January 2002

Prototype

Continued from page 5

By Technology Review

Virtual Checkup

Patients who need routine monitoring may be able to avoid visits to the doctor, thanks to a system developed at Loughborough University in Leicestershire, England. The system transmits data from any piece of medical equipment that generates an electronic signal to doctors who may be across town or across the country. Signals from electrodes on a patient's chest, for example, can be digitized, encrypted, and sent via infrared link to a cell phone for transmission through the network. Any signal can be digitized, including patient temperature or blood oxygen levels, says Loughborough electrical engineering professor Bryan Woodward. Loughborough is negotiating with various companies to miniaturize and market the monitoring system.