Dutch doctors implant SMS-capable pacemaker
posted Feb 2nd 2005 7:43AM
The medical community seems to be infatuated with SMS, judging from the recent spate of applications they've devised for the messaging system (okay, so two items isn't a spate, but let's see what they come up with next). The latest application is an SMS-enabled pacemaker that can automatically send messages to a cardiologist's cellphone, allowing the doctor to monitor a patient's condition. The unit was developed by Dutch manufacturer Biotronik, and the first implant was performed at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. We're all for this kind of monitoring, but we remain a bit skeptical that SMS is the right way to do it. As anyone who has received a text message hours after it's been sent will tell you, SMS may not necessarily be the best way to transmit life-and-death info.
What happens when you send invalid ASCII to the pacemaker? A crash? OOPS.
Please note that in Europe mobile phone services are much more reliable than what I hear from stories on the service of US providers.
Apart from New Year (where millions are messaging each other in the Netherlands at the same time), I can honestly say that I do not know of any SMS with a serious delay.
Also
So, mobile phones have been loosely linked with health worries and I'm supposed to get one to control the rythem of my heart?
I think I'll pass, thanks.
So it will transmit some medical information, all be it minimal, but still medical information without any form of encryption. Wouldn't this be a HIPAA violation?
I'm 21 and have a pacemaker and don't know how I feel about a SMS pacemaker. If there is a problem it would be nice for the pacemaker to notify someone instead of test every three months over the phone, however sending a text message would make me worry the unit would crash possibly
So I guess cellphones doesn't interfere with pace makers after all~~~
Yeah, this poor girl *died* because she relied on SMS to save her:
http://www.snopes.com/message/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/15/t/001830.html
:)
Nareau
The SMS had nothing to do with her life being saved. The parents should be blamed for not insisting that she goes with them. Get my point!
AS long as it doesn't cause damage, an SMS-enabled pacemaker can only do good.
Pacemaker is not sms dependant.
Yes, it's not a perfect system,
but it's still better than classic pacemaker that doesn't alert someone is you have a problem.
And, like Xander says, sms in europe are very reliable (in exeption of first hours of january 1st), if there is network coverage, they come within 10 seconds (without any warranty however).
[David:moua]