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Remote monitoring of health conditions |
Zurich, October 31, 2003—IBM researchers, working with
medical device manufacturers and mobile phone handset manufacturers,
have created a unique solution to track vital health signs.
The IBM technology, if adopted, could help limit a patient's health
risk, increase his or her comfort level, reduce the number of check
ups as well as time spent in hospital and enhance the effectiveness
of pharmaceutical field tests. The solution includes a so-called
"pill box" and a home-based blood pressure monitor that
resembles a large wrist watch.
Left: Mark of Fitness MF-77 blood pressure monitor
and Bang & Olufsen IDAS II patient compliance device, both modified
by IBM Engineering & Technology Services to operate with Bluetooth,
along with the Sony Ericsson P900 cell phone serving as the communications
hub, running software developed by IBM Research. The patient measurements
are viewed in real time via a standard Web browser, running here on
an IBM Thinkpad laptop computer.
The new prototypes build on existing devices available today through
specialist suppliers and diagnostics companies. The enhancements
make it possible for the devices to transmit secure, untampered
patient data through a mobile phone to an Internet portal and to
the doctors and nurses monitoring the patient.
The wristband blood pressure monitoring device, that can also check
other vital signs such as heart rate, is activated by simply pressing
a button. Blood pressure readings, for example, are gathered from
one or more sensors via Bluetooth short-range radio connection.
Once transmitted, secure access ensures only authorized medical
personnel see the patient's data. If an unusual reading comes through,
either a reminder can be sent to the patient to take his or her
medication or a new prescription can be issued, depending on the
doctor's diagnosis.
The "pill box" helps keep track of the patient's medication
by sending a signal to his or her mobile phone every time a pill
is removed. If a patient forgets to take medication or is taking
too many pills, he or she is sent a reminder via mobile phone to
follow the prescribed doses.
It is expected that both these solutions will help reduce the need
for patients to visit the doctor and increase patient's mobility
since vital measurements are readily available and monitored on-the-go.
Regular and frequent monitoring can also bring peace of mind to
people with chronic illnesses or those recovering from an operation.
The solutions are already of great interest to the pharmaceutical
industry, which will be able to conduct field trials of new drugs
more accurately.
These solutions are examples of how information technology can
be used to deliver medical information in real time to help the
medical profession and the health industry improve the quality of
patient care in the emerging field of information-based medicine.
The market for medical electronics is growing rapidly as OEMs in
the medical sector turn to ever-more-sophisticated solutions for
the identification and treatment of illnesses and the ongoing delivery
of patient care. One emerging trend is the move toward more portable
equipment and implantable devices.
According to a Frost & Sullivan report, Medical Development
Market Outlook for 2003, the worldwide market for what it calls
cardiac rhythm management devices alone is currently worth $5.1
billion annually and is growing about 10 percent per year. In addition,
the European Medical Technology Industry Association says medical
devices have become a major sector in health care, both in terms
of markets, of public expenditure and impact on health. The association
says these devices represent, in Europe alone, 26 percent of worldwide
sales, estimated at roughly $40 billion.
Product designers from IBM Engineering & Technology Services
have teamed with scientists from IBM's research lab in Zurich, Switzerland,
and technologists from IBM's development laboratory, in Hursley,
England, to develop this solution. The technology could be integrated
into any number of devices for monitoring other vital signals such
as blood sugar level and weight.
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