Signature - Q2, 2008 - (Page 35)

“The biggest challenge may be demonstrating the viability of Bluetooth for a whole range of health issues and showing that there is a better way to do things.” – Eirik Årsand, Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine Health Care Horizon This spring, the project will move to the next level with a second group of 14 people between the ages of 40 and 70 that have type 2 diabetes, often called adult-onset. The length of the test has yet to be decided but will probably be between three and six months. “We are going to use Bluetooth (technology) connected to blood glucose sensors as well as in our newly built step counter that will wirelessly transmit data to a mobile phone with a touch-sensitive screen,” Årsand says. “This will give patients a better overview of both their glucose levels and their physical activity, in addition to their nutritional habits based on an easy few-touch system for registering. These factors are the cornerstones of good health management for those with diabetes.” Årsand fully expects use of Bluetooth technology to become standard practice for medical monitoring in the near future. In fact, future plans call for the data to be sent to diabetologists and other specialists at health care facilities for statistical and follow-up purposes. The Centre also is looking at applications beyond diabetes. “Right now we’re using the patient segment we know most about,” Årsand says. “But my group at the Centre only consists of four or ﬁve people out of a total of 100. So there are many other tests taking place in different applications. Our research is also an important project in the Tromsø Telemedicine Laboratory (TTL), a Centre for Research-based Innovation, with funding from the Norwegian Research Council and partners such as IBM and Telenor R&I.” Echoing Årsand, Nilsson believes the possibilities for wireless solutions in health care are virtually limitless. “There will be even more potential with ultra low power Bluetooth technology,” he says. “Today, something like a heartbeat monitor requires a lot of sensors to be placed on a body, and this creates a lot of hassles with cables. With ultra low power, sensors can be connected to a standard Bluetooth unit.” This could lead to a slight improvement in data transmission speed, but in medical telemetry, speed is secondary to other factors such as ease of use, equipment bulk, power consumption and cost. Bluetooth technology already has the lowest power consumption of all networked technologies. However, ultra low power Bluetooth technology could drive energy consumption to 10 percent of where it is today, with a hefty 30 percent reduction in cost, says Nilsson. Ultimately, it’s about creating a positive user experience, and that’s where Bluetooth technology could have the greatest impact of all. Len Lewis has written about the global retail industry, technology and other topics for more than 30 years. Bluetooth Special Interest Group | 35

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Signature - Q2, 2008

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