( Clinicians from Johns Hopkins Scleroder...)Space-Age Bandage Monitors Patients With Raynaud's Disease,Health

Clinicians from Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center together with engineers from the university's Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) came up with this nifty monitor that// checks a patient's finger for symptoms of Raynaud's disease. Early results from the evaluation of the device seem to be promising:

The Ambulatory Raynaud's Monitor wraps around a patient's finger and is secured with a bandage or medical tape. It contains two sensors that alternately record skin and ambient temperature -- indicators of surface blood flow -- every 36 seconds. A week's data is held by the monitor's electronics and is retained even if the device's power is unexpectedly interrupted.

The monitoring system's batteries store enough energy to operate for several months, and devices can be cleaned and reinitialized for use with multiple patients.

The device was developed by APL researchers, in collaboration with physicians from the Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center, to objectively characterize a patient's condition and severity, measure symptoms in real time, and help gauge treatment effectiveness.

The device recently underwent initial testing on patients with Raynaud's being treated at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Patients wore a monitor for one week in their homes, pressing an "event button" on the device to indicate when a Raynaud's event was occurring. The data -- processed by APL engineers and evaluated by JHMI physicians -- indicates Raynaud's events can be successfully identified. Patients said the devices are comfortable and easy to use. "The data from this preliminary study suggests that the monitor can help scientists and physicians learn more about Raynaud's phenomenon and help investigators evaluate the effectiveness of drugs being developed to treat this disease," says APL's Binh Le, one of the inventors of the device.

Based on initial data, APL researchers have enhanced the monitor's design and are gearing up for the nex
'"/>




Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. Prototype Bandages Developed that Could Detect Fractures
2. Mumps Outbreak Hits US As CDC Monitors Air Travelers
3. New System Monitors Tiny Earthquakes in Bones to Prevent Fractures
4. Fetal Oxygen Monitors Not Helpful To Prevent Mishaps In Labor:Says Study
5. New Pediatric Continuous Glucose Monitors Approved
6. One in Three Heart Attack Patients Have No Chest Pains
7. Amphetamines Help Recovery of Stroke Patients
8. Painkillers Do Not Shorten Dying Patients Lives
9. Patients With Filariasis More Prone To HIV Infection
10. Glivec - New Hope For CMC Patients
11. Patients often assume wrongly that they are allergic to penicillin