October 16, 2004
Mobile phone can save you from a heart attack
Medical check-ups could soon be carried out via mobile phones, thanks to German technology, according to The Register.
"That's right, based in the town of Essen, heart specialist Dr Stefan Sack has come up with the perfect gift for affluent hypochondriacs everywhere -- a mobile phone that can tell you that you're having a heart attack. It's called "Handy Hearts" (pdf) - Handy is the German name for a mobile phone, - and it can beam your heart rate and ECG reading via satellite back to the nearest hospital. It uses global satellite positioning to pinpoint your exact location.
In the throes of your heart attack, all you have to do is get your phone out of your bag or briefcase and hold it over your heart. Doctors can then call you back on your mobile and tell you how long you've got left, or whether the ambulance is going to get to you on time.
The Handy for Hearts is also likely to cost around £2000 per year to run -– which could be enough to give anyone palpitations."
Related: A project called MyHeart endorsed by the European Union and 33 companies, including Philips and Nokia, have unveiled the prototype of a portable heart monitor that would use sensors woven into underwear to warn patients before they suffer a stroke. via Reuters.
"The combination of functional clothes and integrated electronics and process them on-body, we define as intelligent biomedical clothes. The processing consists of making diagnoses, detecting trends and react on it. Together with feedback devices, able to interact with the user as well as with professional services, the MyHeart system is formed."
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