Scenario: A heart patient wakes up feeling palpitations and chest pains. He calls his cardiologist, but it's difficult for her to make a diagnosis from the patient's description of his symptoms. Is he due for cardiac arrest, or did he just eat his bowl of chili too fast at dinner? Instromedix has developed two compact, lightweight devices that will help the cardiologist make the right decision, while saving money and time.
The HeartWatch and the King of Hearts Express allow patients to record and transmit electrocardiograms (EKGs) via built-in modems. The back of the HeartWatch consists of one EKG electrode that contacts the skin on the wrist. Whenever a symptom occurs, the patient pushes the Record button, then rests a hand on the other electrode/event recorder, located on the face of HeartWatch. The unit establishes a baseline and then records a high-quality, 30-second EKG rhythm strip. The EKG data is sent to the LifeSigns Receiving Center (or similar telephonic EKG receiver), by pressing another button. A cardiologist analyzes the EKG data and decides what action is required, if any.
The King of Hearts Express is similar in function, but it's smaller (about the size of a beeper), and weighs only 3.5 ounces including batteries. Two electrode leads attach to your chest, and you wear the monitor like a pager, in your shirt pocket, or around your neck. A useful feature of the King of Hearts Express is loop memory. This documents the patient's rhythm both before and after the onset of symptoms, aiding the physician in making a diagnosis.
The older, costlier cassette-tape-based monitoring devices – which are worn for 24 hours then sent to the doctor for analysis – are not as useful as the Instromedix devices, since patients' symptoms don't always occur on a daily basis. When I wore one of the obsolete devices, no symptoms occurred during the 24-hour period, but I did have some before and after the monitoring period.
Already used in hospitals throughout the world, the devices are sold to doctors and hospitals, and then loaned out to patients. Heart patients can also purchase them with a doctor's prescription.
HeartWatch and King of Hearts Express: US$1,050 and $1,750. Instromedix: (800) 633 3361, +1 (503) 681 9000, fax +1 (503) 681 8230.
STREET CRED
VR Means Voice RecognitionJust Zap It!
Heartwired for Health
