iPhone 5 May Move More Medical Devices to Bluetooth
Last week Apple brought the world to a standstill (again) for a few hours when it announced the latest iteration of the iPhone. Some rumors were dispelled with the new phone, others were confirmed. Among the latter was the announcement that Apple is ditching the 30-pin, micro USB connector dock that has been standard in the iPhone for a new, slimmer, and sexier 8-pin dock that has been dubbed the...
Controversy Over FCC's Decision to Allot Spectrum For MBANs
GE Healthcare and Philips Healthcare praised a recent FCC decision to allocate spectrum for wireless networks made of body-worn medical sensors, saying it will allow them to create technology that will reduce the spaghetti of wires connected to patients. But some experts worry that a lack of rules governing interoperability in the bands could hold back progress. MBANs are made up of low-power...
This Week in Electronics: A Google-Branded Home Entertainment Product; Verizon Partnship Aims to Advance Health IT
A new Google-branded hardware device for home entertainment will connect to other home electronics. Might they include medical devices? Also, Verizon joins with Health Evolution Partners. Google Entertainment Device Will Connect to Other Home Electronics The entertainment device will be designed first for streaming music via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and to connect to other home...
MED's Most Popular Feature Articles of 2011
Apparently, MED readers have a thing for Android. Google's operating system for mobile devices showed up in two of our ten most popular features of 2011 (and took the top spot in 2010). Other popular topics this year included standards, software, sensors, and wireless technologies.  Did you have a favorite feature that didn't make the list? If so, share it in the comments below. 1. )...
James Dyson Award Draws Medical Electronics Entries
Each year, product design, industrial design, and engineering students around the world vie for the James Dyson Award, given to the individual or team with the most innovative product design. This year's entries ranged from an irrigation system to a room divider and also included several medical electronics. One of the runner-up products is BlindSpot, a smart cane designed to help people with...
TI Releases New Bluetooth Low Energy Profiles
To help developers get a jump on designing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless technology into medical devices, Texas Instruments (TI) this week announced the addition of new BLE profiles to its software development kit. We’ve talked before about what BLE means for medical electronics designers. This key feature of Bluetooth v4.0 is going to enable some pretty cool medical products,...
Bluetooth Thermometer and Heart Rate Products are on the Horizon
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) today finalized technology that will usher in a new generation of wireless medical devices. New profiles built on Bluetooth Core Specification Version 4.0 will allow wireless monitoring of body temperature and heart rate. Potential applications of the new technology include a thermometer patch that transmits measurements to a mobile phone. “These...
Ford Partners with Medtronic to Connect Cars with Medical Devices
Following its best quarter since 1998, Ford this week announced it's working to integrate its automobiles with medical devices to help drivers stay on top of their health conditions. Using its in-car connectivity system, SYNC, which can connect devices via Bluetooth, access cloud-based Internet services, and control smartphone apps, Ford researchers want to enable drivers to use voice commands to...