ST Micro and Mayo clinic collaborate on remote patient monitoring technology

ST Microelectronics and Mayo Clinic have partnered in developing a platform for remotely monitoring patients with heart disease. The new platform monitors person-specific data and physiological parameters.

This type technology called telemedicine is a boon in offering remote medical advise by the super specialist doctor in cities to the general physicians in far away town and rural areas; particularly in India, where the specialist doctors are available in small towns and villages.

The sensor is fitted to the patient's body to continuously monitor, store, analyze and communicate physiological parameters to the physician.

"Mayo Clinic has always committed the best available resources to caring for patients with cardiovascular disease. This collaboration, by enhancing our ability to record important physiologic information while patients are outside the medical environment and active in their daily lives, will extend our ability to prevent and treat illness," said Paul Friedman, M.D., a cardiology consultant and specialist in cardiovascular electrophysiology at Mayo Clinic, who added that an initial program of patient trials is already underway.

ST has built this medical device by using range of sensors, microcontroller, and semiconductor devices for wireless communication interface. This system analyzes the sensed data by using the algorithms designed based on the Mayo Clinic's medical expertise. This device provides patient's heart rate, breathing rate, physical activity and other measurements wirelessly obtained from external medical devices.

"Combining the worldwide recognized clinical expertise of Mayo Clinic with our ability to provide highly integrated volume solutions at affordable costs, we are convinced we will open new frontiers to bring quality healthcare to everybody," said Alessandro Cremonesi, Vice President, Advanced System Technology, STMicroelectronics. "ST is utilizing its strong expertise to develop advanced technologies and products satisfying the requirements of telemedicine platforms. This will allow medical device manufacturers and health-care providers to develop new products and services to enhance the quality of medical support for their customers and patients."

ST release states, Telemedicine is expected to play an important role in helping solve the growing costs of healthcare monitoring and delivery, especially in the context of an aging population. For example, in the USA, which spent over $2 trillion on healthcare in 2007 - nearly twice the average per-capita spending of other developed countries - the Congressional Budget Office estimates that, with current trends, by 2025 some 25% of the national economy will be tied up in healthcare.

The key advantages of this device are:
Lower costs due to reduced physician visits for routine check-ups
Earlier diagnosis of impending health problems,
Acquisition of comprehensive and integrated data for epidemiology, drug safety, and other research studies to advance medical knowledge regarding diseases
Improve patient's social life.

Availability: The presently the product is getting validated.

For more details visit www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge-television-2009