This post was initially going to be about the increasing prevalence of home diagnostic devices. One recent device is from Athelas. The device can analyze blood from a finger-prick droplet. It is meant to be used at home to allow patients to monitor changes in disease progression or to catch at the earliest stage whether [...]
Keep it simple. The small details are extremely important. Using distinct contrast - in color, or value (light/dark) - is the best way to call attention to what’s most important. Understand that one size does not fit all. What seems intuitive to one might not seem intuitive to another, for various reasons. Understand that, no [...]
In this article from Medgadget, Matt Loper tells how a particular human psychological trait is the key to an app that encourages compliance with medical treatment regimens. Wellth is the app that Loper’s company has created. It encourages adherence not by giving something as a reward for correct behavior, but rather by taking something away [...]
The product design process focuses heavily on the interaction between the user and the product: how the product is perceived aesthetically, what cues it provides that tell the user how to operate it, how it needs to be manipulated, what safety features it needs, how it might be used inappropriately. Another factor that should be [...]
Tiny computing devices are being incorporated into the human experience in thousands of ways. Along with that, sensor technology is progressing rapidly. This trend will provide significant opportunity in the design of medical devices. With the wearable sensors that are available today, along with their associated apps, we are just scratching the surface of what [...]
I am seeing a lot of stories in the medical press about new developments in diagnostic devices and point-of-care analytical systems. New microfluidic devices seem to be announced regularly. Imagine a future whereby you could deposit a small sample of your own blood or urine onto a microfluidic slide, insert it into a reader attached [...]
The PocketECG system from MEDICALgorithmics is a good example of where medical device design is headed. The PocketECG is essentially a Holter monitor combined with a physical activity tracker. What is significant is that, with data being collected on both heart rhythm and physical activity, it allows correlates to be established that can provide a [...]
Will visits to the doctor’s office be a thing of the past? In late 2016, TytoCare received FDA clearance for its device that enables physical examinations to be done remotely. From their press release: “TytoCare’s modular exam tools and fully integrated telehealth platform enable a remote examination of the heart, lungs, heart rate, temperature, throat, [...]
A story at Medgadget presages an issue that is going to be of increasing concern for health and medical wearable devices. It appears that some approved devices now on the market are not as accurate in detecting physical events as initial testing had indicated. FDA approval was granted based on study test results, but now [...]
Wearable technology has advanced quickly in just the few years that it has come to be known as a category. The next wave in this progression is going to come from smart technology that uses the ear as its interface. Valencell is a company that is pioneering advancement in biometric sensors. Their newsletter pointed me to [...]
