A Telehealth System for Remote Auditory Evoked Potential Monitoring

A portable, Internet-based EEG/Auditory Evoked Potential (AEP) monitoring system was developed for remote electrophysiological studies during sleep. The system records EEG/AEP simultaneously at the subject’s home for increased comfort and flexibility. The system provides simultaneous recording and remote viewing of EEG, EMG and EOG waves and allows on-line averaging of auditory evoked potentials. The design allows the recording of all major AEP components (brainstem, middle and late latency EPs) and constituent single sweep EEG epochs. Auditory stimulation is remotely controlled from any internet-connected PC. The developed platform consists of a portable server computer for data acquisition and secured data transmission to the Internet, a web server for temporary storage, and a remote viewing station. During operation, signals are acquired during sleep and transmitted to the secured web server for controlled access viewing. The remote viewer station allows the user to continuously visualize the auditory evoked potentials, modify auditory stimuli at any time and adjust system parameters for its online computation. The developed internet-based EEG/EP system has been tested in a laboratory environment. Preliminary results demonstrate feasibility of remote real-time acquisition and viewing of EEG and EPs and future potential for home monitoring and telemedicine applications

MedLAN: Compact mobile computing system for wireless information access in emergency hospital wards

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.As the need for faster, safer and more efficient healthcare delivery increases, medical consultants seek new ways of implementing a high quality telemedical system, using innovative technology. Until today, teleconsultation (the most common application of Telemedicine) was performed by transferring the patient from the Accidents and Emergency ward, to a specially equipped room, or by moving large and heavy machinery to the place where the patient resided. Both these solutions were unpractical, uneconomical and potentially dangerous. At the same time wireless networks became increasingly useful in point-of-care areas such as hospitals, because of their ease of use, low cost of installation and increased flexibility. This thesis presents an integrated system called MedLAN dedicated for use inside the A&E hospital wards. Its purpose is to wirelessly support high-quality live video, audio, high-resolution still images and networks support from anywhere there is WLAN coverage. It is capable of transmitting all of the above to a consultant residing either inside or outside the hospital, or even to an external place, thorough the use of the Internet. To implement that, it makes use of the existing IEEE 802.11b wireless technology. Initially, this thesis demonstrates that for specific scenarios (such as when using WLANs), DICOM specifications should be adjusted to accommodate for the reduced WLAN bandwidth. Near lossless compression has been used to send still images through the WLANs and the results have been evaluated by a number of consultants to decide whether they retain their diagnostic value. The thesis further suggests improvements on the existing 802.11b protocol. In particular, as the typical hospital environment suffers from heavy RF reflections, it suggests that an alternative method of modulation (OFDM) can be embedded in the 802.11b hardware to reduce the multipath effect, increase the throughput and thus the video quality sent by the MedLAN system. Finally, realising that the trust between a patient and a doctor is fundamental this thesis proposes a series of simple actions aiming at securing the MedLAN system. Additionally, a concrete security system is suggested, that encapsulates the existing WEP security protocol, over IPSec

Foundations and applications of human-machine interaction

Zugleich gedruckt erschienen im Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin unter der ISBN 978-3-7983-2624-8.Der vorliegende Abstractband zur 10 Berliner Werkstatt MMS gibt einen Einblick in die aktuelle Forschung im Bereich der Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion. Einen besonderen Fokus stellt das Wechselspiel von Grundlagenforschung und anwendungsbezogener Forschung dar, was sich im breiten Themenspektrum widerspiegelt, welches von theoretischen und methodischen Betrachtungen bis hin zu anwendungsnahen Fragestellungen reicht. Dabei finden Inhalte aus allen Phasen des Forschungsprozesses Beachtung, sodass auch im Rahmen der 10. Berliner Werkstatt MMS wieder sowohl neue Untersuchungskonzepte als auch abschließende Befunde diskutiert werden. Zentrale Themengebiete sind u. a. Fahrer-Fahrzeug Interaktion, Assistenzsysteme, User Experience, Usability, Ubiquitous Computing, Mixed & Virtual Reality, Robotics & Automation, Wahrnehmungsspezifika sowie Psychophysiologie und Beanspruchung in der Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion.The abstracts of the 10th Berlin Workshop Human-Machine Systems provide an insight into the current research in the field of human-machine interaction. The main focus lies on the interplay between basic and applied research, which is reflected in the wide range of subjects: from theoretical and methodological issues to application oriented considerations. Again all stages of the research process are represented in the contributions of the 10th Berlin Workshop HMS. This means new research concepts as well as final results are subject of this volume. Central topics include driver-vehicle interaction, assistance systems, user experience, usability, ubiquitous computing, mixed and virtual reality, robotics & automation, perception specifics, as well as psychophysiology and workload in human-machine interaction

