Commercialisation opportunity
Alejandro Fanjul Fernández, a telecoms engineer at the Public University of Navarre, has designed a telemedicine system based on interactive digital television for monitoring, treating and supporting patients and elderly people in their homes. The system is now ready to be commercialised, and a number of companies and government bodies have expressed an interest.
The system, known as ATS-Interactiva, sends out regular check-ups and reminders to take medication, and at the same time enables health care professional and patients to communicate directly.
The system gives doctors a complete system for monitoring patients at any time, enabling them to assess patients’ progress through the observation of their vital signs such as weight, pulse, blood pressure, glucose level and so on.
The system is likely to be very useful for monitoring patients who are convalescing, or recovering from an operation, but who are able to be independent. It is also relevant for elderly people who require their health to be monitored. Rather than going to a health clinic or hospital, the monitoring can be carried out from their sitting-room sofa using the TV remote control.
For the over-60s who watch more than 4½ hours of TV a day, the system has an application known as an “interactive dosifier” that provides a personalised reminder to take medicines. When the patient is due to take medication, the system emits a sound signal and a nurse appears on the TV screen to remind the patient of what has to be taken, with a description or written recommendation from the doctor on how it should be taken.
The system also enables communication between the patient and the doctor through interactive messages or by electronic mail, again using the TV set.
The system does not even interrupt a patient’s favourite programme. The screen can be minimised or left in the background, with medical information appearing in the foreground only when the patient has to be reminded, or she or he requests information.
ATS-Interactiva identifies the patient by means of a smart card, enabling people to be in any location where the ATS-Interactiva application is available.
Alejandro Fanjul is looking into adapting the system for use with mobile phones.
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