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German Bionic’s latest exoskeleton helps healthcare workers lift elderly patients
German Bionic, the robot exoskeleton startup behind the lightweight Apogee exosuit, just revealed the Apogee+, a hardware refresh intended to service health care workers. The powered exoskeleton allows nurses and other health care professionals to have greater access to patients, particularly the elderly and the infirm. The company hopes to decrease the “immense levels of stress endured” by these medical professionals.
Recommended Reading: COVID-19 and AI health care
COVID-19 will accelerate the AI health care revolution Kai-Fu Lee, Wired The coronavirus pandemic will cause us to rethink major aspects of everyday life around the world, but it may also expedite the use of artificial intelligence in health care.
FCC outlines $200 million COVID-19 telehealth plan
Today, the FCC announced a few additional measures to help the US during the coronavirus pandemic. Chairman Ajit Pai shared plans for a $200 million COVID-19 Telehealth Program, which would equip healthcare providers with the broadband connectivity and devices they need to provide telehealth services. The FCC also eased off its ongoing crackdown on cell phone subsidy abuse, saying that it won't de-enroll participants until at least May 29th.
Ford GoRide Health shifts to autonomy and shuts down in five cities
It seemed like things were going well for Ford's GoRide Health, a service that offered non-emergency transportation to hospitals and other health care facilities. This spring, it outlined a plan to expand into 40 cities over the course of four years. Instead, Ford is shutting the service down in the five cities it currently operates. According to TechCrunch, Ford is relocating GoRide Health to Miami, where it will focus on autonomous vehicles.
Amazon's first HIPAA-compliant Alexa skills help track your healthcare
Alexa's involvement in healthcare is about to extend well beyond putting Echo speakers in hospital rooms. Amazon has unveiled the first-ever HIPAA-compliant Alexa skills, letting you use the voice assistant to take care of sensitive medical issues. Providence St. Joseph Health's skill can book a same-day appointment, for example, while Cigna and Express Scripts have introduced skills that respectively track wellness incentives and manage prescriptions. Livongo, meanwhile, has a skill for diabetics that can provide blood glucose readings and health tips.
CNBC: Secret team at Amazon is working on health care projects
A report by CNBC connects several threads that apparently lead to an Amazon stealth team working on health related projects. Dubbed 1492 (because healthcare from Columbus worked out great for so many people), the team is apparently working on hardware and software projects. Late last fall, CEO Jeff Bezos mentioned that Alexa and Echo devices could be a tool for both providers and patients. Separately, the company is investing in cancer-testing startup Grail and recently hired the former director of healthcare and life sciences at Box.
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."
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
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.
FCC wants to set aside wireless spectrum for medical body area devices, our hearts are literally aflutter
The FCC has been making a big push towards freeing up the airwaves for medical uses, and it just took one of its biggest steps on that front by proposing to clear space for wireless body area networks. Agency officials want to let devices operate in the 2.36GHz to 2.4GHz space so that patients can stay at home or at least move freely, instead of being fenced in at the hospital or tethered to a bed by wires. Devices would still need the FDA's green light, but they could both let patients go home sooner as well as open the door wider for preventative care. Voting on the proposal takes place May 24, which leaves our tech-minded hearts beating faster -- and if the proposal takes effect, we'll know just how much faster.