Telemedicine: Blood Pressure Monitoring System for Individual Use through Internet

Hypertension and Hypotension are common diseases in Malaysians and the world at large. If not treated, they predispose the patient to more serious conditions like coronary heart disease and stroke. Regular blood pressure monitoring at home can be helpful in the management of the diseases. Doctors can use the data to evaluate the patient's condition and institute treatment. In this project, an Internet-based Blood Pressure Monitoring System (IBPMS) was developed, as a new application in telemedicine, for monitoring the patient's blood pressure at home. The data is automatically sent to the hospital database via the Internet. This system consisted of both hardware and software. A serial interface card connected to a blood pressure device was designed and tested. The software, which included a graphical display of blood pressure and homepage, was developed. The IBPMS system was designed and tested. The software, Visual Designer, was used to create the system, graphical display and control the operation of the interface card, while Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML) was used to develop the homepage. The complete IBPMS has been designed and experimentally tested with four subjects of ages from 25 to 30 years old. The measurement has been taken under the required room temperature and proper setting. Then these results have been compared with the real readings by using Omron blood pressure monitoring device. The difference is found to be within the range of the standard error. Thus, it can be stated that the developed IBPMS system is a convenient tool to patients for regular blood pressure monitoring at home and an important and useful application to the telemedicine service

Telemedicine: Rx for the Future of Health Care

Quite simply, telemedicine symbolizes and catalyzes the clash between the reality of our legal and political approach to health care and the American dream of bringing health care to all patients. Telemedicine, like our health care delivery systems, is regulated by many layers of government. Unlike other issues, telemedicine cuts through and challenges the traditional controls of access and cost. As such, telemedicine is a microcosm of our health care delivery system and a lens through which one may analyze the obstacles to access in the current system. This article examines these issues, proposes that telemedicine\u27s goal should be to improve quality, access, and, costs for the American patient, and offers suggestions for obtaining these goals. In the past five years, professional, governmental, and private organizations\u27 interest in telemedicine has grown exponentially. Although telemedicine is still in its infancy, the technology driving telemedicine continues to advance more rapidly than the laws that apply to its use. Three main issues remain unresolved: (1) who controls quality; (2) how patients gain access; and, (3) who pays for that access? The combination of innovative application of technology and the regulated world of medicine, governed by our unique political landscape, compels us to examine and resolve issues relating to quality, access and costs. Over the next five years, we are poised to spend over $100 billion on telemedicine and other emerging information technologies. For this investment to pay off, the current framework for regulating telemedicine must be replaced with one that facilitates the delivery of these services. Those seeking to deliver telemedicine must contemplate cost, access and quality, and must pay particular attention to the best interests of the patient. Although telemedicine has been heralded, it has also been criticized, both for advancing too quickly and for moving too slowly, for taking on too much, for not taking on enough and for adding costs to health care. The telemedicine subject has raised a plethora of questions. This article will examine those questions in the context of our legal, regulatory and political/ethical framework. Part I defines telemedicine and telehealth, and explores current and future applications. Part II addresses regulation of quality and focuses on licensure, credentialing, and malpractice actions. Part III considers access and the regulatory monitors of telemedicine: the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ), the Food Drug and Cosmetic Administration ( FD&CA ) and Health Care Financing Administration ( HCFA ). Part IV focuses on the cost of telemedicine, including funding and payment systems for telemedicine delivery services, and suggests guidelines that should provide fiscal support for telemedicine projects. Part V discusses current federal, state and private telemedicine proposals and suggests model approaches for achieving access, quality and cost objectives. Part VI suggests that telemedicine is a means to improving medical treatment. To that end, this article proposes solutions that will drive telemedicine toward improved quality and access for our entire health care delivery system

Ubiquitous health monitoring system for seniors

The Ubiquitous Health Monitoring System for Seniors is a prototype for an implantable module that is designed to eliminate critical delays in receiving medical attention upon the development of a heart attack. In particular, the prototype is to detect the onset of heart attacks in real time, and to use a Bluetooth wireless link to signal the patient\u27s mobile phone to dial emergency personnel in the event of an abnormality. The unit also records and logs the temperature of the user. Since the unit holds a GPS in it the current position of the user can be constantly monitored and by this the paramedics can arrive at the patient\u27s current location without any delay. The health monitoring system enables seniors to stay in their homes rather than in a medical institution which, in turn, cuts down the cost of medical care to a great extent