12-02-2004, 08:00 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Wireless Oximetry � Fab or Fad?
The world of wireless has a new product using Bluetooth technology: The Nonin Avant 4000! It sounds like something from the future, but it's definitely not a futuristic product. It comes complete with the catchy phrase, "Oximetry Unplugged�, Wireless Wearable Oximetry"! The Avant 4000 oximeter eliminates any use of wires, effectively allowing the patient the freedom of mobility. It is said to provide reliable and secure transfer of data between the wrist-strap and the monitor. In addition to all that, it also has a battery life of 120 hours. So what do you think? Is this the way of the future in patient healthcare?
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12-02-2004, 08:14 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,186
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So....what's oximetry? I'm assuming it has nothing to do with measuring large 4 legged bovine-type creatures... 
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12-02-2004, 08:21 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 164
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Measures the amount of oxygen saturation in your blood. I had this done a couple years back when I had bronchitis AND the Norwalk Virus (caused my asthma to flare up). My O2 was around 88% saturated with O2 which is BAD BAD.
I'm not sure I get the convenience, but I suppose stepping towards one less wire...
*Phil
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12-02-2004, 08:31 PM
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Editorial Contributor
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,411
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Pulse oximetry is also important in high altitude mountaineering. The same company has wrist worn models for medical use, and there are others you can find at places like REI, geared more towards outdoor activities. I have a hard time believing this is the first remote display one used for medical use. My dad had remote heart monitoring back in the early 70's. Wasn't BT though. That seems the only new thing here.
__________________
Sometimes you are the anteater, sometimes you are the ant.
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12-02-2004, 08:51 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,186
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dangerwit
Measures the amount of oxygen saturation in your blood.
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Thanks! I'll chalk that up as the second new thing I've learned today - right after "Don't poke live eels with metal forks". :mrgreen:
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12-02-2004, 09:14 PM
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Thoughts Media Review Team
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 749
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While I like the idea of wireless patient monitoring, I'm not sure how BT, with it's somewhat limited range, is going to be anything but a novelty. Until they can develop a BT with a range of a normal hospital, then it's still going to limit the patient's movement.
It would be cool, however to have a single BT attachment, which would connect the patient to all the monitors, etc. within their room (all centrally connected to the nursing station), so they could wander the corridors. A GPS would also be a big boon in locating those patients should the monitors identify anything requiring immediate attention...
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/drt
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12-02-2004, 09:47 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,734
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Don Tolson
It would be cool, however to have a single BT attachment, which would connect the patient to all the monitors, etc. within their room (all centrally connected to the nursing station), so they could wander the corridors.
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If you need oximetry, you would not be wandering the corridors. Maybe remote ECG's though...
Surur
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12-02-2004, 10:38 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 119
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I'm no MD so take my opinions and immediately discount them. That said,
the last few times I've been in the hospital, it seemed *everyone* was hooked up to an LED based oximetry device. I suppose it's just cheap liability insurance for the clinic. (I've recently been in to witness births, hip surgery, and heart surgery -- maybe these are all high risk procedures anyway?).
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12-03-2004, 08:48 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 69
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From my times spent in the hospital when they had to monitor my O2 levels all night long, I can see this as a beneficial device. One less wire to worry about getting tangled in the sheets! I do agree that a longer range device would be more beneficial, especially if it meant they could centralize monitoring more, but this is a start!
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12-03-2004, 09:58 AM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Don Tolson
While I like the idea of wireless patient monitoring, I'm not sure how BT, with it's somewhat limited range, is going to be anything but a novelty. Until they can develop a BT with a range of a normal hospital, then it's still going to limit the patient's movement.
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Yeah. Unfortunately, it's only good for a 30 feet 3-dimensional radius. Ultimately, Wi-Fi would definitely be a technology worth considering, if encrypted properly. 
The Avant 4000 brochure actually makes for a bit of interesting reading: http://www.nonin.com/documents/Avant...20Brochure.pdf
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