New devices for diagnostic and surveillance of bodily functions provide more comfort, safety and improved daily life for patients. However, design and development of these complex devices is becoming more and more challenging. Our design, development and verification processes in accordance with GAMP fulfil medical guidelines and guarantee a smooth design process from first prototypes to volume production. ISO13485 certification and broad knowledge of hardware, software, sensors and algorithms, combined with experience from successful projects makes Art of Technology an ideal partner for your medical applications… our electronic design and development services include:
- System design and development for in-vitro diagnostics
- System design and development of medical devices and active medical implants
- Support with clinical studies and certification
Alarm and Medical Monitor «AMON»
Customer: European Commission, 5th Framework Project (FP5)
«AMON» is a wearable medical monitoring and alert system targeting high-risk cardiac respiratory patients. The main objective of the AMON project was to research, develop and validate an advanced, wearable personal health system to monitor and evaluate human vital signs using advanced bio-sensors. The scientific and technological challenge was to design a wearable monitoring device that will be small, dependable and contain the necessary data for an impending medical emergency.
The system developed includes continuous collection and evaluation of these vital signs, intelligent multi-parameter medical emergency detection and transmission of the data to a remote telemedicine centre, for further analysis and emergency care using a GSM/UMTS cellular infrastructure. The development & testing of the on-line Telemedicine Centre was conducted in parallel, including system testing, validation & assessment by end-users in hospitals around Europe. Using «AMON», patients who are not confined to hospital (including the high risk and elderly) are able to continuously monitor and analyse their vital signs, providing care at the point and time of need, increasing freedom of movement and enhancing overall quality of life.
The wrist mounted monitoring device (WMD) developed includes algorithms and sensors to monitor human vital health parameters such as heart rate, heart rhythm, 2-lead ECG, blood pressure, SpO2 blood saturation, skin perspiration and body temperature. Applying aggressive low-power design techniques enabled the whole system to be integrated into a wrist-worn device, continuous long-term monitoring without interfering with the patients’ everyday activities or restricting their mobility.
Our Contribution
- system design
- sensor control and sensor electronics
- control and data evaluation software
- device enclosure & integration of partner supplied sub-systems & sensors
- blood pressure measurements using mechanical parts from commercial wrist device
Early Diagnosis of CVD «PHOCNOSIS»
European Commission, Horizon 2020 Project
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the European Union accounting for 1.9 million deaths, i.e. 40% of all deaths in the EU each year. Despite costs of almost €196 billion per year, CVD can be successfully treated and managed – if detected early. The goal of the «PHOCNOSIS» project is the development and pre-clinical validation of a nanotechnology-based, handheld point-of-care testing (POCT) and analysis procedure and device, for fast and early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
The «PHOCNOSIS» consortium |
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Our Contribution
Art of Technology is responsible for the design and development of the electronics, mechanics, software and system integration of the POCT device. Using new nano-photonic sensing techniques developed by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, it should be possible using only a few drops of the patient’s blood, to measure and evaluate the concentration levels of different markers for cardiovascular disease in less than 10 minutes.
Intelligent Anti-Snoring System
Customer: Earsonic GmbH
Throat muscles keep the throat open when we are awake, so that air can flow smoothly during breathing. During sleep, the area at the back of the throat sometimes narrows as these muscles relax and airflow turbulence can cause the tissues of roof of the mouth (soft palate) and the throat to vibrate, which in turn may cause the sounds of snoring. The Lenz is a patented anti-snoring aid that has been digitised and miniaturised especially for use in the ear. This high-tech device responds to your snoring with a gentle beep… you change your sleeping position and stop snoring, without waking or side effects. The Lenz is comfortable to wear and virtually invisible allowing you – and your partner – to sleep peacefully and undisturbed.
Typical causes of snoring |
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Our Contribution
- development of functional principles and algorithms
- design and development of prototypes (HW and SW)
- re-design of software on the OEM device
- develop production tests and extensive testing
- verification and validation of the device
- support with CE approval
alfapump® – Intelligent Fluid Pump
Customer: Sequana Medical AG
Patients with liver disease, congestive heart failure and certain cancers can suffer from Ascites; the accumulation of excess fluid in the abdominal cavity. Certified in 2011, the alfapump is an implantable pump, that automatically and continually collects the excess fluid moving it into the bladder (up to 2.5 litres per day) where it is eliminated from the body in the normal way. The alfapump with it’s wireless Smart Charger reduces the number of hospital visits required freeing up hospital beds and staff, it also reduces the risk of infection and affords the patient a new level of freedom and a significantly improved the quality of life.
Our Contribution
Complete re-design of electronics and firmware (only one rigid-flex and no connectors) for a new generation of pumps to be used in human clinical trials, including:
- software development for motor controller
- develop recovery algorithm (in case of Hall sensor failure)
- design and development of wireless charger (first 2 generations)
- revision of wireless communication protocol
- optimisation of energy transfer system
- initial technical documentation for CE submission
- ongoing support (as and when required)
Emergency Monitoring and Prevention «EMERGE»
European Commission, 6th Framework Project (FP6)
Demographic trends in most European countries are forecasting a massive increase in the elderly population and a dramatic increase in emergency situations. Elderly people living alone are especially endangered as delays in alerting medical emergency services often leads to prolonged hospital stays resulting in an increasing number of elderly people being placed in nursing homes; at significant additional cost and an unnecessary deterioration in their quality of life. It has been recognised that daily activities are an important part of the functional health status and are often influenced by habits, age, culture, day of the week and the time of year. Activities like sleeping, going to the toilet, preparing meals and general mobility, which follow certain individual stereotypes have shown to be sensitive to changes in daily routines.
Objectives
The «EMERGE» project was tasked with researching ways to improve the support of elderly people, with innovative emergency detection and prevention systems, namely:
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How does the «EMERGE» System work?
The system collects and analyses data on an on-going basis from various data sources, e.g.
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Monitoring Vital Parameters – SensoWatch
European Commission, 6th Framework Project (FP6)
Developed during the «EMERGE» project, the SensoWatch is a key part of the «EMERGE» system; an automatic monitoring device that incorporates multiple sensors into a single wrist device, enabling continuous monitoring of several important health parameters, e.g.
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User Benefits
Medical personnel are notified immediately in the event of serious or unexpected deviations, enabling them to respond appropriately and quickly. Continuous monitoring allows an alarm to be raised in the event of potential helplessness (e.g. after a fall or loss of consciousness), i.e. without active intervention by the user.
How does SensoWatch work?
Worn like a normal everyday wristwatch, the SensoWatch continuously transmits data to a base station and (if necessary) a call for help, without adversely affecting a person’s mobility, thereby greatly increasing the ability of the wearer to continue to lead an active life. Even in the absence of an impact, a no movement alarm is raised if the person is helpless. No alarm is sent if the person stands up immediately after the fall…this enables every fall to be recognised while helping to avoid false alarms. The timely provision of information to caregivers in an emergency or in the case of long term deviations or inconsistencies is an essential prerequisite for the independent life of elderly people in their preferred environment… at home!
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