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. Novartis presented to system at the Reuters Health Summit and claimed that because their device will not alter the effects of the drugs it is paired with, they could bring the IEM to market in as little as two years.
iPhone game attempts to make medical case studies fun: A new Apple Inc. (NSDQ:AAPL) iPhone and iPad game, Prognosis: Your Diagnosis, looks like a decent attempt at making clinical case studies into a fun activity. Though it’s not clear how accurate and educational the game really is, the interface and goofy screenshots can certainly provide the foundation on which to deliver great content.
iPhone app enables docs to diagnose patients with photos: UBM Medica launched PhotoClinic Mobile, an iPhone and iPad application that makes it easier for doctors to diagnose diseases through an image database. The app has images submitted by primary care clinicians that were all specially selected by ConsultantLive.com editorial staff for their teaching value and seasonality, according to the company.
iPhone app developer Physio-Control links ambulances with hospitals: Redmond, Wash.-based Medtronic Inc. (NYSE:MDT) subsidiary Physio-Control unveiled its latest move toward a smoother transmission of data between first responders and hospitals for heart patients. The company landed Food & Drug Administration 501(k) clearance for its Lifenet 5.0 system, and also entered into an agreement with San Antonio, Texas-based AirStrip Technologies, which makes an mobile application that provides a high-resolution picture of an electrocardiogram.
A weekly roundup of new developments in wireless medical technology and mHealth, by MedGadget.com.