Antenna Now Available for MICS Band
Antenna Factor's Splatch embeddable antenna is now available in the Medical Implant Communication Service (MICS) frequency band. The antenna is centered at 403 MHz and designed to cover from 402 to 405 MHz, making it well suited for MICS as well as a wide variety of general RF applications.

By utilizing a proprietary grounded-line technique, the Splatch performs in a compact surface mount package. It exhibits good stability in proximity to objects and persons. The antenna is RoHS compliant and designed for hand or automated assembly. It measures 1.1 inches long by 0.5 inches wide by 0.062 inches in height, exhibits a 50-ohm characteristic impedance and has a typical VSWR of less than 1.9.

VivoMetrics Releases Smart Garment that Delivers Real-time Vital Signs Remotely to Healthcare Providers
VivoMetrics, Inc., a leading innovator in remote patient monitoring (RPM), has completed its first complete prototype of the next generation LifeShirt for the remote monitoring of patients’ vital signs by healthcare professionals. The new LifeShirt has significant advantages over currently available monitoring technologies, simplifying the way in which key vital sign data is collected and transmitted to remote care providers. The system also provides a more complete understanding of patient health status by continuously collecting and fusing multiple vital signs into a validated, actionable health index—helping transform healthcare through the practical realization of telemedicine.

The next generation LifeShirt incorporates sensor technology and wireless data transmission into a lightweight, comfortable “smart garment” that eliminates the need for patients to operate multiple, discrete monitoring devices at specific times or to manually transmit vital sign data to those remotely managing their care. The system will passively and continuously collect electrocardiogram (ECG), respiratory, and temperature data in context with posture and activity levels and automatically transmit that data via cellular networks or Bluetooth to their healthcare providers.

VivoMetrics’ new LifeShirt will nearly eliminate patients’ involvement in their own vital sign monitoring, requiring the user to simply wear the garment.

The first integrated prototypes of the new LifeShirt have been assembled and tested, and VivoMetrics expects to begin collecting clinical data later this year.

Continua Health Alliance Selects Bluetooth Low Energy Technology for Design Guidelines
Continua Health Alliance has selected Bluetooth wireless technology. Once finalized, Continua will include the upcoming Bluetooth low energy wireless technology specification in Version Two of its Continua Health Alliance Design Guidelines. The selection of Bluetooth low energy technology extends the current Continua standard for the Bluetooth Health Device Profile, the only wireless technology specification included in Continua’s Version One Design Guidelines.

Bluetooth low energy technology is a power efficient, short-range, wireless technology that offers connectivity between mobile devices and small, battery powered devices such as watches, emergency pendants and health and fitness sensors. Bluetooth low energy technology features low power consumption, small size and low cost, and integration in mobile phones, all providing Continua a reliable solution to enable mobile devices for a wide range of personal telehealth audiences.

Chosen over several other wireless technologies after a rigorous 10-month review process, Bluetooth technology was selected to enable low power mobile devices such as activity monitors and heart rate sensors to be used to monitor a user’s health and fitness levels.

The radio selection process was conducted by members of the Continua Low Power Radio Sub-Team, the Continua Technical Working Group and the Continua Board of Directors. All teams were aided by experts from the technology and health care industries-at-large, as well as guided by research conducted by an independent third party analysis firm. A rigorous process was employed over the course of 10 months to select from many outstanding technologies. After consideration of required power levels, cell phone ubiquity, required range, and anticipated market penetration, Bluetooth technology was chosen to satisfy the required use cases.

Research and Markets: Fundamentals of WiMAX in Healthcare Revealed
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "WiMAX in Healthcare" report to its offering. WiMAX in healthcare can be reduced to a discussion of the "3 A's": access, applications and affordability. This simple methodology explains the advantages of WiMAX in healthcare. In order to make universal healthcare coverage affordable, the US will have to make universal broadband a reality. Patients or healthcare professionals attempting to transfer an X-ray from one office to another are frequently reduced to copying the image to CD-ROM and hand carrying or mailing the image to the distant office.

Wireless Telehealth Products Contribute to Major Cost-Savings and Optimal Patient Care
Ideal Life, Inc. and home care agency Bayada Nurses, Inc. have announced that hospitalizations for patients using Ideal Life’s remote health management products for CHF and hypertension have decreased 40 to 60 percent since the program began in September 2007. The clinical results were so favorable that Bayada Nurses, one of the nation’s largest home health providers, has expanded use of the Ideal Life system across offices in Pennsylvania, Arizona and New Jersey.

Participating patients monitored their daily weight fluctuations - a key indicator of heart failure - and blood pressure using both a Bluetooth-enabled digital weight scale (the Ideal Life Body Manager) and a blood pressure monitor (the Ideal Life BP-Manager). The wireless telemedicine devices easily and automatically store and send health information to designated medical professionals, enabling them to make timely decisions that can prevent unnecessary hospital stays. Bayada staff also found that Ideal Life’s products provided opportunities for “teachable moments” with their patients, especially when symptoms were most acute.

July 11-15
2009 NADONA/LTC National Conference,
Phoenix, Ariz.