With FDA nod, Philips adds cardiac imaging to smartphone plug-in ultrasound device

The FDA cleared Philips’ cardiac transducer for use with Lumify, the company’s smart-device diagnostic ultrasound. The new add-on brings cardiac imaging to the portable diagnostic, which already allows doctors to scan the gallbladder and lungs among other areas.

Launched a year ago, the Lumify package consists of an app and two transducers for use with an Android smartphone, as well as access to an online portal and Philips support. The app connects to the cloud, where clinicians may access data and images through Philips’ HealthSuite Digital Platform. In addition to cardiac and abdominal scanning, Lumify also offers OB/GYN and focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) examinations.

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J&J to create new Texas center to develop ‘breakthrough’ med tech

Johnson & Johnson is pulling out all the stops in its efforts to turn around its medical devices business. After a restructuring early this year, the J&J medical device business actually grew--albeit only by 0.7%--to $6.2 billion last quarter.

The pharma's arm that invests in new technology, Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JJI), is doing its bit to try to help encourage the success of those efforts in the long term. It’s creating the new Center for Device Innovation at the Texas Medical Center (TMC) in Houston, which is intended to enable the entire process of creating “breakthrough” medical devices, the company said.

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Newcastle University testing wearable to restore hand, arm function in stroke survivors

Newcastle University is testing a wearable device in partially paralyzed stroke patients to see if it can restore hand and arm function.

The device, about the size of a mobile phone, strengthens connections between the brain and spinal cord by delivering electrical shocks to the arm and making audible clicks, according to a statement. The treatment is delivered via a pad on the arm and an earpiece. The clicks and electrical stimulation are delivered continuously.

"We think that if they wear this for 4 hours a day we will be able to see a permanent improvement in their extensor muscle connections which will help them gain control on their hand,” said Stuart Baker, a professor of movement neuroscience at Newcastle University, in the statement.

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Does wearable tech help people recover from a stroke? It's not as simple as "yes" or "no"

A systematic review has been published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) entitled "The Effectiveness of Lower-Limb Wearable Technology for Improving Activity and Participation in Adult Stroke Survivors: A Systematic Review". 

The review was conducted by a team from the University of Sheffield: Miss Lauren Powell, Dr Jack Parker, Dr Marrissa Martyn-St James and Professor Sue Mawson.

It has found that there are a number of trials looking at the use of wearable technology to help stroke survivors improve the function of their lower limbs and many of these trials have found that their technologies, surprisingly don't improve function. This authors believe this is for a number of reasons including studies not testing their product on a large enough number of people, not using the correct methodology, the variety of stroke severity in participants and using outcome measures to test functionality incorrectly. In other words, it could be that these wearable technologies do improve function in people post stroke, but because some of the studies have been measuring function incorrectly and not using an appropriate methodologies, their findings gave the impression that they do not improve function.

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Validic, Sutter Health partner on patient-generated data in federal pilot program

Sutter Health is teaming up with digital health player Validic to investigate the best way to deliver patient-generated health data to caregivers and researchers. Their findings will help shape government policy and determine how industry will treat patient-collected data.

There is a proliferation of wearables, mobile apps and clinical in-home devices that remotely gather patient data. And while this vast volume of data can help patients and physicians manage their conditions and diseases, it still needs a “proven method” delivery into electronic health records, Validic said in a statement.

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How Wearable Technology Is Transforming the Insurance Industry in the USA

Infographic created by Life Insurance Post illustrates how wearable technology is impacting the insurance industry in the USA including its effects and benefits for consumers. 

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Toyota developing wearable device to improve mobility for the blind

Toyota, yes, the car company, is developing a wearable device to improve mobility among the blind.

It will be worn around the shoulders, and contain cameras that monitor the user's surroundings and communicate information through speakers and vibration motors, the company says.

Also planned are object identification and facial recognition technologies. And the device will be compatible with smartphones thanks to Bluetooth, according to the initiative's website.

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New Wearable Sensors Know What’s in Your Sweat

In the not-so-distant future, your activity tracker or smart watch may be able to get a much better picture of your health by measuring the chemical components of your sweat. Researchers built a flexible, wearable sensor that can track the level of several different substances in your sweat.

A group of researchers has developed a flexible, wearable band filled with sensors that can track sodium, potassium, glucose, and lactate, along with the temperature of the skin. The data is collected and sent to a flexible electronic board that processes it, and from there it’s sent to a smartphone app via Bluetooth.

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A $40,000 Robotic Exoskeleton Lets the Paralyzed Walk

A robotic exoskeleton is now available for around $40,000. The suit returns movement to wearers’ hips and knees with small motors attached to standard orthotics. Wearers can control the movement of each leg and walk at up to 1.1 miles per hour by pushing buttons integrated into a pair of crutches. Still pricier than motorized wheelchairs, SuitX’s Phoenix exoskeleton weighs just 27 pounds and is custom-fit to the user’s body.

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FDA nod for LifeWatch wireless, patch-based vital signs monitoring system

Swiss remote diagnostic monitoring company LifeWatch has secured a clearance from the FDA for its wireless, patch-based vital signs monitoring system. It's expected to be used first in medical facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes, but eventually the company expects to target the ambulatory care market as well.

The Vital Signs Patch is worn on a patient's upper chest. In adult patients in a clinical environment, it offers continuous, noninvasive monitoring of ECG, heart rate, respiration rate, surface temperature, arterial blood oxygen saturation and body position. It will be available in two versions, with and without the ECG component.

 

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