Medical Device Market News

Device Makers Sponsors Bill To Reimburse for Telemedicine Applications

Thu, 8 Nov 2007 10:41:45 -0600

The Advanced Medical Technology Association is endorsing a Senate-pending legislation that would require Medicare to reimburse physicians for remotely monitoring patients with chronic diseases. The bill, currently being drafted and discussed by the Senate Finance Committee, is the most aggressive effort from the law makers on telehealth technology, although the proposed coverage has been scale back to accommodate concerns about the added technology costs.

Philips and WebVMC Get CAHSAH GPO Contract

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 10:20:30 -0500

The California Association for Health Services at Home (CAHSAH), a leading home care association acting as a group purchasing organization (GPO) for its members in the western United State, recently selected Philips and WebVMC to participate as its GPO telehealth vendors for remote patient monitoring services. Member companies will receive a discount through this program and CAHSAH receive a royalty as part of the deal.

Wireless Technology Sees Expanded Use in the Health Care Industry

Sun, 1 Jul 2007 10:00:00 -0500

The Economist reported on April 27, 2007 that as costs decrease and the technology improves, using wireless technology in health care has become more feasible. The article mentioned several companies with devices that can be ingested, implanted or attached to the body. Those novel devices include Israel-based Given Imaging's swallowable camera for gastro-intestinal endoscopy test, Medtronic's implantable defibrillator, and Sensors for Medicine and Science's subcutaneously implantable glucose sensors. The Economist cited lack of proven business model as a barrier to the adoption of these new technologies and devices.

Philips and National Association for Home Care Fund a National Study on the Future of Technology and Telehealth in Home Care

Sun, 1 Jul 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Philips and National Association for Home Care announced on April 25, 2007 their sponsorship of an industry survey on the state of technology and telehealth in the home care market. The survey will be conducted using a representative sample approach with more than four hundred home care leaders in the country. The results will be analyzed and presented at the National Association of Home Careâs National Meeting in October 2007 and disseminated to agencies throughout the country via state and national association networks. Fazzi Associates will administer the research and report findings.

BeWell Mobile Received Funding from Qualcomm

Sun, 1 Jul 2007 10:00:00 -0500

BeWell Mobile announced on April 25, 2007 that Qualcomm awarded the company a $100,000 grant as part of the technology giantâs Wireless Reach BREW Application Funding Program. The program, part of Qualcommâs Wireless Reach initiative, challenges companies to create the most innovative BREW public service application in one of five areas including healthcare, and has a total of $1 million in fund. BeWell, a San Francisco start-up, offers two applications: Asthma Assistant and Diabetes Assistant. According to Dr. Peter Boland, BeWellâs director of corporate development, the two applications can be adapted to a broad range of uses in health and wellness, medical research, preventive care and chronic disease management.

Health Buddy TV Debuts in Europe

Sun, 1 Jul 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Health Hero Network, a U.S. -based manufacturer of remote health monitoring technology, unveiled a product that will allow patients manage their illness by communicating with their healthcare providers via an interactive television interface. Health Buddy TV will allow people with chronic diseases to access Health Hero's Health Buddy care management system through a set-top box and a broadband cable television connection. Health Hero is launching the product in the Netherlands through its international partner Sananet B.V., a healthcare IT company based in Heerlen, Netherlands. The Dutch homecare organization Meavita is the first healthcare provider to use Health Buddy TV. Meavita intends to employ the technology to monitor diabetes patients across the Netherlands.

Mobile Phones to Help Patients Monitor Health

Sun, 1 Jul 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Researchers at Leeds University in England are developing a mobile phone that can check patients' vital signs and glucose and blood oxygen levels. The device then transmits the patient information to a remote computer so physicians or nurses can analyze the data and inform the patient if there are any problems, BBC News reported on April 18, 2007. The phone could help patients with chronic health conditions reduce the number of visits to their physicians, according to the university. A prototype of the phone will be tested in May on research volunteers to determine if any improvements are necessary before conducting a larger trial in 2008.

