Isansys Lifecare launches LifeTouch body-worn wireless cardiac monitor
19 May 2011
UK company Isansys Lifecare Limited has
launched the LifeTouch HRV011, a cardiac monitor that adheres
to the patient’s body and analyses the ECG signal of the patient's
heartbeat in unprecedented detail.
Key physiological parameters, including heart rate, respiration rate and
high resolution QRS intervals are calculated and uploaded wirelessly to the secure HL7-compliant
database in the Isansys Lifecare Platform.
Resembling a lightweight adhesive bandage strip, the LifeTouch
HRV011 is simple to fit, unobtrusively attaches to the body and is
comfortable to wear. It continuously measures and digitises the ECG
signal at a rate four to five times greater than the standard
required for ECG monitors. This offers unprecedented scope for a
range of new analytical techniques and algorithms that can run in
the HRV011 itself on the advanced ultra-low power integrated
microprocessor.
Current functions include heart rate, respiration
rate, high-resolution QRS intervals and other heart rate variability
parameters that are used, among other things, to derive the
respiration rate using Isansys’ multi-parameter LifeBreath
algorithm.
Fundamental or derived data (or both) are sent to the
web-based database where it can be stored and integrated with other
patient information, or forwarded and accessed only by authorized
users. Further analysis can be carried out on the data to provide more information about the patient such as
indicators of stress and health-warning scores and used to generate
alerts or prompts regarding status of the patient.
The LifeTouch HRV011 is built on the Isansys RK001 sensing
platform that brings a new level of local intelligence to body worn
devices by means of a new, very low power ARM Cortex based
microcontroller. The wireless link uses the well-proven ANT
ultra-low power wireless protocol. These inherently low power
consumption components, together with efficient algorithms provide a
continuous working lifetime of up to 100 hours.
The LifeTouch is a semi-disposable hybrid developed
with support from Scapa Medical division of Scapa plc, global
producers of specialist skin friendly adhesive tape solutions. From
the users’ point of view it is a single-use device.
The Isansys service model includes a recycling service that
recovers, sterilises and refurbishes the electronic module
(including the battery), disposes of and replaces the medical grade
laminate materials that form the substrate and enclosure for the
electronic module, before re-testing and re-packaging for subsequent
re-use.
Scapa’s Medical Business Unit and Specialist Conversion Team are
utilising their expertise in skin-friendly solutions and design and
prototyping to support Isansys in the early stages of the
development of the LifeTouch.