Portable kiosk takes health monitoring around the hospital, into patient homes

We haven't reported a whole lot on kiosks in FierceMobileHealthcare because, though they may incorporate portable computers, kiosks tend to stay in fixed locations. Not so for a new family of telemonitoring devices from Freestyle Semiconductor and Pounce Consulting, an Anaheim, Calif.-based subsidiary of Mexican product development firm Pounce Consulting de Mexico. Austin, Texas-based Freestyle Semiconductor developed the product at an engineering facility in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The line, called the Intelligent Hospital kiosk, can serve either as a home monitor for patients with chronic diseases to send vital signs and test results to healthcare providers, or as a testing device in public locations. The kiosks can be outfitted with weight scales, ultrasonic height sensors, thermometers, pulse oximeters, glucometers and other sensors. A magnetic card reader identifies patients and transmits their data via USB connection or ZigBee wireless link to a healthcare provider's computer the companies say.

In a recent test of the technology, a physician was able to perform full diagnostic screenings of 67 patients in an average of 7 minutes each and was able to diagnose five conditions previously missed. "By integrating common medical monitoring devices with medical grade connectivity and IT systems, we believe we can help lower the cost and improve patient health screenings to reduce major health complications," Freescale Semiconductor electrical engineer Dr. José Fernández Villaseñor, says in a company statement.

To learn more:
- read this Freestyle Semiconductor press release
- see this story in the Austin American-Statesman

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