New PDA Listens To Your Heartbeat

Roland Piquepaille writes "CardioNet Inc., a company based in San Diego, has developed a wireless technology to monitor heart patients. According to this Computerworld article, the technology was 'originally developed by Qualcomm Inc. to track and send messages to large truck fleets.' CardioNet's service is initially focused on the 2 million U.S. people suffering from arrhythmia. Each patient is equipped with a PDA-type electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring device connected by a short-range wireless system to electrodes on his chest. Data is sent to his doctor via a built-in cell phone chip. More details, including a diagram and pictures showing how the system works are also available."

Comments

well

[Tirel]

I don't see a point unless this includes a tracking device.. I mean, what good is it if my doctor knows I'm dying, but doesn't know where I am??

Re:well

[in7ane]

Ahh, but better yet are the false positives when it gets disconnected etc.

I think it would be more useful for monitoring (heart beat up, irregular - shove into a database, data-mine, look for high risk 'patterns') rather than notifying people of your death.

Re:well

[Stephen Samuel]

Ahh, but better yet are the false positives when it gets disconnected etc.

It won't be a false positive for very long. When the alarm goes off, it'll give you a heart attack

(talk about mrbid humor...)

Re:well

[Anonymous Coward]

I happen to have arrhythmia. First note that there is wide variation in how arrhythmia affects people. For example, I'm not sure if this device would help me because my condition is not an extreme form of arrhythmia.

By itself, arrhythmia is not particularly serious; however, it can have serious secondary effects. Basically arrhythmia messes up the circulation of blood, which can lead to blood clots (because of pools of blood that aren't moving), which can lead to stroke, which is serious.

I'm currently on medication, which keeps my heart out of arrhythmia. However, it is possible that I occasionally go in and out of arrhythmia without knowing it. If I could establish that I'm not going into arrhythmia, then I could drop one of the medications I'm taking to lessen the chance of blood clots. This particular medication requires that I make periodic visits to a clinic to get the dose "calibrated."

Thus, the point of the device is to determine if the person being monitored is going in and out of arrhythmia and what kind of arrhythmia it is. Thus, in turn affects the treatment of the individual with respect to surgery, medication, etc.

I want one

[Exiler]

If I had one of these babies I could have it log onto IRC and AIM and inform my friends via e-mail of my death =D

Only one problem...

[dnaboy]

A lot of hospitals still require people to turn off cell phones, as they allegedly might have an effect on other equipment. Talk about valuing your own life over others...

BSD

[runderwo]

Someone use it on *BSD! Finally, we can know for sure whether it is really dying, or not!

Don't use any Microsoft programs...

[JamesP]

Clippy: It seems you're having a heart attack... Do you want me to call for help?

Bluetooth

[vevva]

Bluetooth has discovered a new device "Human Heart" - Autoconfigure (Yes/No)?

Dangerous for nerds

[rde]

Can you see the conversation between a doctor and a nerd about this?

Doctor: Now, Poindexter, I've just set this PDA up...
PDA: Thump... thump... thump...
Doctor: And I'm giving it to you.
PDA: Kathump...kathump...kathump...
Doctor: As well as the regular functions, it's got a few more...
PDA: KathumpKathumpKathump
Doctor:It records your heartbeat, for instance
PDA: KathumpityKathumpityKathumpity
Doctor: Oh. 180? That can't be right. It musn't work. Here, take this stopwatch, and sms me with your pulse every half an hour.
PDA: Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

This is a great idea for parents.

[AntiOrganic]

Just hook it up to your kid's heart, and you'll know by his increased heartrate when he's downloading porn on the thing and fapping away.

Similar story..

[Flabby Boohoo]

Friend of mine has developed software that monitor's the heartbeats of infants when they come out of delivery. This software runs on an iPaq (standard, off the shelf variety). Similar features as described in the article.

Amazing the amount of work required to get that accepted by the medical establishment.

I would imagine his solution, because it does not require special hardware (for the PDA) would be more affordable.

Can you hear me now

[GillBates0]

Each patient is equipped with a PDA-type electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring device connected by a short-range wireless system to electrodes on his chest. Data is sent to his doctor via a built-in cell phone/ chip.

Can you hear my heart beat now *dub* *dub*
Can you hear it now. *dub* *dub*
Can you hear it now. *silence*... OH MY GOD THEY KILLED KENNY
YOU BAS...Naah, just lost the signal there for a while.