Category: Heart
-
UP3 – fitness tracker or medical monitor?
As fitness tracker features become increasingly similar to those of medical devices, Jawbone will release a powerful, fashionable, sensor based wristband. The UP3 will be stylish, with its Chanel-like quilt pattern and slim form. It will also include multiple temperature and motion sensors, and four electrodes that send electrical signals into wrist tissue. Using bioimpedance analysis, the…
-
Nanoparticle sensor to detect illness early
Andrew Conrad, head of Google Lifesciences, has confirmed that the company is working on nanoparticle technology that would be swallowed, and used in combination with an external device to continuously monitor the blood to detect cancer, heart disease, and other health issues. It is known as the “Nanoparticle Platform.” While the technology is in an…
-
Implanted sensor continously monitors CHF
CardioMEMS is a sensor placed in the pulmonary artery of heart failure patients. It monitors pressure in the lungs and detects deterioration in the heart, long before changes in blood pressure and weight. Medication can be changed immediately to correct the problem and prevent hospital readmission. Data is sent to the physician daily.
-
Brain-Computer Interface generated music
At Music Tech Fest in London, multidisciplinary artist Ma Tan won the wearables prize by generating music from his thoughts and heart. He used a 2 electrode EEG headband developed by Tel Aviv and Brown University professor Nathan Intrator to sense his emotions, and a heart monitor to sense his cardiac activity.
-
Google Glass monitors heart and breathing in real time
A paper released this week by MIT Media Lab and Georgia Tech researchers claims that Google Glass can detect pulse and respiration rhythms in real time. The responses were measured using a built-in gyroscope, accelerometer and camera, with no external sensors. According to lead author Javier Hernandez, “Glass detects these physiological indicators with a very high accuracy when compared…
-
Face video scan detects heart disease
According to University of Rochester professor Jean-Philippe Couderc, cardiac disease can be identified and diagnosed using contactless video monitoring of the face. A recent study describes technology and an algorithm that scan the face and detect skin color changes imperceptible to the naked eye. Sensors in digital cameras record the colors red, green, and blue. Hemoglobin “absorbs”…
-
50 Cent/Intel headphones combine music and health
Following Dr. Dre‘s enormously successful Beats by Dre, celebrities are entering the wearable/headphone market, combining audio with health/fitness monitoring features. Intel and rapper 50 Cent, through his SMS Audio venture, have announced a partnered to develop BioSport headphones. Their key feature is a series of biometric sensors integrated into a custom heart rate monitor. An…
-
Google Glass software provides visual feedback in surgery
A challenge in surgical training is facilitating an attending surgeon’s visual feedback to residents conducting operations. CrowdOptic‘s software lets one Google Glass wearer receive another’s point of view by looking in the other user’s direction. It is being used in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University Medical Center to improve resident training in complex…
-
Sensor seatbelt detects fatigue
HARKEN is a sensor embedded driver’s seatbelt and seat cover that monitors cardiac and respiratory rhythms. Its hidden signal processing unit analyzes the data in real time. The prototype is being developed at Spain’s Biomechanics Institute in Valencia. When the sensor data indicates the person is falling asleep, an alarm will wake the driver. Closed track testing…
-
Self powered piezoelectric pacemaker
KAIST professor Keon Jae Lee and Yonsei University professor Boyoung Joung have developed a self-powered artificial cardiac pacemaker operated semi-permanently by a flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator. The flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator directly stimulated a living rat’s heart using electrical energy converted from body movements. This could facilitate the use of self-powered flexible energy harvesters, prolonging the life of cardiac pacemakers…
-
Biometric shirt monitors astronaut vital signs
Astroskin is a prototype medical monitoring shirt and headband for astronauts that could be used to continuously monitor patients. Its sensors record and analyze the wearer’s vital signs, sleep quality and activity level. Data is relayed to medical teams on the ground to monitor a crew member’s health, behavior and performance during daily operations and…
-
Arrhythmia monitoring patch
The iRythm Zio patch is a wearable sensor used to monitor arrhythmias in cardiac patients for up to two weeks. While it is a continuous monitor, the device also has a large button on top for patients to capture symptomatic events. This is an alternative to the 24 hour Holter monitor. The FDA approved device…