight management, and motivational tools.

You can pre-order the Aria now for $129.99 and it’ll hit store shelves in April.

Product page: FitBit Aria…

Anesthesiology / Cardiology / Critical Care / Medicine / Surgery

Masimo’s Prick-Free Pronto-7 for Painless Hemoglobin Spot Checking

by Gene Ostrovsky on Jan 10, 2012
Masimo's Prick-Free Pronto-7 for Painless Hemoglobin Spot Checking

Masimo received FDA 510(k) clearance for the  Pronto-7 device that allows for quick and noninvasive bedside checking of total hemoglobin (SpHb), SpO2, pulse rate, and perfusion index.  This is a unique tool that makes finger pricking and direct blood sampling unnecessary when watching patients’ hemoglobin levels, either in OR or in critical care settings.

The Pronto-7 already received the European CE mark back in 2010, but conducted a recall when the sensor was found to work poorly in low temperature.  The issue was addressed and the device was reintroduced in August of last year.

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Medicine / Net News / Telemedicine

WSJ’s Walt Mossberg Tests Telcare Connected Blood Glucose Meter

by Wouter Stomp on Jan 5, 2012
WSJ's Walt Mossberg Tests Telcare Connected Blood Glucose Meter

Wall Street Journal columnist Walt Mossberg has published an account of his experiences with the Telcare BGM 3G blood glucose meter. The BGM acts like a normal glucose meter but also embeds cellular connectivity that sends blood glucose data to Telcare’s servers, from where both doctor and patient can access them via the password-protected Web site or iPhone app. If necessary, doctors can send direct messages back to the glucose meter from the same interface.

Mossberg, himself a type 2 diabetic, found the meter “a refreshing change”, and “a significant step toward bringing consumer medical devices closer to the world of modern technology”. Main drawbacks were the high price and limited battery life.

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Medicine / Pediatrics

Medtronic mySentry Lets You Watch Your Kid’s Glucose Levels Remotely Through The Night

by Gene Ostrovsky on Jan 4, 2012
Medtronic mySentry Lets You Watch Your Kid's Glucose Levels Remotely Through The Night

Medtronic has released its mySentry device, the first remote glucose monitor for use at home to keep an eye on a loved one’s glucose levels and pump status.  Via the mySentry Outpost device that’s placed in the patient’s room, it wirelessly interfaces with Medtronic’s MiniMed Paradigm REAL-Time Revel, a glucose monitor and insulin pump system.

Besides showing regular glucose readings, the mySentry will raise an alarm if preset levels are breached, helping to address commonly occurring problems like nighttime hypoglycemia.

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Critical Care / Medicine

Vioguard Self-Sanitizing Keyboard Bathes Itself in Ultraviolet Light to Kill the Germs

by Wouter Stomp on Jan 4, 2012
Vioguard Self-Sanitizing Keyboard Bathes Itself in Ultraviolet Light to Kill the Germs

Vioguard has received FDA clearance for a self-sanitizing computer keyboard that uses the germicidal properties of ultraviolet light (UV-C) to automatically clean its surfaces, eliminating many harmful viruses and germs.

The keyboard protracts into a light-tight enclosure which bathes it in germ-killing light. It has a standard USB connection and also includes a multitouch trackpad.

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Medicine / Pediatrics

Silk Microneedles for Transdermal Drug Delivery of Wide Range of Compounds

by Gene Ostrovsky on Jan 3, 2012
Silk Microneedles for Transdermal Drug Delivery of Wide Range of Compounds

Researchers at Tufts University have developed silk fibroin-based microneedles for delivery of drugs and other compounds directly to tissue in a controlled manner.  The researchers believe that silk fibroin is an excellent biocompatible, biodegradable material that maintains the chemical properties of embedded substances.  Because the process of growing these microneedles is done at standard temperature and pressure, the chemicals that are drawn into them remain perfectly preserved for delivery.

The rate at which compounds are released and the microneedle matrix biodegrades can be controlled at a later stage of the process.

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Anesthesiology / Cardiology / Critical Care / Emergency Medicine / Medicine / Ob/Gyn / Ophthalmology

Company Claims Optical Blood Pressure Monitor Breakthrough

by Gene Ostrovsky on Jan 3, 2012
Company Claims Optical Blood Pressure Monitor Breakthrough

Tarilian Laser Technologies, a Hertfordshire, UK firm claims it has developed the “greatest technological advance in blood pressure measurement for 130 years”  Unlike direct pressure measurement that every other BP meter does, the company’s Sapphire device uses an optical sensor to continuously measure blood pressure at the wrist. Keeping the Sapphire stationary will provide beat-to-beat readings and Tarilian says the device can effectively be used to detect white coat hypertension (raised blood pressure due to patient being in a clinical setting).

The company believes this technology can be translated for non-contact measurement of intraocular pressure, fetal heart monitoring, and for blood pressure monitoring using small mobile devices at different spots on the body.

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Critical Care / Medicine / Surgery

A New Device to Prevent Those Deep Vein Clots?

by Ronney Shantouf on Dec 20, 2011
A New Device to Prevent Those Deep Vein Clots?

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the formation of a blot clot in the deep veins, particularly the lower limbs. Bed-bound patients such as post-surgical hospitalized individuals are at a particularly increased risk of developing these clots.  DVTs can dislodge, reaching the pulmonary vasculature resulting in potentially life threatening pulmonary embolisms. Common prophylaxes include early ambulation, compression devices, and/or anti-coagulation therapy.  A new device, Geko by UK based Sky Medical, is a wristwatch sized product that stimulates the peroneal nerve via electrical signals leading to muscle activation of the lower limb, that has shown evidence of increased blood-flow in the femoral vein.  Preventing venous stasis can potentially lead to less clot formation. The small self-adhesive device is applied to the posterior knee with no need for wires or leads.  If proven effective, this can potentially alter current DVT prophylactic therapy.  Geko is CE Marked under the Medical Devices Directive. The device is currently not approved by the FDA and not available for sale in the USA.

Product page: Geko…

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Medicine / Neurology / Psychiatry / Sports Medicine

Valkee Light Headset Improves Motor Reaction Time in Hockey Players

by Gene Ostrovsky on Dec 15, 2011
Valkee Light Headset Improves Motor Reaction Time in Hockey Players

Valkee, the Finnish maker of the recently released light headset for seasonal affective disorder, has announced positive results of a study that light shone on the brain using their music player-like device has on reaction time.

Verve Research, Finland was hired to conduct the trial on members of the Finnish national hockey league.  What they discovered was that these hockey players, already professionals in a very fast sport, improved their reaction times by around 20%, compared to the placebo group, after wearing the Valkee device for 12 minutes each morning for three weeks.

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