New medical iPad platform reduces patient check-in time
NIIT Healthcare Technologies of Orlando, Florida introduced a mobile platform that'll speed up check-in times, improve communication and help process payments for hospitals, physician offices, clinics and laboratories. Called MASH for manage, analyze, sustain and harness, the product lets patients and doctors use mobile devices that tie into the facility's backend infrastructure. Patients can check-in autonomously using a tablet and describe their injury or illness, enter health insurance details or even navigate the halls of the facility. This information is then sent to the appropriate medical department which is alerted to the patient's arrival and to the business office for payment processing. This system is already installed in Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster California. "MASH's ability to reduce the waiting time and paperwork in our ER will provide our hospital with life-saving and cost-saving technologies," said Humberto Quintanar, CIO of Antelope Valley Hospital. [Via mobihealthnews]
Patients using iPad to customize MRI scanning experience
As fans of the TV hospital drama House can tell you, many hospital patients aren't exactly fond of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners. They're loud, confining, and generally quite uncomfortable. Now PDC Facilities, a company specializing in products for the medical diagnostics imaging market, has come up with a new product that uses an iPad to control and customize the patient experience. The product, known as the Caring MR Suite, lets patients "select personalized lighting, music, images and video to enjoy during their scan with a tap of the suite's iPad." If you're about to undergo a scan and would prefer to use your own music, images, and video, you can dock an iPhone or iPod for the ultimate in personalizing your way to a more comfortable experience. Special LED lighting fixtures and high-resolution displays are embedded in the walls and ceilings of the suite and controlled by the iPad. For a better idea of how the Caring MR Suite works to make scans a less frightening experience for patients, check out the video below.
UCLA creates portable microscope that uses holograms, not lenses
Instead of lugging a heavy microscope into the field, doctors and nurses in remote regions may have a more portable choice -- a lightweight microscope that replaces lenses with holograms. Researchers at UCLA announced a prototype dual-mode microscope that's lightweight, costs between $50 and $100 to produce and is similar in size to a banana. Like a hologram that uses interfering rays to create an image, this device shines light on a sample where its sensor chip (apparently also found in iPhones and BlackBerrys) and a cloud-based software program analyze the interference pattern and reconstruct an image of the sample. Since it's dual-mode, both large samples and small samples can be analyzed through processes called "transmission" and "reflection," and doctors could potentially use their laptops or smartphones to access the images remotely. Although still considered a prototype, researchers think the development has the opportunity to revolutionize health care by allowing doctors to test things like water, blood and food. Check out the full PR after the break.
Tiny RFID amulet stores medical records, makes paramedics' lives easier
Using RFID to store medical records, ultimately making the jobs of paramedics and doctors that much easier, is hardly a new concept. But, for the most part, such devices have been limited to clinical trials. Asahi Kasei Corp. is hoping to change that with the debut of a tiny, 3cm-square charm that can be read by a computer or smartphone. In addition to basic info, such as name, birth date, and blood type, the chip could transmit links to more storage-intensive data like X-rays images. Instead of building out a proprietary system, the company is relying on established technology called FeliCa from Sony. That means the device will enjoy broad compatibility with existing products, and should be inexpensive to produce. Asahi Kasei hopes to begin selling the medical amulets to cities and hospitals within a year, for as little as ¥2,000 (around $25).
iPads used for diagnosis and treatment in Texas hospital
You can add another hospital group to the list of those already using iPads in a medical setting. Texas Health Resources will be using Apple's magical and revolutionary tablet to help test patients' recovery, check the status of inpatients, and share and view medical records around the hospital. There's a whole strategy called mHealth built around mobile devices like the iPad in the company, and a recent survey of employees suggested that 40 percent of the doctors in facilities are already using iPads or another tablet. Texas Health is also running their own apps -- they have six up and running at the moment, with even more being tested and worked on. One reason the iPad is so helpful for them, they say, is that they allow doctors and nurses to stay mobile rather than sitting on a computer at a desk, which means more hands-on time with patients. Of course, that also means more IT workers to keep the mobile devices updated and running well, but apparently Texas Health is all over that one. It's good to see Apple's tablet being put to good use in health care facilities where it can really make a difference.
X-Prize reveals plans for tricorder competition, suspiciously lacking Nimoy endorsement
We could feed you a line about the final frontier or exploring strange new worlds, but we'll just give it to you straight: the X-Prize Foundation has teamed up with Qualcomm to design the Tricorder X-Prize, a $10 million competition designed to boldly go where no contest has gone before. Sorry, we couldn't help ourselves. The most recent addition to the ambitious X-Prize stable is aimed at producing a mobile medical device, similar to those used on Star Trek, that can "diagnose patients better than or equal to a panel of board certified physicians." Said device would allow regular folks to "quickly and effectively assess health conditions, determine if they need professional help," and then decide on a plan of action. The Tricorder X-Prize competition is still in the planning stages and should be ready to launch sometime in 2012. Full PR after the break.
