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UK general practitioners use iPad to diagnose dementia
Macworld UK reports that some physicians in the UK are using an iPad-based app to help detect the early signs of dementia. The Guildford and Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is promoting the use of the CANTABmobile system to help improve dementia diagnosis rates. CANTABmobile enables GPs to test a patient's episodic memory through an easy to use ten-minute cognitive assessment. Of the 21 GP practices in the Guildford and Waverley region, 19 have been provided with iPads and the software to assess patients who have concerns about their memory loss. A press release on the matter notes that the app is particularly useful in detecting signs of dementia when the early signs of memory loss are subtle and thus harder to diagnose with traditional cognitive testing. The application is based on neuropsychological tests conducted at Cambridge University and gives physicians access to testing methods that were previously only "available to pharmaceutical companies and academia for specialist trials and research." A video highlighting the benefits of the software can be seen below. The app is currently only available to healthcare providers in the UK. If you'd like to learn more about the app and the science behind it, the CANTABmobile website has a lot of interesting information worth looking over. It's worth noting that this isn't the first time we've seen the iPad being used to help physicians conduct medical testing. Back in April, for example, we reported that the FDA had given the green light to Vital Art and Science Inc. to market software which enables users with degenerative eye conditions to assess their condition, track disease progression and monitor any significant changes in visual function. The app is by no means a replacement for visiting the doctor, but provides patients with a means to more closely monitor their condition from home and alert a health care professional when something seems amiss.
Columbia University's low-cost robotic arm is controlled by facial muscles, we go face-on (video)
We've seen Emotiv's Epoc headset control cars and trapeze acts, but now a small posse of students at Columbia University is teaching it how to control a robotic arm. The appendage, aptly named ARM for Assistive Robotic Manipulator, was envisioned as a wheelchair attachment to help the disabled. According to the team, the goal was to keep costs in the neighborhood of $5,000 since insurance outfits Medicare and Medicaid won't foot a bill for assistive tech that's much more than $10,000. To keep costs low, the crew built the limb from laser cut wood, and managed to keep the final price tag at $3,200. Since picking up EEG signals and interpreting them accurately can be tricky, the group says it settled on monitoring EMG waves, which are triggered by muscle movements, for additional reliability. Lifting your eyebrows makes the device open its grip, clenching your teeth shuts it and moving your lips to the left and right twists the claw, while other motions are currently handled by using a PlayStation 2 controller. In the lab, the contraption has seven degrees of freedom, but it was reduced to five when we took it for a spin. It was hit or miss when this editor put the headgear on, between making sure facial gestures were spot on and the equipment's attempts to pick up clear signals.%Gallery-187534%
Eyes-on: University of Pennsylvania's TitanArm exoskeleton (video)
TitanArm already took home silver in a competition for senior projects at the University of Pennsylvania, and now the team behind it is visiting Orlando to compete in the Intel-sponsored Cornell Cup for embedded design. We stopped by the showroom and snagged a few minutes with the crew to take a look at their creation: an 18-pound, untethered, self-powered exoskeleton arm constructed for less than $2,000. To wield the contraption, users attach the cable-driven mechanical appendage to themselves with straps from a military-grade hiking backpack, and guide it with a thumbstick on a nunchuck-like controller. If a load needs to be held in place, the wearer can jab a button on the hand-held control to apply a brake. A Beagle Bone drives the logic for the setup, and it can stream data such as range of motion wirelessly to a computer. As for battery-life, they group says the upper-body suit has previously squeezed out over 24 hours of use without having to recharge.%Gallery-187514%
UPenn's TitanArm exoskeleton prototype makes light work of heavy lifting (video)
It's no wonder people are interested in exoskeletons. Not only do they tap into our lust for the technology of science fiction movies, but among other applications, can make a significant impact on the lives of those living with disabilities. While many offer leg support, a team from University of Pennsylvania recently took silver in an engineering competition for its TitanArm prototype, a powered upper-body exoskeleton that, as the picture above shows, allows you to out-rep anyone at the gym. Designed to be lightweight and cheap to produce, the robotic bicep upgrade uses a (mostly) aluminum frame, battery-powered DC motor, cable drive system, racket braking and thumbstick controller for movement, with a BeagleBone board supervising the electronics that pull it all together. The group at UPenn imagines TitanArm could be employed as a lifting aid, but more importantly, in healthcare applications like increasing mobility or physical therapy -- sensors and other data from the exoskeleton could even allow docs to monitor patients remotely. More info on the project can be found at the source link, while a video below shows TitanArm in use and outlines the hardware that makes those heavy hammer curls a cinch.
