Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[New sensor can read your heart from afar, but knows not your feelings]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/03/new-sensor-can-read-your-heart-from-afar-but-knows-not-your-fee/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/03/new-sensor-can-read-your-heart-from-afar-but-knows-not-your-fee/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/03/new-sensor-can-read-your-heart-from-afar-but-knows-not-your-fee/#comments
Are you fed up with your current ECG sensor? Tired of all the mess of electroconductive gels, sticky electrodes and tangled wires? How about this: Britain's Plessey Semiconductors offers an ECG sensor that promises heart-monitoring without the hassle. We've seen similar technology before, but according to the company, the Electric Potential Integrated Circuit -- or EPIC, as it's humbly called -- can read heartbeats even through a sweater; future versions might be embedded in hospital gurneys for constant, unobtrusive monitoring. Like an extremely sensitive voltmeter, it detects tiny changes in electric fields, which means it could also be used for Kinect-style motion interfaces. The company even imagines a future system where firefighters can use the EPIC to find humans in a smoke-filled room. If you're thinking, "My, that sounds just like my Deus Ex dreams" -- hey, we're right there with you.

New sensor can read your heart from afar, but knows not your feelings originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 05:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biometricbiosensorBritainecgElectrocardiogramepicepic sensorEpicSensorhealthhearthospitalmedicalmonitormonitoringPlessey SemiconductorsPlesseySemiconductorssensorsensorsThu, 03 Nov 2011 05:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Implantable antenna designed using silk and gold]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/19/implantable-antenna-designed-using-silk-and-gold/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/19/implantable-antenna-designed-using-silk-and-gold/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/19/implantable-antenna-designed-using-silk-and-gold/#commentsSilk: it's stronger than Kevlar, thinner than a human hair, it's biocompatible (it doesn't trigger human immune system response), and it's produced by insects (although some new-fangled metabolically engineered bacteria seem to be up to the task). Researchers at Tufts University have created a silk and gold biosensor that can be implanted in the body to keep tabs on proteins and chemicals. One possible use would be to keep track of diabetic's glucose levels, notifying the patient when things go wonky. At the present time, they've only tested the antenna itself -- it was found to resonate at specific frequencies, even when implanted in several layers of muscle tissue (from a pig, mind you). For their next trick, the team will outfit the device with proteins or other molecules to monitor in-vivo chemical reactions.

Implantable antenna designed using silk and gold originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biosensordiabetesgoldhealthimplantmedicinesilktufts universityTuftsUniversityThu, 19 Aug 2010 03:03:00 EST<![CDATA[RF-ECG biosensor kit enables wireless medical monitoring]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/11/rf-ecg-biosensor-kit-enables-wireless-medical-monitoring/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/11/rf-ecg-biosensor-kit-enables-wireless-medical-monitoring/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/11/rf-ecg-biosensor-kit-enables-wireless-medical-monitoring/#commentsThe kit recently unveiled by the Medical Electronic Science Institute most certainly has some homegrown competition, as it too seeks to record and wirelessly transmit "ECG signals and motion, as well as heart rate and epidermal skin temperature" to mobile phones or PCs. The body-worn sensor utilizes "low power consumption RF transmission," which purportedly enables it to broadcast a constant signal for "up to 48 hours" on a single charge. Notably, the kit includes a "USB receiver, sensor transmitter, lithium battery, electrode sheet and software," but no price seems to be given. Oh, and hit the read link for a quick video of the package in action.

[Thanks, Fran]

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RF-ECG biosensor kit enables wireless medical monitoring originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 03:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biometricbiosensorecghealthheartmedicalmonitormonitoringRF-ECGsensorsensorsvideoTue, 11 Sep 2007 03:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Brain-reading biofeedback caps on the rise, NeuroSky returns]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/30/brain-reading-biofeedback-caps-on-the-rise-neurosky-returns/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/30/brain-reading-biofeedback-caps-on-the-rise-neurosky-returns/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/30/brain-reading-biofeedback-caps-on-the-rise-neurosky-returns/#comments
Pushing the envelope is what it's all about, and for companies cranking out Wiimote-like devices to make gaming and PC experiences more eventful, even that's not enough to satisfy a bevy of outfits with their eyes set on getting biofeedback into games. Companies such as Emotiv Systems, CyberLearning, and our old friend NeuroSky are all looking to take advantage of the public's current curiosity about thought-controlled (and influenced) gaming by offering up electrode-laced headsets that read a variety of brain impulses to effect gameplay. Essentially, these gel-free caps rely on technology such as electromyography (EMG), which records twitches and other muscular movements, and electrooculography (EOG), which measures changes in the retina, in order to change the way games are experienced. For instance, a nervous, uneasy GTA player would barely be able to aim at his / her enemies, while a daydreamer would have a hard time staying on course and reaching full speed while playing Gran Turismo. Unsurprisingly, said companies have noted that "finding their target markets" have been the most difficult aspect, and certain analysts rightfully question whether gamers would actually enjoy such "mentally taxing restrictions" on their games, but if all goes as planned, we should start seeing a few more options in the commercial brain-interface market before too long.

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Brain-reading biofeedback caps on the rise, NeuroSky returns originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biofeedbackbiosensorbrainbrain waveBrainWaveCyberLearningeegelectroencephalographyelectromyographyelectrooculographyemgEmotiv SystemsEmotivSystemseogNeuroSkyprototypesabersensingsensorsensorsSmartBraintelekinesisMon, 30 Apr 2007 09:44:00 EST