1,800 iPads on the way to Ottawa Hospital
The Canadian Broadcasting Company is reporting that the Ottawa Hospital, which already has about 500 Apple tablets being used by health-care providers, has recently ordered another 1,800 iPads to replace paper medical charts. Doctors at the facility currently use iPads to examine X-rays, write prescriptions and take notes during patient visits. The devices carry patient medical histories, triage information, allergy data and allow doctors to order treatment while they're still with the patient. The hospital hopes to offset the cost of the additional iPads through replacements of old equipment, increased productivity and a reduction in errors. Ottawa Hospital CIO Dale Potter, who proposed the iPad plan to the hospital, noted that for handwritten doctor orders, "15 or 20 percent of those are missing information, or are illegible, and require human intervention." It is expected that the devices, which will arrive by July, will reduce the amount of rework required on orders that have been entered incorrectly by hand. Ottawa Hospital is working with Select Start Studios, a Canadian development firm that created the Ottawa Hospital EMR (electronic medical record) Client app. The app is designed with patient information security in mind, and no data is stored locally on the iPad in case the device is stolen or lost. [via Macgasm]
Health care and aeronautics industries agree that FCC should set aside bandwidth for dedicated remote patient monitoring system
Mobile body area network (MBAN) technology has the potential to be a boon to the healthcare system of the future by enabling remote patient monitoring through disposable wireless devices -- meaning fewer doctor visits for everyone and great news for latrophobes. Until now, MBAN was opposed by the Aerospace & Flight Test Radio Coordinating Council (AFTRCC) because it utilizes the same radio bands that aircraft manufacturers do when they're testing new planes. AFTRCC didn't want all that medical chatter "polluting their spectrum" but decided to get on board with MBAN when the health care industry promised to create a way to stop signals that disrupt aeronautical traffic. MBAN is a part of the FCC's National Broadband Plan and purports to use short-length radio waves (not unlike Bluetooth) in the 2300 and 2400 MHz range to transmit physiological info to treating physicians -- as opposed to other patient monitors that use web-based communications. MBAN would initially be used in hospitals but could later find its way into residential use by employing home entertainment systems (Wii Fit integration, here we come!) to collect and transmit data. With the FCC expected to decide on the final rules for MBAN later this year, the Intel Health Guide may have some company in the at-home patient monitoring business. We can only hope that the next time the aeronautic and health care industries combine forces, it will take the form of jetpack-wearing doctors making house calls.
Medtronic debuts tiny lead-less pacemaker at TEDMED 2010
There are two pacemakers in the picture above. There's the typical clunky, stone shaped device with wires on the right -- and on the left, a device dwarfed even by a one-cent coin. This is the Medtronic wireless pacemaker, just revealed at TEDMED 2010, which can be implanted directly into your heart via catheter and permanently latch itself into flesh with tiny claws. Then, doctors can wirelessly monitor and even control the device from a nearby smartphone. Medtronic's working to make it even smaller still, and we're hoping to get more information soon. Welcome to the future, folks. %Gallery-106218%
iPad app helps you understand US health care reform
In the US, Election Day is just over two weeks away. While there are many issues people will be turning up to vote their conscience on, one of the biggest issues will be health care reform. While the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 was signed into law back in March of this year, come November 2nd some will be voting their approval or disapproval of the bill by casting ballots for Democrats, Republicans, or other parties. Health care reform has remained contentious even after the legislation was passed, and there's a lot of misinformation (formerly known as "lying") and just plain lunacy out there about what it actually entails. To that end, the developers at Redf have put together an iPad app that shows you what's really changing, when it's happening, and how it benefits you. The app is called Health Care Reform and when you launch it you are presented with a simple timeline of the bill's new laws and regulations. It shows you in a very easy to follow manner what changes go into effect and when. All of the app's facts and information are taken directly from healthcare.gov. iPad app + civic education + progress = a good thing. Health Care Reform is available on the App Store as a free download. Comments are closed.
