Aerotel to showcase new innovative personal hand-held mini-sized ECG monitor at MWC 2014

Aerotel Medical Systems will present the world’s smallest and most accurate hand-held ECG monitor at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2014, which will take place February 24–27 in Barcelona, Spain.

Aerotel will highlight the mini-sized monitor together other innovative telemedicine solutions at the Israeli Pavilion, Hall 5, Booth #5C81.

The latest model of Aerotel's innovative HeartView ECG product line will be presented at MWC for the first time. The new HeartView™ P12/8 Mobile is a 12-lead ECG event recorder/transmitter for personal use, which has an incorporated 3G cellular module enabling the seamless transmission of a patient’s recorded ECG to the call center or to the physician’s email.

The device is a powerful ECG device with high-resolution 12-lead ECG recording technology which is specifically designed for easy patient use.

P12/8 Mobile enables the transmission of comprehensive ECG data from any place at any time. The recorded ECG transmitted to a call center that has the HRS (Heartline Receiving Station) software for immediate diagnosis.

The HeartView devices allow:

• Diagnosis of cardiac symptoms
• Remote monitoring of chronic heart patients
• Recording and transmission of an ECG to a cardiac call center
• Cardiac analysis for clinical studies

“Aerotel’s new ECG mobile solutions are geared towards improving patients’ quality of life by enabling remote monitoring of chronic heart patients,” said David Rubin, Aerotel’s president and CEO. “MWC 2014 will allow us to showcase the most advanced ECG mobile solutions offered today.”

Over the past 16 years, Aerotel has achieved a leading position as a developer of telemedicine and telecare devices. Aerotel’s medical devices are used on a daily basis supporting millions of people in more than 20 countries.

Aerotel to present mini sized handheld ECG monitors at Medica 2013

Aerotel Medical Systems will present two new models of the most advanced mini sized handheld ECG event recorder-transmitters at Medica 2013, which will take place on November 20–23, 2013 in Dusseldorf, Germany.

HeartView P12/8i device

The world's smallest and most accurate hand-held ECG monitors, as well as other innovative products developed by Aerotel, will be presented in Hall 9, Stand C01 at Medica, the world’s largest event for the medical sector.

Aerotel will display for the first time the HeartView™ 12L, a high-resolution 12-lead ECG recorder and transmitter for professional use. The HeartView 12L is one of the world’s smallest and most powerful ECG monitors.

Aerotel will also present the new HeartView™ P12/8i, an ECG event recorder-transmitter for personal use. The HeartView P12/8i is a powerful ECG device with high-resolution 12-Lead ECG recording technology, which is specifically designed for easy patient use.

The HeartView devices allow:

• Diagnosis of cardiac symptoms
• Remote monitoring of chronic heart patients
• Recording and transmission of an ECG to a cardiac call center
• Cardiac analysis for clinical studies

“Medica 2013 is an excellent opportunity for Aerotel to present the most advanced ECG mobile solutions currently available on the market,” said Aerotel’s president and CEO David Rubin. “The two new mobile devices are aimed at improving the patients’ quality of life, enabling people who previously had to remain in the hospital, to go on with their normal life.”

The HeartView devices have already drawn much attention and that Aerotel has already received first orders as well as performed sales.

The new ECG devices enable the transmission of comprehensive data from any place, at any time. The recorded ECG is transmitted automatically via Bluetooth to Aerotel’s Mobile CliniQ App. The ECG data is automatically sent from the mobile device to a cardiac call center for immediate diagnosis.

Aerotel will present personal hand-held ECG monitors at Medica 2012

Aerotel Medical Systems will showcase innovative personal telemedicine solutions at Medica 2012, which opens today in Dusseldorf, Germany.

At the world’s largest medical trade fair, Aerotel will present its highly successful HeartView, a personal hand-held 12-lead ECG monitor with Bluetooth connectivity. The easy-to-operate personal ECG device puts patients in control and provides physicians with a clear, comprehensive ECG recording. 

All of the company's innovative products will be presented by Aerotel in Hall 9, Stand C01. Aerotel will also use the four-day event to demonstrate its GeoSkeeper personal wireless GPS location and tracking device. GeoSkeeper offers a new level of safety beyond existing PERS (Personal Emergency Response System) and traditional social alarm systems. 

In addition, Aerotel will present its Mobile-CliniQ, a mobile phone application that enables remote monitoring of various health parameters, such as electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure, blood glucose level, weight, etc. 

“Medica 2012 will provide Aerotel with an excellent opportunity to present our cutting edge, personal remote monitoring devices to the professional global health care community,” said David Rubin, Aerotel Medical Systems president and CEO. 

“Aerotel’s solutions offer various diagnostic, emergency and monitoring service applications leading to critical time savings, enhanced level of emergency treatment and higher recovery rates from critical situations,” he added. 

Report: 5 million Americans and Europeans use social alarm devices

The number of users of social alarms connected to wireline networks, such as Aerotel's GeoSkeeper, has already reached some 5 million people in Europe and North America, according to a report published by research company Berg Insight.

“The addressable market for the next generation mobile social alarms is large as seniors are becoming increasingly active”, said André Malm, senior analyst at Berg Insight. "The design of mobile telecare devices is very important since the wearer should not feel embarrassed by having a device that can be perceived as age-defining".

Social alarms can be defined as wireless devices used to send information about the user's health and well-being and are part of the wider telecare and telehealth industries. 

A report published last month by Global Industry Analysts predicts that the global market for social alarms will exceed $2.7 billion by 2018.

