Security Expert: Medical Device Industry Shows ‘Complete Lack of Regard’ for Setting Security Requirements
A recent Forbes article on the threat of medical device hacking is the latest in a steady drumbeat of calls for more attention to be paid to medical device security. Contributor Marc Weber Tobias, a security expert and investigative attorney, paints a frightening picture for readers: Just think of the possibilities: a spouse or business partner decides it is time for a change. She (or he) obtains...
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. )...
This Week in Electronics: Devices Get Spectrum Space from FCC; Federal Funding for Telehealth
This week, FCC grants spectrum space to devices that help patients with paralysis, and the federal government agrees to fund telehealth in the Mississippi Delta. Medical Devices That Help Paralyzed Move Will Get Radio Spectrum (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) USDA Awards $6 Million for Rural Telehealth (Information Week) Competition to Heat Up in the Telehealth Market (ECN) 9 Mobile Health...
Medicare and Medicaid Cuts Could be a Blow to Home Healthcare
Changes to the home health prospective payment system proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would be detrimental to home healthcare providers, according to the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC). The proposed payment cuts, which would slash the base payment rate for home health services by around 5% next year, would result in negative Medicare financial...
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,...
Researchers Develop Shield to Protect Wireless Implants from Attack
Wireless connectivity in implantable devices is a good thing, allowing doctors to monitor patients to ensure they're getting the best care. But these potentially lifesaving connections also make the devices vulnerable to hostile attacks. Luckily, a team of researchers from MIT and University of Massachusetts Amherst are working on a solution. At the Association for Computing Machinery's...
UPDATED: Thin Line Between Love and Hate with WiFi for Medtech Designers
An editorial advisory board member e-mailed me this morning with some comments on my original post (after the jump). Here are his comments:  Great topic.Here are some schizophrenic or dual-personality comments. Love It: WiFi offers so many possibilities to increase the quality of healthcare and the speed of data transfer to beyond a single recipient. It is being applied everywhere. It can...