It only took four years, but the Proteus Digital Health (formerly Biomedical) was granted FDA 510(k) premarket approval for the Proteus Ingestible Event Marker (IEM)–the chips in the pills. Both the IEM and the skin sensor patch, which transmits the pill ingestion to a smartphone, were submitted in 2008. The IEM was ‘de novo’ (no similar product on the market), but the skin patch was predicate, which meant there were similar devices–so the patch alone gained approval two years ago. Both devices secured the European CE Mark in 2010, which gives you an idea of the backup at the FDA. Lloydspharmacy will be selling the monitoring system starting next month in the UK and Europe. Mobihealthnews.
Independa’s Artemis telehealth platform just added Ideal Life’s wireless monitoring products. This follows their mid-July tie-in of Artemis with GreatCall’s mPERS 5 Star Urgent Response on the 5 Star device, Jitterbug, iPhone and Android phones. The system will be debuting this fall within Independa’s current partners, primarily in home care and assisted living. Releases: Ideal Life, GreatCall.
A Johns Hopkins University biomedical engineering undergraduate student project developed a sensor, dubbed HemoGlobe, that when connected to a mobile phone can detect anemia through shining different wavelengths of light to determine blood hemoglobin–no finger prick needed. Production cost: $10-$20. Market: developing countries and particularly women. It was one of 12 awarded a $250,000 seed grant in the ‘Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development’ competition, which will get it into production and piloting. The JHU Gazette.
Telemedicine goes onsite with Fortune 500 companies: Massachusetts General Hospital andBrigham & Women’s Hospital are partnering with the Center for Connected Health and CHS Health Services to enable remote workers throughout the US to access the knowledge of an estimated 4,000 specialists through the Center’s Partners (HealthCare) Online Specialty Consultations (POSC) system. Boston Business Journal.