Berg analysts forecast that the overall number of active users of family locator services, of all sorts, in Europe and North America will reach 70 million in 2016, compared to only 16 million in 2011, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34 percent.

The report notes that family locator services is the largest segment for people monitoring and safety solutions based on either GPS-enabled smartphones or dedicated cellular/GPS location devices. 

Aging population to drive social alarms market to $2.7 billion by 2018

The global market for social alarms is expected to exceed $2.7 billion by 2018, according to a report published by research firm Global Industry Analysts.

Social alarms can be defined as wireless devices used to send information about the user's health and well-being and are part of the wider telecare and telehealth industries.

The report sites aging population as the main reason for the market's growth. The market is also affected by shifting trend towards home based healthcare, rising life expectancy and active participation from both public and private quarters for care of the elderly.

The research, which describes Aerotel Medical Systems as one of the leading players in the field, indicates that 70% to 80% of the global aged population prefers to live an independent life rather than depending on caregivers. This reflects huge potential for market expansion for social alarms, enabling older and vulnerable people lead an independent life through reassurance and constant monitoring.

"Social alarms solutions offer older and vulnerable people an opportunity to lead an independent life. These solutions provide safety and peace of mind for seniors granting users and family member safety and peace of mind," said Ofer Atzmon, VP Business Development & Marketing at Aerotel. "The trends reflected in the report are in line with Aertoel's own experience in the market and we believe that the market for social alarms will continue to rapidly develop."

As an example of possible applications of social alarms, Global Industry Analysts gives the usage of devices that can be worn as pendants or bracelets, which the user presses when in an emergency, such as Aerotel's GeoSkeeper.



GeoSkeeper Social Alarm Device

The report identifies that United States as the largest market worldwide for social alarms. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2050, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to double to 88.5 million, as the number of aging baby boomers will significantly rise.

The report authors note, however, that the US market remains fraught with its share of challenges including the high cost of devices, signal interference or range limitations and the lack of awareness regarding the benefits of social alarms.

The research indicates that ease of use becomes a highly critical factor for manufacturers and that ergonomic is expected to a play a crucial role in improving the adoption social alarm devices.

Expert: mHealth solutions revolutionize healthcare industry

Mobile health solutions have the potential to dramatically change the healthcare industry, according to George MacGinnis from Continua Health Alliance.

In an interview, held ahead of the Connected World Forum that will take place on 19-22 November in Dubai, MacGinnis said that there is an increasing realization that the entry of mHealth is a real game changer.

The two most important changes leading to this are the advent of touchscreen devices, which transforms the accessibility of mobile for older people, and the way this will enable new health apps.

The global mHealth market will jump to $11.8 billion by 2018, climbing at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 39%, from $1.2 billion in 2011, according to a report, published in August by GlobalData.

MacGinnis added that regulation and reimbursement are the two major issues that threaten the adoption of mHealth solutions in the healthcare industry.

"There are many uncertainties about the scope of medical device regulations: what exactly qualifies a device as a medical device, what class of device is a mobile app and does connecting your phone to a medical device make that phone a medical device?," MacGinnis said. "This creates a degree of uncertainty for device manufacturers and the industry as a whole".

He added that there is a huge need around chronic disease management in both emerging and developed economies. According to MacGinnis, emerging economies offer many times a fresh approach to disease management.

"I think we will see mobile services emerging from regions like the Gulf, India, China and South America being re-imported into the older developed economies – where professional structures and regulations, established insurance practices and other factors are arguably holding back the potential for mobile health," MacGinnis said.

"However, no matter the marketplace, when you look around the world it is evident that more and more people are prepared to go virtual to manage their healthcare and this will create a demand to change and modernize that no health system is likely to be able to ignore". 

Helping track and protect Alzheimer’s patients

Unfortunately, wandering behavior, whether it's searching for the kitchen in your own house or trying to drive to your former place of work, is a common issue for those with Alzheimer's disease.

Six in every 10 Alzheimer's patients suffer from wandering behavior, and become disoriented even in familiar surroundings.  Many cannot recall their name or address, so cannot effectively reach out for help while lost.

Such behavior not only causes emotional distress for those with Alzheimer's and their loved ones, but it can also be dangerous and even put lives at risk.  Wandering patients with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia can become lost for days or accidentally wander into busy traffic or fall into other dangerous areas, such as open water.

Signs that an Alzheimer's patient is at risk for wandering behavior include returning home late from activities and outings; trying to fulfill former obligations, such as going to a job one no longer holds; and acting as if doing a chore but not actually accomplishing anything.

There are several ways caregivers can reduce wandering, including trying to redirect the patient to another activity, putting up fences around dangerous areas and labeling the rooms in the house, according to the Alzheimer's Association.  Alert devices are also helpful in dealing with wandering, the association says.

Aerotel's GeoSkeeper, offers a unique way to monitor the whereabouts and protect the lives of those who suffer from wandering.  The small device, about the size of a wrist watch, is equipped with GPS and an alarm button the wearer can push when help is needed.

The device also includes a built-in mobile phone system so patients can communicate with preprogrammed contacts or emergency services.  Patients can also receive calls via the device.

Caregivers can easily program the device over the Internet, adding contacts or setting alarms.  Caregivers can also track the location of the patient at all times.  One feature allows the caregiver to set a safe radius for the patient to be in, and if the patient leaves that geographic radius, the caregiver will be alerted.

In addition to helping Alzheimer's and dementia patients, the device could also be helpful useful for children, lone workers or people with other health conditions.