Neil Versel’s latest in Mobihealthnews is about the role of digital health in detecting concussion: the promising tablet-based neuromuscular assessment tool NeuroAssess developed by Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, the MC10/Reebok Sports Impact Indicator (a mesh skullcap connected to sensors) and the Battle Sports Science chin strap sensor. With Neil’s example of concussion in the National Hockey League (NHL), one wonders if this tough sport–along with soccer’s concussion possibility in ‘heading the ball’ –will join with the NFL in their research efforts. (We will not discuss the multiple hazards of rugby.) Also of note is the NIH ten-year... Continue Reading
Search Results for sensor patches
Telecare and call system integration (Canada)
Telecare and sensor-based monitoring may now be occupying a smaller, quieter corner of the health tech boom, having been through its own hype curve, but worth noting is the story of Vigil Health Solutions of Vancouver BC Canada which has concentrated on sensor-based support of dementia patients living in assisted living ‘memory care’ areas, hybrid call systems and bed monitoring, hardwired systems, perimeter monitoring and resident check-in. Steve Moran’s interview with CEO Troy Griffiths touches on tech that looked like it met a need, but proved impractical; the need for unobtrusive assistance to improve the quality of life for residents... Continue Reading
Your Friday robot fix, plus two
...the body to build immunity. Could this open up fresh horizons on drug delivery? And with a wafer-thin transmitter, can monitor it? Polymer patches could replace needles and enable more effective DNA vaccines (GizMag) And finally the most amazing–a prosthesis mostly out of a 3D printer. A five-year-old boy, Liam, now has a workable hand with moveable fingers made using a Replicator 2 3D printer. The fingers are attached to a brace worn over the hand, and controlled via cables and return bungees. The designers who collaborated long distance from Washington state and South Africa, have also released the... Continue Reading
Apple patent application tips ‘smart shoe’
There are indications, with a patent application by Apple for a shoe that uses an embedded sensor to monitor wear [hmm!] that it is thinking about wearable tech for the future – which will inevitably mean at least a foray into health monitoring. Apple Patent Application Tips ‘Smart Shoe’ from PC Magazine. Thinking about wearable sensors and health starts us down the ‘Quantified Self‘ train of thought. Editor Steve only twigged recently [duh!] that this is an extremely geeky play on words referring not only to measuring one’s activity, but that ‘quantifying’ is something done by ‘quants‘ – “experts in... Continue Reading
Kinect’s deployment in physical therapy
...FDA to come down on Microsoft for ‘off-label use’ of its electronics. Microsoft Wants to Kinect with Pentagon (Defense News) Can the Kinect Help Heal Wounded Veterans? (MIT Technology News) Hat tip to Toni Bunting of TANN Ireland. UPDATE 16 Jan: Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (FOKUS) is also testing a Kinect-based rehabilitation program. This adds a smartphone-lined mobile sensor unit to measures vital signs such as pulse, oxygen saturation levels, and (where applicable) ECG/EKG readings. The physiotherapist sees this data in addition to the Kinect-based information and can tailor therapy to avoid dangerous levels of stress. Gizmag.... Continue Reading
Reader’s request: Telecare suggestions (UK)
...cushion as it will be removed. It would need to be accessible so that the sensor(s) can be removed and cleaned. All wires and transmitters will also need to be hidden or remote as, if visible, they would be damaged. If the individual becomes distressed the first indication of this is that they start to tip over furniture. Is anyone aware of ways that we could use sensors (accelerometers, I assume) that would be able to detect if the furniture is turned over? Any ideas about standalone, integrated solutions or possible suppliers would be very welcome.” Leave suggestions in comments... Continue Reading
Tele-epilepsy and remote seizure monitoring (Netherlands)
...for Fold Telecare for their service in the Republic of Ireland. The earlier study showed poor performance of bed epilepsy sensors in identifying tonic clonic seizures - though there was a clear need for further work in relation to the movement algorithms, sensitivity settings and time delays. The latter study indicated real (day to day) benefits of bed epilepsy sensors for people with seizures (enabling help, avoiding SUDEP, etc.) and their carers (being able to sleep in a separate room, with huge QoL gains, rather than being on tenterhooks in case the family member had a seizure without them knowing).... Continue Reading
Cooking up something for Raspberry Pi (Spain and US)
Editor Steve hardly understands this one, but smells money for someone who can exploit this open source development… New e-Health Biometric Sensor Platform for Arduino and Raspberry Pi: Cooking Hacks by Libelium Helps Makers Develop Products to Monitor Medical Data. MarketWatch.... Continue Reading
A tattoo sensor to delight–or scare–kiddies
You’ll find the design of this prototype skin sensor out of University of California, San Diego either endearingly goofy or just scary. This paper ‘tattoo’ is actually a solid-contact ion-selective electrode (ISE) made using standard screen printing techniques finished with an electropolymerization process on commercially available transfer tattoo paper. The two ‘eyes’ are actually electrodes which measure perspiration on the skin’s surface to determine stress-related changes in pH and clues to metabolic diseases such as Addison’s, or more simply fatigue or dehydration. The tattoo sticks to even wet skin. It can also measure sodium, potassium and magnesium with different sensing... Continue Reading
PERS buttons obsolete…and dangerous?
...alone; current accelerometer-based fall detectors often miss ‘soft’ or gradual falls, especially to the seated or slumped position Also from Ed. Steve, continuing research in behavioral telecare’s quantification of the early detection of illness is being done by the University of Missouri at two locations in Missouri and Iowa. They are using Microsoft Kinect for gait assessment, which can predict propensity to fall, and are receiving NSF and other Federal funding for this (limited) ongoing research. Originally covered by us back in July [TA 3 July] and updated in this article from (UK) HealthCanal: Sensor Network to Protect the Elderly... Continue Reading
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