Draeger Medical's TeleSmart ECG and SpO2 Monitor Gets FDA Clearance

Sun, 1 Jul 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Draeger Medical won FDA 510k clearance for its new Infinity TeleSmart system featuring a compact device capable of monitoring ECG and SpO2, the company announced on April 4, 2007. TeleSmart provides the performance of a full-size patient monitor, packaged in a compact patient-worn telemetry device for adult and pediatric patients. Built-in ACE (Arrhythmia Classification Expert) and pacer detection algorithms enhance ECG processing and reduce false alarms.

CardioMems Successfully Implants Wireless Blood Pressure Sensor in Trial

Sun, 1 Jul 2007 10:00:00 -0500

CardioMems announced on March 29 that its wireless hypertension sensor was successfully trialed in a study in which patients received implant just below the surface of the skin above their radial artery using a minimally invasive procedure. The sensor is designed to allow for a precise and accurate measurement of systemic blood pressure using the CardioMems proprietary electronics module. Following the procedure, the sensor and electronics are designed to allow for additional blood pressure measurements to be taken by the patients at home and to transmit the data wirelessly to a secure database where it will become available for review on CardioMems' patient management website. The wireless hypertension sensor and the related electronics are being evaluated as part of a clinical trial and are not approved for marketing.

SHL Telemedicine Introduces New Portable ECG transmitter

Sun, 1 Jul 2007 10:00:00 -0500

SHL Telemedicine on March 29, 2007 announced market availability of its CardioSenâC personal cellular-digital 12 lead ECG transmitter for the purpose of remote real time diagnosis of arrhythmia, ischemia, and myocardial infarction. The ECG is then analysed by the medical professionals at SHLâs medical call centre and together with a clinical description given by the patient provide the medical professionals with the data needed to diagnose the situation and provide medical assistance, if necessary. This telemedicine service can help to drastically reduce morbidity and mortality rates following an acute myocardial infarction or other severe cardiac incidents.

Movea Develops Wireless Motion Detection Application for the Healthcare Industry

Sun, 1 Jul 2007 10:00:00 -0500

France-based CEA-Leti spin-off Movea unveiled on March 29 a technology that can measure the joint extension of a patient (goniometry). The technology can be embedded in a wristwatch form factor, hence providing the therapist with an objective gesture assessment of the patient. The company intends to commercialize the technology to support health care professionals for at-home rehabilitation of a patient, early detection of abnormal behavior, sleep analysis and many other services that can assess health status of a person in his/her daily activities.

RTX Healthcare Debuts new RTX3370 Telehealth Monitor at Med-e-Tel

Sun, 1 Jul 2007 10:00:00 -0500

RTX Healthcare launched the new RTX3370 Telehealth Monitor in late March at the Med-e-Tel conference. The RTX3370 engages the patients through personalized daily interactions and questionnaires while collecting vital signs. The vital signs, such as weight, blood pressure and blood glucose information, are transmitted seamlessly via Bluetooth, InfraRed or RS232 from industry standard wired or wireless peripheral biomedical devices to the RTX3370. Other unique features of the RTX3370 Telehealth Monitor include a large easy to read color display, simple bottoms and speaker for vocalization of the patient dialogue. Swiss Centre for Telemedicine Medgate, a provider of disease management and telehealth services, is among the first customers to integrate the RTX3370 into their portfolio of telehealth offerings.

FDA Panel Rejects Medtronics Chronicle

Sun, 1 Apr 2007 10:00:00 -0500

An FDA panel comprised of outside medical advisers on March 2, 2007, rejected a first-of-its-kind wireless device for monitoring heart-failure patients, arguing that the possible benefits of the device did not outweigh the risk of surgery to implant it, the Wall Street Journal reports. The panel voted 9-2 to recommend that FDA not approve Medtronic's hemodynamic monitor, called the Chronicle. The device measures heart rate, heart pressure and body temperature, and then wirelessly sends the data via the Internet to a physician's office for monitoring. A Medtronic clinical study of 274 patients found that the Chronicle reduced combined "endpoints" related to heart failure -- hospitalizations and ED and urgent care visits -- by 22%, although the decrease was not considered statistically significant. However, the study found a 41% reduction among patients with moderately advanced heart failure who received the Chronicle. The panel, did agree with FDA that the device is safe.