Daily Update for April 29, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Hospital uses iPads to help moms stay in contact with newborns
As part of a program called BabyTime, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles recently deployed iPads in its neonatal intensive care unit to enable mothers to see their newborns and interact with hospital staff when they can't do so in person. Infants are typically placed in the NICU when they are born prematurely or have other complications that require specialized care and supervision. In some circumstances, the condition of the mother might preclude her from being allowed or able enough to visit her newborn in the NICU. Such scenarios might arise when a new mother has post-operative complications, an infection which may pose a risk to the newborn or is otherwise not yet well enough to leave her bed. Cedars-Sinai notes that approximately 20 to 30 percent of new mothers who undergo C-sections "do not feel well enough to travel from their bed in the Labor and Delivery unit to the NICU for the first 24 to 48 hours." With the iPad, however, these mothers can now see their newborn and, just as importantly, interact with the nurses and doctors keeping an eye on their baby. All in all, it's a great way to keep patients more involved and informed while also adding an overall sense of comfort to what can otherwise be a stressful and worrisome situation. Charles F. Simmons Jr., MD, who chairs the Cedars-Sinai Department of Pediatrics, touted the new program in a press release: BabyTime will help bridge communication with the family and the baby's medical team and is an excellent use of technology to help new mothers bond with their babies, even when they cannot be physically at their babies' bedside. When doctors and nurses are treating a newborn in the NICU, mom can be right there asking questions and getting updates, even if she's on a different floor. As one would expect, the way the program works is pretty simple. When a newborn is admitted into the NICU, one iPad is placed next to the baby's incubator while another is delivered to the baby's mother. The press release notes that the mother can log onto BabyTime twice a day. Over the past few years, Cedars-Sinai has particularly embraced the intersection of technology and healthcare. The hospital previously gave its staff iPhones to facilitate communication amongst nurses and doctors and was also one of the first hospitals to roll out an iPhone app which enables doctors to remotely access EKG results and fetal monitoring.
Lenovo rolls out extra-compact ThinkCentre Edge 62z all-in-one for $549
Some of Lenovo's pro customers can be very fussy: hospitals and schools want multiple computers in a small area, but without skimping on the usual features they'd expect from desktops. If any PC could resolve those contradictory demands, it might be the company's new ThinkCentre Edge 62z. The extra-angular design purportedly fits a 18.5-inch all-in-one into a third of the space of a 20-inch display, all while carrying up to a Core i3 processor and a DVD burner. Whether or not you see the 62z as a feat of engineering, the design has some room to grow with up to 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. The price may be the real clincher for some customers -- Lenovo expects this lower-tier ThinkCentre Edge to cost $549 when it reaches the US in May, which could squeeze it into a few more IT budgets.
Doctors improve usefulness of iOS devices in the ER with Box.net
A group of more than 60 doctors at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., are now sharing procedures, journal articles and conversations through a unique use of Box.net's file-sharing services. A Wired article states that the system has become a valuable tool for doctors, who count on it for providing immediate access to critical information. Dr. Iltifat Husain (at right), who edits the iMedicalApps website, found the medical center's Box.net system to be a valuable assistant back in October when he was first testing it. Husain was offsite at an emergency room in Greensboro, N.C., when he needed to perform a procedure that he hadn't done recently. He pulled out his iPhone, launched Box.net and received a quick refresher on how to do an abdominal paracentesis. While the same information is also available on intranet workstations in the hospital emergency rooms, Husain saved valuable time looking it up on his iPhone. He noted that, "In the ER, the faster I can do something, the more time I can spend with other patients." The system at the medical center also encourages discussion of research articles, so it's been a helpful learning tool for residents. Husain says, "You can literally have free-flowing comments using Box, which really has the potential to change the way medical education is done."
