The Medical Device Business Journal — Medical Device News & Articles | MassDevice
Epocrates Inc. acquired Modality Inc. of Durham, N.C., for $13.8 million in cash.
Modality develops digital learning, assessment, training and reference applications for Apple iPad, iPhone and iPhone Touch mobile devices. Its acquisition will expand San Mateo, Calif.-based Epocrates’ product portfolio and Apple app-development workforce.
A microchip a day might keep the doctor away: Novartis AG, using technology licensed from Proteus Biomedical, is currently developing the Ingestible Event Marker, a specialized microchip which the company plans to add to pills. When a patient ingests an IEM-enhanced pill, their stomach acids activate the microchip, which then sends data such as heart rate, temperature, and body movements to a dermal patch via Bluetooth connectivity. This patch can then export the data to an EMR, so that it can be accessed by the patient’s doctors.
An emergency response training company owned by Cleveland, Ohio private equity firm The Riverside Co. purchased a developer of smartphone applications that feature emergency care instructions.
Oregon-based Health & Safety Institute has added GoToAID of North Carolina for an undisclosed amount, according to Riverside. The PE firm purchased HSI as a “platform company” in 2006 and has added to it a number of emergency education providers.
Medtronic gives away 4,500 iPads: Christmas came early this year at Medtronic Inc. (NYSE:MDT). The Fridley, Minn.-based medical device behemoth bought 4,500 Apple Inc. (NSDQ:AAPL) iPads for its employees, but the devices are intended for work, unfortunately. Think sales reps showing video and product information to doctors and hospitals, said Medtronic spokesman Brian Henry.
Portable breast scanner enables docs to detect tumors instantly: Professor Zhipeng Wu at the University of Manchester has developed a radiofrequency scanner to be used for real-time breast tumor detection. Unlike traditional mammography, which relies on the varying X-ray attenuation properties of tissues to produce image contrast, the portable scanner uses radiofrequency waves to perform complex permittivity mapping of tissue.
Manipulate bones with help from your mobile phone: Did you give a nursemaid’s elbow to your two-year-old and don’t know how to put the elbow back? There is an application for that.
Eyetracking device to keep drivers awake: While some car manufacturers already offer systems which can alert drivers who are dozing off, the feature is rare, and tends to be quite expensive when offered. Now, researchers at the Ilmenau, Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology have developed the Eyetracker, which provides this functionality at a lower cost and can be installed in any car. The Eyetracker’s cameras track the driver’s eyes, and the system will sound an alert if it determines that the driver is falling asleep.
Android app helps blind navigate: When smartphones started featuring large touch, beautiful screens, few thought that these devices would be useful to the blind. It turns out, however, that all the technology inside the devices can come together to provide quite a bit of independence for those that can’t see. Two new Android apps have been released to help the visually impaired navigate new environments on their own.
Track your medical devices with your iPhone: Tracking medical devices from manufacturer, through distribution and on to end users is an inventory nightmare. Enter Jacksonville, Fla.-based Medical Tracking Solutions and its iTraycer app. The patented, mobile, medical pinning and tracking solution provides real-time tracking of medical trays, devices and biologics, including part and lot numbers, from manufacturer to patient. The app lets you locate, search and pin tray, device or biologic using the iPhone’s GPS capability. The app also provides real-time inventory and recall information and comes with a customizable back-office web suite for medical organizations and authorized field reps.
Nonin Medical launches wrist-worn wireless-enabled pulse oximeter: Nonin Medical is releasing a new wrist-worn pulse oximeter called the WristOx2 that can transmit recorded readings via Bluetooth to your computer or smartphone. The device can store 270 hours of readings at 1 second resolution for later analysis by a physician, according to the company.
Driving an iPhone with a wheelchair joystick: Christchurch, New Zealand-based Dynamic Controls developed a system by which wheelchair users can control their iPhone using the chair’s joystick. Additionally, the iPhone can display important information about the wheelchair, such as the battery charge state, speed, seat adjustment, and heading direction, according to the company.