FDA Approves New Medtronic Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices for Children and Teenagers

Sun, 1 Apr 2007 10:00:00 -0500

While Medtronic suffered a setback for its implantable heart monitoring device, it won the FDA approval on March 12, 2007, of its new real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices for children and teenagers ages 7-17. Previously approved for only adult patients, Medtronics CGM will soon be available in specifically designed pediatric models of the MiniMed Paradigm® REAL-Time System and Guardian® REAL-Time System. Clinical studies have shown that the device can reduce the duration of hypoglycemic events, and lower HbA1c levels by as much as two percentage points. This is significant because as much as 60 percent of hypoglycemic events go undetected by current glucose monitoring standards, and for every one percentage point drop in HbA1c, there is a 35 percent reduction in diabetes-related complications like blindness, amputation and organ failure.

Study Finds Cardiac Loop Event Recorder Less Effective in Detecting Cardiac Arrhythmias than Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry

Sun, 1 Apr 2007 10:00:00 -0500

The March issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology published a recently completed multicenter, peer-reviewed study that compared the effectiveness of two ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring systems in detecting arrhythmias, a condition in which a persons heartbeat is abnormal. The results found that cardiac arrhythmias, one of the most common yet potentially dangerous heart conditions affecting more than four million Americans, often go undetected despite medical monitoring, resulting in more than 780,000 hospitalizations and contributing to approximately 500,000 deaths each year. This finding is based on a study design that involved three hundred patients from 17 cardiology practices with symptoms suggestive of a cardiac arrhythmia and with previous negative or inconclusive 24-hour Holter monitoring or 24-hours of telemetry. Patients were randomized to either a new technology called Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry (MCOT) or to a cardiac loop event recorder. The results of the study showed that MCOT was almost three times more effective detecting and diagnosing clinically significant arrhythmias compared to the frequently prescribed cardiac loop event recorder.

WebVMC Retains Provident Healthcare Partners to Explore Strategies of Expanding the Market for Virtual Disease Management Solution

Sun, 1 Apr 2007 10:00:00 -0500

WebVMC hired Provident Healthcare Partners, a middle-market investment banking and advisory firm, to provide strategic consultancy services in support of WebVMCs growth in the rapidly expanding field of virtual medical care. According to the company executive, WebVMC has achieved significant growth since inception and continues to set record sales levels month over month.

TI Designs New Chip for Wireless Medical Devices

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Texas Instruments announced on Feb 16, 2007 volume availability of the MSP430FG461x series of ultra-low power micro-processor chips, designed for today's larger system memory requirements and allows for the development of very sophisticated real-time applications in the medical business. Medical customers indicate that the FG461x MCU series meets the requirements of portable medical devices like digital pulse oximeters and wireless electrocardiograms that require highly integrated intelligent peripherals and larger memory options on a single chip.

ALR Technologies to Collaborate with PageMinder to Serve Medicaid Asthma Compliance Program in Missouri

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0500

ALR Technologies, Inc. announced on Feb 14 that PageMinder, Inc., a health compliance services company based in Nevada, MO, is kicking off their program to provide specialized disease management services to a population of Missouri Medicaid asthma patients. ALR Technologies' compliance reminder and monitoring system, the Constant Health Companion, will be utilized in this new program designed to keep people healthier and to reduce overall cost of care. In a 2005 Missouri Medicaid study, Medicaid costs were shown to be lower for diabetes patients, by $3,416 annually per enrollee, using a compliance reminder system.

