Under this phase II SBIR, Advanced Medical Electronics Inc. will complete the development and testing of two models of ECG PCMCIA cards. Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) is the accepted standard for removable credit card-sized peripherals designed for use with notebook, handheld, and personal digital assistant (PDA) computers. These cards add functionality to the computer, such as phone and cellular modems, and local and wide area wireless interfaces, by providing only those hardware components necessary to implement the specific function desired. Many companies have used the rapid growth in mobile computers and interfaces to develop tools that improve the service and cost effectiveness of healthcare. An ECG PCMCIA card, allowing direct ECG data entry into the patient record databases, is the next logical step in the integration of physiological data taken with mobile computers. During phase I, a prototype twelve-lead ECG PCMCIA card for use with a PC was developed. In phase II, this card and one designed for use with PDAs, will be built and tested to AAMI standards. Additional applications tests will be done to demonstrate PCMCIA ECG data collection in mobile applications such as home health care.
The Commercial applications for this device are broad. The card and support software can be sold for various platforms or bundled with the computers and a network. Possible ties to manufacturers of medical record data base systems are foreseen.
