Examples of Systems Demonstrating Biocompatability
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Imperial College London have developed a prototype system called the e-AR (ear-worn Activity Recognition) prototype [1] which involves an ear-worn device that can be used to measure heart rate (with a moderate amount of motion), gait and posture. This device is not 'worn' in the sense of garments and so has many potential advantages in terms of biocompatability.
There are some commercial Body sensor networks which have been certified for general use and have proven themselves over some years. We can only draw implications as to their Biocompatability by their quoted success rates. Such systems include the CardioNET MCOT three lead ECG monitoring system [2], The Cardionetics C.Net 5000 24-Hour Ambulatory ECG Monitor [3] and others. As requirements for certification are higher for implantable devices we are very interested in studying impantable devices and observing their long term performance. Also on the market now are implantable devices that close the loop so to speak in terms of not only recording information but also applying corrective action. Examples include the Medtronic Implantable Cardiovertor Defibrillator [4].
A very neat implantable system developed by Mark Allen at Georgia Institute of Technology and now commercialised by CardioMEMS [5] is their implantable wireless EndoSure Aortic aneurysm of the abdomen (AAA) sensor. This tiny wireless and battery-less sensor fits in to the sac of an Aneurism and transmits the pressure on the sac wall (which is an indication of likelihood to aneuritic rupture - from which there is only a 50% chance of survival). It is a great example of a very small, low maintanance (none!), wireless system that will save your life.
Another example of biocompatability is the area of swallobable devices in the form of pills. One such example is the Given Imaging [6] 'PillCam'. This capsule measures 11 mm x 26 mm and weighs less than 4 grams. It contains an imaging device and light-source on one-side and transmits images at a rate of 2 images per second generating more than 50,000 pictures over an 8-hour period. The PillCam was initially cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2001 and today is used by to detect and diagnose disorders of the small intestine. This includes Crohn’s disease, small bowel tumors, malabsorption disorders (such as celiac disease), Gastro-intestinal injuries induced by extended NSAID (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) use and suspected Gastro-intestinal bleeding of the small bowel. The pill passes naturally with a bowel movement usually within 24 hours after the procedure. Again, though there is little information available on the materials used here and we can draw our conclusions on biocompatability based on FDA certification and over 700,000 successful procedures.
References
- ↑ Benny Lo and Guang-Zhong Yang, "BODY SENSOR NETWORKS – RESEARCH CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES" Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, UK. http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~benlo/ubimon/BSN.pdf
- ↑ http://www.cardionet.com/medical_02.htm
- ↑ http://www.cardionetics.com/cnet5000.php
- ↑ http://www.medtronic.com/your-health/tachycardia/device/our-implantable-defibrillators/virtuoso/index.ht
- ↑ http://www.cardiomems.com/
- ↑ http://www.givenimaging.com/en-us/Patients/Pages/pageSmallBowel.aspx
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