doctor – Backerjack

MedWand measures vitals, peeks inside you to further telemedicine

Anyone who’s seen much of Star Trek has probably seen the tricorder, the magical device used by Dr. McCoy to scan patients for a whole host of possible ailments. Interest in the practicality of that device really picked up with the Scanadu Scout that raised over $1.6 million. However, there’s plenty that technology can do long before the days of warp drives and phasers.

Take, for example, MedWand. The compact device combines seven medical diagnostic tools in one to send data and images to a doctor available via a telemedicine call. The MedWand allows the remote physician to check out the inside of the patients’ noses, ears or throats, or monitor their heartbeat or blood oxygen level. This information is sent to an app via Bluetooth although it is no doubt the company’s intent to have it compatible with apps from multiple healthcare providers MedWand seeks $75,000 on Indiegogo by May 28th. A $199 unit that represents a $50 discount off the retail price is due to ship in October.

Unlike products with tricorder ambitions, the MedWand is designed for today’s medical landscape… almost. Telemedicine is still immature and relatively unavailable. However, it stands to fill in a critical gap for immobile patior rural patients. The success of the product will likely come down to the company’s ability to convince insurers to at least partially subsidize its costs.

Any trained medical professional will agree on how very important it is to take essential medication on a timely and consistent basis. If it isn’t, there could be severe consequences for the person who needs it. With that as the central idea, the folks behind the Amiko have created a wearable device that acts as a personal medication assistant, connecting to a wide range of inhalers to help make sure medication is being taken correctly and on time.

The product comes as a small but attractive leaf-shaped attachment that clips on to a wide range of inhalers. Onboard MEM sensors are highly tuned to track when the inhaler is loaded, how it is positioned pre-delivery, and upon actual delivery. These values are all combined to create an accurate and thorough view of dosage trends and can even be used to create reports for physicians to use in their treatments.

Perhaps its most valuable capability, however, is the ability to be connected to smartphones and tablets to alert users and family about upcoming or missed doses, keeping everyone in the loop. If that person happens to be technologically averse, the company’s Amiko Hub ($79) allows non-smartphone users to still receive alerts from the product itself, family members, or caretakers. Amiko’s early bird special is currently going for $39 with a $10 premium on it when those supplies run out, with an expected delivery date of March 2015. The folks behind Amiko are looking for an infusion of $50,000.

Amiko is a very promising device not in just what it does, but in how it uses the cloud and the various connectivity options it has to make a process that can be potentially life-threatening so much less stressful. It extends wearables to a market that needs it beyond the fitness enthusiast.