Athenahealth to acquire mobile drug reference Epocrates
Athenahealth, known for its electronic health record and management solutions, will purchase Epocrates, the creators of one of the most popular medical reference apps among doctors. As GigaOM reports, Athenahealth will pay US$293 million for the software company, which was originally founded in the late '90s and created medical reference material for the Palm Pilot. With the emergence of smartphones and tablets, Epocrates now focuses on apps for iOS, Android and BlackBerry, along with online versions of its medical reference guide. With Athenahealth already offering its services to many healthcare providers, the acquisition seems like a rather perfect fit. The company hopes to use the Epocrates apps, which are reportedly used by as many as half of the doctors in the US, to widen its own footprint. Source: GigaOM
Zensorium's Tinké iOS accessory monitors cardiorespiratory, stress levels
There's a new accessory available for owners of iOS devices who are looking to stay healthy and improve their tolerance to stress. While there are iOS-connected scales and blood pressure cuffs, until now nobody has looked at cardiorespiratory fitness and stress levels. That's where the new Tinké (US$119, pronounced "tink") comes into play. The tiny sensor, available in black, blue, pink and white, uses optical sensing technologies to capture blood volume changes. With the touch of a thumb to a pair of tiny windows on the device, the Tinké app (free) calculates a pair of indexes. The Vita index is "a personalized cardiorespiratory score that is created by piecing data collected from heart rate, blood oxygen level and respiratory rate. The Zen index measures heart rate variability to determine a number that provides a relative reading of your stress. How it works Tinké is a tiny sensor that plugs right into an iOS device with a 30-pin Dock connector, and also works well with the Lightning to 30-pin adaptor on newer devices. There's a tiny cover that pops off of the top, keeping the connector protected when Tinké is not being used. That cover clicks into place on the bottom of the Tinké while you're using the device so you don't misplace it -- a nice little design feature. Plugging in the Tinké launches the app, and you're then prompted to place your thumb over the two "windows" and maintain a constant pressure. Both red light and infrared are used to take the readings. Each index takes about a minute to measure and calculate. For the Vita Index, your heart rate, respiratory rate and blood oxygen levels are measured. A lower resting heart rate is a good indicator of cardiorespiratory health, as is a respiratory rate of between 10 and 20 breaths per minute. The blood oxygen level looks for a 95 percent or better saturation as a healthy measurement. The Zen Index takes you through a 60-second controlled breathing exercise. There are five different circles indicating breathing rates from slow to fast, and you pick one that feels about right for you, trying to match your breaths to the expansion and contraction of the circle on the display. The idea seems to be that by practicing the controlled breathing with Tinké, you'll later be able to achieve that same breath control in stressful situations where you don't have the device at hand. Everything is social these days, so you can share ("shout") your results with friends through a Tinké network or Facebook. If you'd rather not have your friends and relatives know about your health and well-being, you can also keep your results private. There are also achievement badges that motivate you to keep making regular measurements. What you want to do is make sure that both indexes climb to a higher level over time, or at least remain steady if you're already at a high level of cardiorespiratory health. Although it wasn't available at the time I was testing Tinké, there will be a "world" index so you can see how your Vita and Zen indexes compare with the average of the rest of the Tinké users. Tinké in use The Tinké is surprisingly easy to use, so much so that I found myself taking measurements multiple times per day. There's no battery to worry about charging as the Tinké is powered by your iOS device, and there's nothing really difficult about the setup process. The Tinké app is in its first iteration and might need a little work. I found the font used on many screens to be difficult to read, and the developers seem to have a penchant for putting light colors on light backgrounds. In addition, I don't believe that the app is optimized for the iPhone 5, as I ran into several situations where text was cut off near the bottom of the screen. I also wasn't a fan of the app UI -- when you tap on one of the four buttons at the bottom of the screen (achievements and history, Vita Index, Zen Index and Sharing), multiple colored stripes pop up from the bottom, each one being a menu selection. Take your finger off of that button for a second and the menu disappears. A persistent menu that stays available until you make a choice may not be as artistic, but would certainly be much easier to use. %Gallery-172549% While taking a reading, the trick seems to be to press down on the sensors with your thumb, but not too hard. You want to make it so that you see a continuous heartbeat trace on the screen. I found that when I was first using the Tinké, I was getting a consistent Vita Index in the low 90s out of 99 possible points. Later, I found that the readings had fallen to the mid-to-low 80s. Which is correct? I'm not sure, but since the idea is to make lifestyle changes -- more exercise, better sleep, deep breathing -- that raise the index overall, it probably doesn't matter as long as that number continues to rise. Conclusion For those of us who are trying to keep a closer eye on our personal health, Tinké provides two more sets of data in terms of cardiorespiratory health and stress level. It's a great idea and a well-designed product, although the companion app needs a little work. Pros Well-constructed, attractive design Doesn't require battery, charging or Bluetooth / WiFi connection Readings are fast and easy to take Shows cardiorespiratory and stress indexes, captures information for history comparisons An excellent addition to other iOS-attached health monitoring systems Cons App UI could use work; fonts are hard to read, pop-up menu is annoying App doesn't appear to be optimized for iPhone 5 yet Who is it for? Anyone who is interested in keeping track of their cardiorespiratory health and stress level
iRobot's mobile medical telepresence robot controlled by iPad app
Massachusetts-based iRobot is probably best known for introducing robotics into the home in the form of the popular scurrying Roomba vacuuming robots, but the company also has its hands in many other markets as well. The company recently introduced RP-VITA, a telepresence robot that takes the physical place of remote workers while allowing interaction with other people. Our sister site Engadget has some video of the robot being controlled by an iPad app in a medical setting. Co-branding the RP-VITA with California-based InTouch Health, the companies are looking at letting doctors do rounds and check up on hospital patients without actually being onsite. A doctor simply taps a location -- like a hospital room number -- on the iPad screen, and the robot scurries off to the room, checking for obstacles along the way. Once at the patient's bedside, the doctor can check vitals or use the built-in screen to talk to the patient. The video shows the device being tested in a mock hospital setting with dummies as patients. I have to agree with commenter AarghaKnot's assessment on Engadget: "They should make it more realistic. Telepresence robot enters room with clipboard in front of face, mumbles a few formalities, barks orders at a nurse and is gone in less than 2 minutes." Enjoy the video.
