A selective look at health tech startups, toys and keeping it clean

Joan Justice, as Curator-in-Chief of HealthWorks Collective, always provides a quirky look at cool stuff in health tech. Her second round goes a bit afield of health, but what’s interesting: ClearMD (DIY provider videos for patients), Picmonic (medical student education audio-picture mnemonics), Cobalt Research (web-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)) and Accessible Home Living (designing/remodeling for older adults/disabled needs). Health Start-Ups!: Another Round  And what motivates serial healthcare entrepreneurs to be..serial? Check out her video interview with John Deutsch, current CEO of New Wave Enterprises, LLC who has been part of several EMR startups.

Ready to DIY? MIT Little Devices Laboratory is now developing MEDIkits (Medical Education Design Invention Kits) in diagnostics and therapeutics: drug delivery, diagnostics, microfluidics, prosthetics, vital signs and surgical devices. And the devices are built from–Lego parts, the internal workings of other toys with electronic parts, LEDs, and more–all to enable creative thinking in device development from a wide number of people outside traditional labs. The Little Devices Lab also has a collection of videos and press on their blog hereCan Toys Decrease the Cost of Health Care Devices? (HealthWorks Collective)

And ready to get clean? In the US, it is estimated that 100,000 people yearly die because of hospital-originating infections, largely due to poor hand hygiene. IntelligentM, a bracelet for hospital staff who are in contact with patients, reminds and checks for cleanliness. The device determines through its built-in accelerometer that hand washing and sanitizer are being used–and correctly. In communicating with RFID sensors at hygiene stations, it also reports compliance. Currently being tested at a hospital in Sarasota, Florida with two other locations shortly to adopt, and with potential uses in food service and with children. MIT Technology Review.  Gizmag.