Cardiocom Introduces Commander Cellular Telehealth Device

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Cardiocom LLC announced on Feb 12, 2007 the release of its new Commander Cellular home monitoring device for individuals with chronic high risk diseases such as congestive heart failure, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe asthma. It is an enhancement to Cardiocom's FDA-registered Class II Commander home telemonitoring system, which has been in use since 2002. Commander Cellular includes an integrated cellular modem and uses GPRS technology to transmit objective health data to Cardicoms Omnivisor(tm) disease management software system. This detailed patient data can be accessed daily by nurses who are monitoring the patients health status.

VeriChips RFID Chip Featured in Pilot Study of Alzheimer's Patients

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Alzheimer's Community Care in West Palm Beach, Fla., announced on Feb 22, 2007 that it would perform a two-year study to test the use of implantable radio frequency identification chips developed by VeriChip in the management of Alzheimer's patients' medical records. The voluntary study will look at 200 Alzheimer's patients and caregivers who have the microchip implanted in them so that physicians can access their electronic health records. Each chip has a 16-digit identification number that links the physician to the appropriate medical record in the vendor's secured database.
The EHRs will include patients' Alzheimer's diagnosis, related medications, caregiver contact information and other data. Emergency physicians will be able to scan the patient with an RFID reader to identify the chip's unique number and access the EHR, Health Data Management reports.

Medick Healthcare Embeds Neural Network Software inside Personal ECG

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0500

U.K.-based Medick Healthcare launched the MHM 100 personal ECG monitor that is capable of detecting a wide range of potentially serious arrhythmias such as tachycardia (including VT), bradycardia, atrial and ventricular ectopics, pauses, and AF, as well as ST segment depression events. It provides access to a cardiology centre via the Internet which analyses and overviews the reports generated by the monitor all from the patients home. The MHM 100 costs 50p a day for six expert analyses per year. The monitor is also ideal for those concerned about their partner or a family member who may be at risk from cardiovascular disease.

Mobile Bluetooth Blood Glucose Meter Venture Formed

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0500

BodyTel Scientific, a company focused on the development of wireless healthcare products, has entered into a 50/50 Joint Venture with Safe-com, a German company, to market state-of-the-art monitoring products and services to diabetic patients under the brand name "GlucoTel." The company will be engaged in the research, development and commercialization of a blood glucose meter capable of transmitting data from a diabetic patient to a secure database using Bluetooth and cellular phone technology. GlucoTel's device is a small, easy to read meter which wirelessly monitors patients with diabetes.

Signalife Brings Technology to the Fitness Industry

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Signalife announced on January 18, 2007 that Golds Gym in Venice Beach, California started testing its Fidelity 100, a module as part of a heart monitor system to acquire, amplify, and process physiological signals associated with a patients cardiovascular system. The test is available for all members of the Venice Beach Golds Gym facility and is conducted numerous times daily for a fee. The protocol for the cardiac screening exam has been established and evaluated by physicians in the area that also monitor the results for the clientele.

LifeSync Receives $17.2 million in Funding

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0500

GMP Companies raised $17.2 million through a Series A-1 Convertible Preferred Stock private placement for LifeSync Corporation, its fully-owned subsidiary dedicated to the continued development, marketing and sale of the LifeSync Wireless System, a wireless electrocardiogram (ECG) data communication application. The LifeSync System can be used in hospital and outpatient settings where cardiac ECG and respiration monitoring are required. The LifeSync System is based on Bluetooth technology and interfaces with existing patient monitoring equipment to allow healthcare facilities to monitor patients wirelessly. The system is used with LifeSync LeadWear disposable products which replace traditional reusable lead wires. The LifeSync System offers several clinical benefits including significantly increased accuracy of patient alarms and decreased risk to patients of hospital acquired infections. The Company believes the LifeSync System, when used in conjunction with existing patient monitoring systems, is the new standard for ECG monitoring.

Medtronic Initiated Connect Trial, Bringing Remote Monitoring Capability to the Market