The days of the simple country
doctor are over. Physicians
have an arsenal of
high-tech tools at their disposal,
diagnosing ailments
long before they become
dangerous—even from miles away.
MAPPING THE BODY
Thanks to
improvements in processing, medical
imaging saw some significant advances
this year. For example, students at the
University of Calgary developed the most
complete 4D (3D over time) model of a
human being yet (see the figure).
Dubbed CAVEman, the object-oriented
hologram can provide a view of
up to 3000 distinct body parts that
can be manipulated with a joystick.
This technology will enable physicians
to plan more accurately for complex
surgeries. It also will allow patients to
view a map of their body before surgery,
giving them more insight about
the procedure and calming any fears
they may have.
Physicians access the CAVEman via
the CAVE, or “research holodeck.” In
this cube-shaped virtual-reality room,
projections from three walls and the
floor build the 4D human model to create
the perception of a selected set of
body parts floating in space within the
holographic human.
Students based the 4D human
atlas on material from basic
anatomy textbooks. Then graphic
artists rendered these body systems
and organs in 3D. These
images were converted into Java
objects to be brought to life in
the CAVE environment. For
more about medical imaging, see
“Architecting New Dimensions
Of Medical Imaging” at
www.electronicdesign.com, ED
Online 15795.
ROBOT MAKES HOUSE
CALLS
Even just a few years
ago, robotic doctors seemed
decades away. But many physicians now
use a remotely controlled robot with a
built-in video-conference system to provide
medical care. The RP-7 from InTouch
Health provides a “remote presence” that
allows physicians to interact with patients
regardless of their physical location.
Such developments could revolutionize
the way diagnostics are delivered,
especially when specialists are required.
Even rare diseases could be diagnosed
and possibly treated remotely, perhaps
using experts to provide instructions to
local physicians who may not be able to
accurately diagnose and effectively treat
the problem on their own.
The RP-7 has two fundamental pieces: a
control station and a robot. The remote
physician controls the robot with a joystick
attached to a laptop. The physician
and patient can see each other in real time
thanks to video cameras with 5X optical
zoom and 24-bit color, 320- by 240-pixel
resolution at 30 frames per second.
The physician has a headset, and the
robot is equipped with speakers. The
robot also comes with a digital stethoscope
for remote patient vitals, a privacy
handset for doctor/nurse interaction, and
a printer. And thanks to the system’s
“many to many” system architecture,
physicians at any control station can connect
to any RP-7 robot anywhere.
WIRELESS HEART HEALTH
Millions
of Americans have been diagnosed
with congestive heart failure (CHF), a
condition where the heart doesn’t send
the proper electrical signals to beat in a
normal rhythm and thus doesn’t supply
the body with enough blood to function.
Yet four key technologies from
Boston Scientific work together to manage
CHF with great success.
First, the Contak Renewal 3RF cardiac
resynchronization therapy defibrillator
(CRT-D) is implanted in the patient’s pectoral
region with gold contacts placed in
three of the heart’s four chambers. It primarily
functions as a pacemaker, but it
also can stop and restart a heart using a
41-joule burst of energy when the pulse is
too high or low. Additionally, it includes
RF communication capabilities via the
industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM)
band in the 902- to 928-MHz range.
Second, the CRT-D works with the
Internet-connected Latitude Communicator.
This device sits under the patient’s bed
and continuously monitors and awaits
data from the CRT-D at times specified by
the physician during the CRT-D’s original
programming. (The CRT-D is normally
programmed when it is implanted.)
Third, a Bluetooth-enabled scale and a
sphygmomanometer monitor the
patient’s weight and blood pressure daily.
Subsequent to each reading,
the data is transmitted to the Latitude
device. When the system
finds a pulse, weight, or blood
pressure anomaly, it lets the
patient know.
Finally, the Latitude device takes
the information it collects and
sends it via modem to a secure
server accessible through the Latitude
Web site every day. The combined
technologies keep physicians
informed, giving doctors the
data they need to more quickly
react to anomalies that may indicate
an impending crisis—and possibly
save lives.