Cell-infused 'spray-on-skin' helps leg ulcers heal more quickly
Spray-on medical solutions packed with cells certainly seem to be catching on. A new study published in The Lancet highlights a spray infused with skin cells and blood clotting proteins that helps leg ulcers heal quicker. Normally, the open wounds only undergo a compression bandage treatment and typically heal after six months. Patients who were also spritzed with the cell-imbued solution, however, experienced a rapid decrease in ulcer sizes soon after being treated. Three months into the regimen, 70 percent of those who had the mist applied were healed of the malady. Not only does the new remedy speed up the healing process, but it also avoids the need for a skin graft, another method used to hasten rehabilitation. Cost is a potential concern, but further tests are still needed to determine the therapy's practicality. [Image credit: Shutterstock]
FDA approves Proteus Digital Health's e-pills for dose monitoring
An "ingestible sensor" doesn't sound like the tastiest of snacks, but soon it might be just what the doctor ordered. A tiny microchip which activates upon contact with stomach acid has recently been given the green light by the US FDA. When the sensor is swallowed, an external patch picks up its signal and shoots a message over to whoever it's supposed to. The technology is aimed at tackling an issue known in the healthcare biz as compliance -- or, following instructions. Correct timing and dose are important for many drugs, and lax schedules can be responsible for treatment failures or the development of nasty drug-resistant bugs. Although the pills have only been used in trials, one pharmaceutical heavyweight has already bagged a license to the technology for real-world applications. If you don't like the thought of a belly full of microchips, no need to worry -- the harmless sensors pass naturally after completing their mission.
iRobot, InTouch Health unveil RP-VITA telepresence robot, let doctors phone in bedside manner
In case you missed the memo, there's quite a bit more to iRobot than adorable autonomous vacuums -- these days the firm works on military projects, consumer electronics and tablet-controlled telepresence robots. Earlier this year, iRobot even retooled itself to build an emerging technologies group, announcing a partnership with InTouch Health to put its AVA telepresence technology to better use. Today the two companies are announcing the fruits of their labor -- the Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant, or RP-VITA. The project aims to combine the best of iRobot's AVA telepresence units with InTouch health's own bots, creating an easy to use system that allows physicians to care for patients remotely without stumbling over complicated technology. The RP-VITA features state-of-the-art mapping and obstacle detection and avoidance technology, a simple iPad user interface for control and interaction and the ability to interface with diagnostic devices and access electronic medical records. The remote rig will eventually be able to navigate to specified target destinations autonomously, though this feature is still being reviewed by the FDA for clearance. iRobot and InTouch are optimistic about the unit, but claim that the RP-VITA is only the beginning. "While this represents our first foray into the healthcare market, the RP-VITA represents a robust platform," said Colin Angle, Chairman and CEO of iRobot, "we see many future opportunities in adjacent markets." The new telemedicine assistant is slated to make its first appearance at InTouch Health's 7th Annual Clinic Innovations Forum later this week. Check out the press release after the break for the full details.
SAMI robot has motion detection from the company behind Kinect's 3D sensors, washboard abs (video)
PrimeSense, the Israeli company whose 3D sensors helped make the Kinect such a massive hit for gamers and hackers alike, has been dipping its feet in the robotic waters a bit as of late. The company offered up its sensors for use in iRobot's telecommunication 'bot, Ava, and now they've made their way into SAMI, a robot platform created by France's CRIIF. PrimeSense sensors are found in the robot's torso (for detecting people) and base (to help it avoid bumping into objects). SAMI's got a pretty broad spectrum of potential applications, including manufacturing and healthcare -- of course, before it goes mainstream in the latter field, we'd recommend a few aesthetic changes to the creepy robot, which took around $100,000 and six people to make. Still we've got to give SAMI some credit for keeping so darn fit. Check out video of the 'bot after the break.
