HealthWatch has developed a solution that allows doctors to monitor a patient’s vital signs constantly and from afar. This is sure to save lives.
Diagnosing a heart condition can be a complicated matter, relying on monitors and good timing to catch an irregularity so that it can be properly diagnosed.
The key to success is not only timing, but speed as well. In many cases, by the time a problem is diagnosed, it had already reached a critical point. Often, with heart problems in particular, once an attack has begun, treatment must be started within minutes if the patient is to recover.
An Israeli company called HealthWatch has developed a solution that allows doctors to monitor a patient’s vital signs constantly, wherever he or she may be and without the usual adhesives, gels or shaving preparations.
This innovative solution is called hWear. A wearable technology product, it includes a T-shirt that can read a patient’s vital signs. The patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac irregularities as well as other vital signs that could be the key to preventing a heart attack or other serious complication are available around the clock.
One of HealthWear’s hWear line, with a wearable monitor. (Photo: personal-healthwatch.com)
The hWear T-shirt and other garments in the line contain 12-lead ECG-sensors that allow doctors and medical workers to keep track of the patient’s heart condition remotely, causing little to no inconvenience to the wearer.
And the best part? The T-shirt is machine washable – just throw it in the laundry with the other clothing.
hWear garments are made of either standard cotton or synthetic material with special electrodes woven within. Not only do these extremely thin electrocardiogram sensors read vital signs, but they also upload them to a monitoring device via Bluetooth or Wifi to a receiver or the doctor’s smartphone. If any abnormalities are detected, the doctors are alerted and treatment can begin right away, if necessary.
Until now there have been a few wearable technology products introduced to the market that monitor heart rate. None of them, however, have all of the sensors contained in the hWear products, which monitor significantly more vital signs, many of which can be crucial in identifying a serious problem.
The designers are also exploring the technology’s possible application for high-risk pregnancies.
According to Neil Cox of Intel Europe, the wearable technology market is about to explode. Intel believes that it will appeal to a wide variety of people, not merely those who are already under constant medical supervision.
“It [hWear] will change the future of personal monitoring offering around-the-clock peace of mind to users — wherever their lifestyle takes them,” stated Uri Amir, HealthWatch CEO.
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