Feb 16 2015
Vital Connect announced today that it received Medical Device Ninsho certification to market its HealthPatch® MD as a telemetric electrocardiography transmission device and body movement sensor in Japan. As an industry pioneer of advanced wearable biosensor technology, Vital Connect offers the possibility that Japanese medical professionals can monitor the vital signs of in-hospital patients, out-patients and patients at home by using this medical device.
The HealthPatch® MD is a disposable wireless electrocardiography transmission device worn on the chest that collects and transmits biological data. Its light and thin form factor (only 10g and 6mm thick) is comfortable for patients and less obtrusive than conventional monitoring equipment. Sensors and algorithm technologies in HealthPatch® MD provide continuous, clinical-grade measurements of core health metrics, including the following: single lead ECG, heart rate, respiratory status, body movement and body surface temperature. The device uses Bluetooth 4.0 to transfer the information, and that information can be analyzed and displayed by using the medical device on which a software program developed for the HealthPatch MD® is installed.
HealthPatch MD® can be used in several important healthcare applications, including continuous gathering and transmitting of health data from patients with chronic health conditions, patients in hospital and subjects in clinical trials.
Like many other nations, Japan is facing the challenge of an aging population where by 2030, one-third of the Japanese population will be 65 years or older. More than 50% of health care spending in Japan currently goes to care for seniors, estimated at more than $227 billion per year. Over 5 million elderly Japanese live at home alone, and more than 50% do not have a child living within one hour. These demographic challenges, as well as the rapid increase in the cost of healthcare, are driving Japanese healthcare systems to find new solutions to deliver better healthcare outcomes at lower cost. With HealthPatch MD®, Vital Connect is striving to help healthcare providers address these challenges.
Whether for outpatient or in-hospital monitoring, if HealthPatch MD® is used together with other appropriate medical devices to analyze and display its data, it provides healthcare professionals with continuous, clinical grade measurements on patients’ core health data in near real time.
“Receiving Ninsho certification for HealthPatch MD® is an important milestone for Vital Connect to promote our products in Japan,” said Vital Connect CEO Nersi Nazari. “Japan is an exciting market for HealthPatch MD®, as there is a growing need for improved healthcare solutions at lower overall costs, and the Japanese have demonstrated leadership in adopting new technologies that can benefit healthcare.”
The HealthPatch MD® is already FDA-cleared, CE-Marked, and licensed and registered by Health Canada for distribution in Canada.