Category: mHealth

  • Update:  Samsung increases health applications with Gear 2 watch, Gear Fit, Galaxy S5

    Update: Samsung increases health applications with Gear 2 watch, Gear Fit, Galaxy S5

    Samsung has updated its devices as it tries to establish dominance in the health and fitness tracking market. Its Gear 2 watch is now based on Samsung’s Tizen operating system rather than Android. It includes an accelerometer and gyroscope – capable of acting as a pedometer and an optical heart rate monitor. This allows the watch…

  • Apple patents health monitoring earbuds

    Apple patents health monitoring earbuds

    United States Patent 8655004 As the sensor based health monitoring market continues to expand, the USPTO on has granted Apple a patent for a biometric headphone system. By positioning the headset in or near the ear, an embedded activity sensor can measure temperature, perspiration and heart rate data, among other metrics.  In addition to skin-based…

  • Sensors detect radiation complications early, at home

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24395986 Susan Peterson and colleagues at MD Anderson have completed a feasibility study showing that equipping head and neck cancer patients with home-based sensors can identify dehydration during radiation treatment. Physicians reviewed patients’ information daily using CYCORE (CYberinfrastructure for COmparative Effectiveness REsearch), a software-based platform to collect and manage data from multiple systems through a suite of home-based and…

  • Smart contact lens prototype to monitor glucose

    Smart contact lens prototype to monitor glucose

    http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/introducing-our-smart-contact-lens.html Google is testing a smart contact lens that’s built to measure glucose levels in tears.  It uses a tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material. The prototype can generate a reading once per second. They are investigating the potential of integrating tiny LED lights that…

  • Sony’s “SmartWig” can monitor and transmit health data

    US Patent Office Sony has submitted a patent application for a health monitoring “SmartWig.”  It can include a GPS and camera placed near the forehead. Users can receive vibrating feedback on specific parts of their head.  A laser pointer and remote can be controlled by the head’s movement. An ultrasound transducer could transmit or receive…

  • Printable, multi-touch sensors consumers can cut with scissors

    http://embodied.mpi-inf.mpg.de/files/2012/11/ACuttableMultiTouchSensor.pdf Max Planck Institute researchers and the MIT Media Lab have developed printable, multi-touch sensors that are printed with e-ink and can be cut with scissors.  A new circuit layout makes it robust against cuts, damage, and removed areas.  By customizing and pasting such a sensor, one can make every surface interactive, including the wristband…

  • Ambient Assisted Living system monitors senior health at home

    http://www.theengineer.co.uk/medical-and-healthcare/news/wireless-system-provides-ambient-health-monitoring-of-elderly/1017120.article One outcome of the EU’s support of Ambiant Assistant Living is the following multi-bio-marker home monitoring device which continuously monitors glucose, cholesterol and blood oxygen levels.  It is expected that several similar monitors will be introduced in the near future, enabling seniors to better manage various diseases at home. Fraunhofer FIT has developed an…

  • Mayo Clinic studies step tracking data as a post-surgery monitoring tool

    http://www.annalsthoracicsurgery.org/article/S0003-4975(13)01253-8/fulltext Mayo Clinic has published a study using step recording from a  Fitbit activity tracker to monitor recovery in cardiac surgery patients and help hospitals determine the appropriate length of stay.  Those who had the shortest hospital stay walked the most on all days in the study, by a statistically significant margin. Likewise, patients bound for home walked…

  • Non-invasive EEG ear device to detect seizures

    http://www.technologyreview.com/news/518356/device-could-spot-seizures-by-reading-brainwaves-through-the-ear/ Danilo Mandic at Imperial College in London has developed an EEG device that can be worn inside the ear, like a hearing aid.  It will enable scientists to record EEGs for several days at a time,  allowing doctors to monitor patients who have recurring problems such as seizures or microsleep. By nestling the EEG inside…

  • Crowdfunded breast exam sensor and software

    http://eclipsebreasthealth.com Eclipse Breast Health Technologies has launched a crowdfunding campaign to test and eventually bring to market a wireless sensor meant to aid in the early detection of breast cancer and the tracking of patients being treated for the disease.  The campaign is meant to support the company as it goes through the FDA approval process.…

  • Personalized robot companion for seniors

    http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=OFFR_TM_EN&ACTION=D&RCN=11525 A European consortium of research institutes, universities and technology companies has developed a highly customizable robot companion to help seniors to maintain their quality of life, stay healthy and avoid social exclusion. The robot, a mobile wheeled semi-humanoid figure equipped with cameras, sensors, audio, and a touch screen interface, can remind users to take their…

  • Elfi-Tech – non-invasive sensor captures more meaningful health data

    http://elfi-tech.com Elfi-Tech of Israel, led by Dr. Ilya Fine,  has disrupted digital healthcare.  They are the only Israeli finalist in the Nokia XCHALLENGE competition, which “envisions a future of access to affordable, personalized healthcare through sophisticated sensing technologies”.  The company has developed a sensor that is more suitable as a continuous monitor with minimal discomfort.…