July 17, 2007 - Scientists at India's Sathyabama University have created a portable heart monitor that sends emergency alerts and readings as text messages.
The Bluetooth heart monitor measures electrical signals from the patient's heart, analyzes them to produce an electrocardiogram and can transmit an alert together with the ECG by cell phone text message.
Thulasi Bai and S.K. Srivatsa, developers of the device, said currently available heart monitors usually restrict a patient's mobility. The wearable cardiac telemedicine system they developed allows post-cardiac patients renewed mobility.
The researchers said their device could give patients who have had one heart attack a much greater chance of receiving prompt life-saving treatment.
Bai and Srivatsa are working on how to enable a global-positioning system in the device so a medical center can more quickly pinpoint the patient's location.
Source: www.upi.com
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