Vital Signs
Equivital, a remote physiological monitoring system developed by Cambridgeshire, U.K.-based, Hildalgo Ltd, has achieved compliance with the stringent CE medical device standard ISO 13485-2003 in accordance with directive 93/42/ EEC. The system can now be used in a range of medical environments within a hospital facility or at home as part of a telehealth solution for monitoring long-term conditions such as chronic heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Manufactured by Jaltek Systems, Equivital is an ambulatory, wearable, high performance physiological system providing continuous real time visibility of an individual’s vital signs. These include heart rate, 2-lead electrocardiogram, respiration rate and effort, temperature, body position, blood oxygen saturation, impact and fall detection. Equivital can be integrated with a range of other point-in-time measurement systems including weigh scales and blood pressure monitors. The wearer’s physiological data can be communicated over a secured wireless network for viewing by a health care professional and is recorded onto an integral memory card. Extensive validation trials performed by a number of agencies including the Department of Defense have shown that Equivital’s ambulatory data recording performance is the best in its class. The system has already been implemented in a range of demanding applications and offers exciting possibilities in areas ranging from telehealth, first responder and paramedic applications, to occupational welfare, sports performance analysis and physical endurance research. The CE marking follows on from successful registration with the U.S. FDA (510k). Next Generation of Computed Defibrillator with WiFi Radiography MinXray Inc., Northbrook, Ill., has received notice from the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) that they have been selected to supply the Army with the next generation of computed radiography units. An order for a significant quantity has just been received with additional orders expected shortly. MinXray’s unit, the Vertex, won the competition during presentations at Fort Detrick, Md., and intensive environmental testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md., and Redstone Arsenal, Ala. The Vertex, featuring True Flat Path Scan, provides artifact-free images due to the unique design of the cassette and mounting of the phosphor image plate (IP). There is only one moving part in the scanner, and nothing touches the IP during the scan-and-erase procedure. The user-friendly software has been reported by customers as second to none. According to the company, the system is extremely easy to use, as the fast throughput and automatic post processing of the images provides ease of operation and speed in critical situations. The Vertex can be used on a table top or mounted to the MinXray PowerPlus portable X-ray unit and stand. Several hundred PowerPlus units are currently in service by the U.S. armed forces. Gene Mrava:
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Defibrillator with WiFi Zoll Medical Corp., a manufacturer of resuscitation devices and related software solutions, has received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration to market and sell the Zoll R Series Code-Ready clinical defibrillator with a WiFi option that allows wireless communication between the defibrillator and standard hospital networks to help ensure code-readiness and download patient data. Based on standard 802.11b WiFi technology, R Series defibrillators equipped with WiFi automatically send an alert when their state of readiness is compromised. Early notification maximizes patient safety by letting the clinician intervene before the defibrillator is needed for a code. While defibrillators rarely fail, their readiness can be compromised if someone forgets to plug it in, a cable is missing, or the electrodes are old and dried out. With WiFi, when the state of readiness is compromised, a notification identifies the contributing factors and code readiness can be restored with unmatched efficiency by troubleshooting from any PC on the hospital network. For downloading patient data, the defibrillator summary is an important part of the code, and the R Series WiFi capability simplifies merging the summary report with event documentation. “Since defibrillators are widely distributed throughout hospitals, and their use is both infrequent and extremely critical, Zoll’s technology helps ensure code readiness when they are needed for a code,” said Richard A. Packer, Zoll chairman and chief executive officer. Allan Parker:
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Remote Physiological Monitoring System
* Compiled by KMI Media Group staff