Researchers Working on Continuous Remote Monitoring of Epileptic Patients

This article originally appeared at medGadget.com, part of the HCPLive network.

A team of researchers at the University of Chicago Hospital’s Pediatric Epilepsy Center are working on a system which can monitor epileptic sufferers around the clock. Patients will be able to use their smartphones to record and send data to their doctor for review. The system, being developed in collaboration with Chicago based Wave Technology Group, can provide text message alerts to the patient or caregivers about potential upcoming seizures. Additionally, the system will be cheaper and more portable than current EEG monitoring solutions. Wave hopes to attain FDA approval for the system by the end of next year.

From BusinessWeek's coverage:

The prototype now in development includes a small 16-channel amplifier - smaller than a credit card -- that would be attached by wires to sensors on a patient's head. In the current design, a hat with a pocket sewn inside would be used to carry the amplifier.

The software would control the gathering of brain wave data by the amplifier and the ability to send it via Bluetooth to a smartphone carried by the patient, and from there to a typical cellular network for transfer to a monitoring center.

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