This month, we found not one, not two, but three medical
monitoring stories that are perfect to share with you. There’s a little bit of
cute, a little bit of serious, and BigFoot (you’ll have to read on to find
out). Equipment like our alarms
have ties to the medical industry, and it’s important to us that we can play
some role, however comparatively minor, in affecting people’s lives.
Without further ado, we’ll get that BigFoot
story out of the way. No hairy apes here, but rather a catchy name for
innovative software that can play a huge role for people with chronic foot
pain. All that’s needed is the downloadable program, and a regular flatbed
scanner. Through scanning the foot, the software can detect any visual
anomalies on the bottom of the foot that may signal complications from,
especially, diabetes. Problems with the feet can often lead to problems
elsewhere in the body, so this program is an important first step.
Researchers have developed a medical
monitoring chip that’s disposable and can fit on a bandage, allowing for
easier long-term monitoring of things like pulse, heart rate, perspiration, and
temperature. Imagine wearing something the size of a postage stamp for a month,
and ending up with unprecedented data about how your body operates. The health
implications are quite major, for everyone from dementia patients to those
trying to lose weight. Aside from that, however, perhaps the best part is how
it’s powered: via the tiny amounts of RF frequency emitted by your cell phone.
We’ve saved “cute” for last. Very few adults like wearing
medical monitors or electrodes for tests or other monitoring, especially for
any long period of time. For kids, it’s just about unimaginable. One person
hopes to change that with this
smiley-face sensor/monitor that’s actually applied like a temporary tattoo,
albeit one with electrodes in it. Beyond just a fun appearance, the tiny size
and strong adhesion from the design keep the monitors in place – a breakthrough
on its own, and relevant to all patients, not just kids.
