Having received European CE Mark approval in September, Cellnovo out of London, UK has launched its diabetes management system that looks like a smartphone system, but is actually an integrated glucometer, wirelessly connected insulin pump, activity monitor, and cell phone-based data transfer system to share readings with family and clinicians.

To kick off the release of the system, Cellnovo launched a usability trial involving type 1 diabetics whose doctors will be able to monitor their blood glucose levels in real time as they’re being measured.

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Given all of the recent media buzz surrounding Facebook – the Emperor of all Social Networks – we at Medgadget wanted to reflect some of that light onto the social networks that are most influencing medicine today. One such network is QuantiaMD, whose membership exceeds 150,000 physicians, according to the company, or one in five in the US!

We have previously covered two apps developed by the company: DiabetesIQ and Pri-Med. This editor first met up with QuantiaMD’s CEO, Eric Schultz, and Chief Communications Officer, Mary Modahl, at the mHealth Summit and just touched base again to produce the interview below.

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Imagine having the assistance of a pharmacist when shopping for over-the-counter meds. Scandinavian Outcomes AB, a Swedish consulting firm, has released the Medicinera.se app for iOS and Android that promises to ease drug shopping through the help of a ‘virtual pharmacist’.

Currently it is only available in Swedish and works with European drugs and drug names. But, if you’ve got hemorrojder and are visiting Sweden, you might just have a way to buy the right cream without having to explain yourself to a real person behind the counter that may not speak your language.

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A year ago we reported on a nifty use of augmented reality technology to display tomography images virtually right on the body of the patient who was scanned.

The project, called “mirracle,” is spearheaded by researchers from Technical University of Munich who have been improving the interactivity of the system over the last year to make it more intuitive and easy to use.  Here’s the latest demo video of the latest iteration of the magic mirror:

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Kaiser Permanente, the largest managed care organization in the United States, has unveiled an Android app and mobile-optimized website through which its 9 million patients can access their own medical information anywhere in the world on their mobile devices. The app and mobile website contain the same information and possibilities that were already available through kp.org, i.e. lab results, diagnostic information, secure email access to doctors, ordering of prescription refills, scheduling appointments and locating of healthcare facilities. It is also possible for family members to get access on behalf of a patient and accomplish the same tasks.

The Android app is available for free from the Android market. An iPhone app will be released in the coming months, but for now iPhone users will have to do with the mobile website.

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CardioComm out of Victoria, Canada received marketing clearance from the FDA to bring its HeartCheck Pen Handheld ECG to the U.S.

The device can be used by the patients themselves at home and comes with software the allows recorded telemetry to be uploaded to the company’s C4 medical call service telemedicine group where physicians can analyze the data.

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Nike has released its own digital wristband for monitoring physical activity throughout the day.

The device provides readouts right on its face, but can also wirelessly transmit gathered data to an iPhone app or a computer via a built-in USB plug.  Users can then do a more comprehensive review of what they’ve been up to and can adjust their activities accordingly.

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We all know that the ear is a multifunctional, anatomical marvel. We often take for granted its ability to allow us to eavesdrop, to rock out to the latest beats, to hold up our spectacles, and to be pierced over and over again. Last week at CES 2012 in Las Vegas, Raleigh, NC-based Valencell announced their sensor technology that uses the ear’s unique physiology to gather vital health and fitness data.

The technology is called V-LINC, and it’s being built into the ubiquitous set of earbuds that you probably use every day. According to Valencell, “V-LINC technology comprises the only earbud-based continuous heart rate monitoring technology proven accurate during virtually any exercise in virtually any physical environment or condition.” According to the V-LINC website, its earbud sensors are able to measure the following biometric data:

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Lloydspharmacy and Proteus Biomedical has announced the upcoming release in the UK of a new kind of medication compliance monitoring system that relies on sensor-enabled tablets and special body worn patches that detect their ingestion.

The product, developed by Proteus that we’ve been following for the last few years, is called Helius and its special patches can record when a pill is ingested as well as to monitor the patient’s physical activity levels. The data is then sent to a mobile device, like a smartphone or tablet, and thereby can inform a patient when to take the next dose of the medication and warn if the regimen is not being followed.

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It’s the middle of January, which means that 87.5983% of those who made a New Year’s resolution to become more physically fit have already broken it (not scientifically verified). If you’re one of those in danger of reverting to your former sedentary ways, read on, because a new game for iOS may be your answer.

It’s called FitFreeway, and it’s the first game from software developer BitGym. FitFreeway (and BitGym’s other upcoming games) work in conjunction with your standard cardio machines without the need for any special hardware. When you work out, BitGym knows how fast you are exercising by reading the vibrations produced by your movements and the cardio machines. The iPad or iPhone’s accelerometer picks up these vibrations and translates them into game actions. In FitFreeway, the faster you bike/run, the faster your race car moves. The game also uses the device’s front-facing camera; steering the car is simply a matter of tilting your head to the left or right.

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