GMP  -  LifeSync

 
 

Wireless medical device uses Bluetooth technology

Development of the monitor, patient transceiver units and the disposable leadset that make up the LifeSync Wireless ECG Monitor System relied on user research, mechanical and electrical engineering, and industrial design services.

Current ECG in-hospital monitoring tethers patients to a monitor with an octopus of heavy lead wires that essentially confine the patient to their bed regardless of their overall medical condition. The new system utilizes a small, "Walkman-like" transceiver worn on the patient’s arm, a light-weight disposable leadset that lies flat and neatly against the skin, and a receiving unit that attaches to the original ECG monitor. This allows the patient to easily move in or out of bed without the nuisance of dangling wires or the need to be disconnected from their ECG monitor which contributes to the patient's sense of health. Hospitals benefit because the patient requires much less nursing time and the system can be used throughout a hospital or medical facility wherever ECG monitoring is performed.

Unlike telemetry, the LifeSync System is designed for bedside monitoring, hospital-wide patient transport, and can be implemented without costly changes to the hospital’s infrastructure. The simple connection protocol of the LeadWear System means that the healthcare provider can connect the LifeSync system to the patient more quickly, minimizing the “nuisance factor” of detaching and reattaching lead wires to the patient’s body. The transceivers are then synchronized with a pairing token to establish a secure and robust radio link. Bluetooth technology allows the two electronic components to function as two-way radios that collect and transmit ECG and respiration data to a hospital’s existing ECG monitor.

Low cost objectives for the disposable LeadWear system were achieved by designing a configuration that is ergonomic yet minimizes material scrap in production.  The design eliminated the use of metal contacts for connectors.  At the transceiver end, a plastic housing folds over the flex circuit with exposed traces to form a connector. ECG snap electrodes snap directly to star cuts in the flexible LeadWear system eliminating the need for costly metal snap connectors. 

As of June 30, 2005 LifeSync® has been installed in over 35 Hospitals and 100 departments in those hospitals.

 

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