MacPractice Clipboard iPad Apps make patient sign-in a snap
A trip to the doctor's office usually means one thing -- filling out one form or another. For patients, it's a necessary evil; for health care practitioners, it's a requirement. Longtime Apple developer MacPractice announced today that it has released new free Clipboard iPad Apps to make patient registration a breeze at medical, dental, chiropractic, and vision care facilities. Four apps were released today: MD Clipboard for iPad, DDS Clipboard for iPad, DC Clipboard for iPad, and 20/20 Clipboard for iPad. The apps provide a HIPAA-compliant registration process for patients, and integrate with the full MacPractice software suites. Data is entered by patients who complete and sign forms, and the information is automatically entered into the patient's records in MacPractice. The advantages? Saving paper, reducing staff time by not having to manually enter information from paper forms into an electronic system, and reducing the risk of data-entry errors from illegible handwriting. MacPractice is currently used in over 4,000 practices, and is a ONC-ATCB 2011-2012 Certified EHR/EMR solution.
ATLAS bimanual-rehabilitation glove system hands-on (video)
The Squid Shirt that we checked out earlier today at Northeastern University certainly has the potential for healthcare use beyond straight off-season workout sessions, but the ATLAS project is an even purer expression of that application. The name is an acronym for the rather unwieldy Angle Tracking and Location At home System. In short, the system is a bimanual-rehabilitation glove system, a tracking device that utilizes two gloves to monitor the hand movements of stroke victims. The "Home System," part of the name, meanwhile, signifies its creators' intention to eventually release the ATLAS as an at-home testing system, allowing users to get more regular readings than industrial versions. The system is comprised of two standard black gloves -- the first version (it's currently on version three), assistant academic specialist Mark Sivak tells us, was comprised of gold lycra gloves. The gloves have bend sensors in each finger and internal measurement sensors on the back of the hand. The bend sensors are anchored on the back of the hand, located beneath a moveable flap. They're embedded in the glove, running down each finger. The hand orientation inertial sensor is comprised of an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer located on a box strapped to the top of the glove. The bend sensors feed straight into a box with an Arduino Mega inside, while the inertial sensors first pass through their own Arduino microcontrollers before rejoining the data feed back to the PC.%Gallery-158061%
Olympus scales back, shifts focus to turn around fortunes
Beleaguered camera maker Olympus vows to shed around 2,700 jobs and heavily restructure its business following a major accounting scandal. That works out that around seven percent of its total global workforce will be cut, with Olympus also aiming to sell unused property and close its Philippines plant over the next two years. The Japanese manufacture will also refocus on profitable imaging, medical and life-science departments -- presumably fields that would-be suitor Panasonic's also interested in. Update: Or perhaps not.
Panasonic gearing up to offer $635 million bailout to save troubled Olympus (update)
Panasonic is reportedly putting the final touches to a 50 billion yen ($635 million) bailout package to save Olympus. Panasonic will become the largest shareholder of the scandal-ridden camera maker, reeling from a $1.7 billion accounting fraud uncovered last year, with an eye on getting a foothold in Olympus' profitable medical imaging business. It gives us hope that the current range of blockbuster shooters including the OM-D won't be sacrificed in a last-ditch attempt to make the books balance. Update: Outgoing Panasonic president Fumio Ohtsubo has strongly denied the reports, saying that there's no company plan to invest. That clears that up, then.
McGill University student plan provides healthcare to rural areas with Windows Phone and Win 8
Those of us living in metropolitan areas don't think twice about our ease of access to medical care, but those in rural areas don't enjoy such easy access to a doctor. Abhijeet Kalyan and Shravan Narayan from McGill University in Canada are aware of this problem, and came up with a way for doctors to diagnose and treat patients from afar. Called Project Neem, it's got a hub and spoke organizational structure that puts a healthcare worker in every village and leverages the power of Windows Phone to connect them with medical staff in distant cities. Participating healthcare workers are given basic medical training and a handheld loaded up with a custom app that identifies patients by scanning their national ID card and stores their pertinent medical info -- from temperature and blood pressure readings to a variety of symptoms. The app has a virtual human body on board that lets users tap parts of the anatomy to bring up a series of symptoms that can be selected to provide treating physicians with the info they need. That information is stored in the cloud and accessed by doctors through a Windows 8 app, who then can relay appropriate treatments to the local healthcare worker. Now all we need is someone to make a real-world tricorder, and we'll truly be able to bring medical care to the masses, wherever they may be.
