Coming soon: Touchscreen phones for the blind: Toshiba has been showing off new tactile feedback technology, originally developed by Senseg of Helsinki, Finland, that produces what feels like texture using a transparent electric surface layered on top of the screen. There’s actually no moving parts at all. If proven effective, this should allow for Braille on smartphones and input selection without even looking at the screen.

HealthFrontier launches ecgAnywhere monitor: Branchburg, N.J.-based HealthFrontier launched its ecgAnywhere portable ECG monitor. The device can record a 12-lead ECG in real time and can display readings on its built-in LCD screen. The ecgAnywhere can also interface with HealthFrontier’s Remote Health Monitoring System; ECG data uploaded to RHMS is stored in a secure online database which allows the patient’s physician to remotely access the data.

Panasonic upgrades Toughbooks used for healthcare: The Panasonic Toughbook 52 and T8, used by some in the clinical environment due to their eponymous toughness, are being upgraded by the manufacturer for improved speed, storage and connectivity.

The Wii in medicine: Heady days for the Wii in medicine: Not only is the American Heart Assn.’s endorsement of Wii and new partnership with Nintendo making waves, but Trauma Team for Wii was released May 18. After years of Trauma Center releases focusing on surgery, this is the first offering that lets gamers delve into emergency and pre-hospital care. Of course, the game runs counter to standard teachings (in one demo video, we saw a practitioner abandon her airway procedures to tend to an abdominal wound…) and is at least as unrealistic as prior offerings, but then again, if we wanted more accuracy, we could just go to work…

A weekly roundup of new developments in wireless medical technology and mHealth, by MedGadget.com.