134-002 HORIZONS Revisions 4: 04.28.11 8 Horizons Fall 2011 For decades, medical devices functioned as standalone products. Then, manufacturers introduced proprietary networks that allowed some devices to share information. Now, those proprietary networks are being eliminated and instead medical devices are being linked together via a hospital’s main information technology (IT) network. This mo...

Abstract Background The demand for home healthcare devices arises; however, many on the market are not designed to reflect needs and features of end-users. This study explored user knowledge factors that hindered design new interrelationships between factors. Methods abovementioned were identified from analysing project documents thirty-eight carefully selected produced by five manufacturers; f...

This article explores whether the current patent system strikes the optimal balance between providing incentives to inventors to bring new medical devices to the marketplace and promoting public health by ensuring that these medical devices are widely available at a reasonable price. After providing an overview of the relationship of patent law to medical devices, the author explains how ethica...

Wearable and ultraportable electronics coupled with pervasive computing are poised to revolutionize healthcare services delivery. The potential cost savings in both treatment, as well as preventive care are the focus of several research efforts across the globe. In this review, we describe the motivations behind wearable solutions to real-time cardiovascular monitoring from a perspective of cur...

The paper presents the preliminary results of a RTD project devoted to the transfer of concepts and methods, originally developed in the industrial area, to the subject of healthcare services where a profitable application is envisaged. The approach is based on drawing out the analogies between supply chains, composed by a network of resources connected by transport devices, and the local netwo...

Mobile in conjunction with cloud computing can fulfil the vision of "Pervasive Healthcare" by enabling authorized healthcare participants to access services and required patient information without locational, time and other restraints. Of particular importance on such healthcare systems that incorporate mobile devices and cloud services is protecting the confidentiality of patient information....