Remote monitoring of fitness, sleep, vital signs and pregnancy puts health care in the hands of consumers
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 / -- Dr. Eric J. Topol, chief academic officer of Scripps Health and chief medical officer of the West Wireless Health Institute (WWHI), will join Qualcomm chairman and CEO Dr. Paul E. Jacobs during Jacobs' keynote at International CES on Friday, January 8, 2010, to highlight a variety of digital medical devices that offer physicians and consumers the ability to remotely monitor fitness, sleep, vital signs and pre-natal activity. WWHI is one of the world's first medical research organizations dedicated to cutting the cost of health care by identifying, creating, validating and accelerating the use of wireless technologies to transform medicine.
"In the past decade we've seen the digitization of our entertainment, everything from music to books, but it is just a matter of time before the digitization of a much more consequential part of our lives, our health," said Topol, who is also the director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute and holder of the Gary and Mary West Chair of Innovative Medicine. "We are in the midst of a great inflection point in medicine as powerful wireless technologies will enable the continuous observation of a person's physiology, and significant medical advances in genomics will give us a clear understanding of each person's biology. This extraordinary convergence of information potentiates our ability to truly render individualized medicine."
Topol, a cardiologist, genomics expert and the leading thought leader in the emerging mhealth industry, will highlight several products to help consumers track their own fitness and well-being, including DirectLife by Philips, the Fitbit Tracker and the Zeo personal sleep coach. He will also demonstrate several technologies that illustrate the impact of remote monitoring and digital medicine, including:
AirStrip OB(TM) (AirStrip Technologies) - AirStrip's state-of-the-art software solutions for remote patient monitoring give physicians the ability to remotely access real-time and historical waveforms and other critical patient data using mobile devices. AirStrip OB is the first FDA-cleared solution built from AirStrip's remote patient monitoring platform that enables remote monitoring of critical medical data from patients within a hospital's labor and delivery unit. AirStrip Critical Care(TM) and AirStrip Cardiology(TM) are pending FDA clearance.
Mobile Baby (Great Connection) - helps maternity clinics to offer digital delivery of ultrasound pictures and video to expecting parents and their friends and relatives. The product converts and delivers ultrasound pictures and video to mobile phones, email accounts and popular online social networks like Facebook. The system can also handle images from MR, CT and digital x-rays.
PiiX(TM) (Corventis) - an unobtrusive, water-resistant, patient-worn smart bandage that adheres to the skin and automatically collects and transmits physiological information, including ECG, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration rate, fluid status and activity. Corventis' Avivo(TM) Mobile Patient Management System is an integrated system that combines the patient-friendly PiiX with advanced algorithms, wireless capabilities and a comprehensive web-based infrastructure to provide clinicians focused insight into the cardiac health status of patients, anywhere across the globe.
Vscan (GE Healthcare) - a pocket size visualization tool developed to help make point-of-care imaging a reality. Roughly the size of a smart phone, Vscan houses powerful, ultrasmart ultrasound technology that can be used in virtually any clinical, hospital or primary care setting. By giving doctors a view into the body from the palm of a hand, Vscan has the potential to redefine the way doctors examine patients and ultimately improve patient care.
"As demonstrated by the focus on mhealth at this year's CES, entrepreneurs and industry-leading companies worldwide are quickly realizing that wireless health solutions will be the most efficient, cost-effective way to prevent and manage chronic disease," said Gary West, founder and chairman of the West Wireless Health Institute. "Collaborating with innovators that share our mission to cut health care costs and eliminate the extraordinary waste that exists in medical practice today is at the cornerstone of everything we do. Through our research, development and educational activities we will continue to be a tireless champion for this industry."
Dr. Jacobs' CES 2010 keynote address will take place on Friday, January 8, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. PST at the Las Vegas Hilton, Hilton Center in Las Vegas. He will discuss how Qualcomm and the industry are redefining mobility and accelerating wireless growth to transform consumers' lives. Jacobs will also share Qualcomm's latest news and product announcements, and his vision for the future of the wireless space.
ABOUT THE WEST WIRELESS HEALTH INSTITUTE
The West Wireless Health Institute (www.westwirelesshealth.org) is one of the first medical research organizations in the world supporting the exploration and application of wireless technologies to advance human health and well-being. The nonprofit Institute is fostering an unprecedented convergence of science, medicine, engineering and technology. Its primary mission is to cut health care costs by improving medical practice. The West Wireless Health Institute is based in San Diego, California. For more information on WWHI, please visit www.westwirelesshealth.org.
SOURCE West Wireless Health Institute
