A prototype of the IMI concept (Integrated Medical Instrument) was developed in the project. The IMI concept is based on a generic hardware platform for intelligent digital sensors, using wireless communication to exchange information with a Local Patient Computer (LPC) It currently supports 4 separate sensors for registration and measurement of ECG, oxygen saturation, pulse, temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and non-invasive blood pressure.
Software for the IMI and LPC was written to support the data acquisition process for ECG, SPO2 and Temperature. The initial development of a Medical Verification Database for complex interpretation and analysis of the vital signs acquired by the MNI was started. A medical decision support system based on principles of Artificial Intelligence was applied to the interpretation of the ECG data. This system was defined to run on LPC with minimum a Windows 2000 functionality.
The sensors defined in the concept provides a set of data necessary in most of the scenarios of health care, spanning from acute care to nursery monitoring. The different market segments will use the in different combinations and in different parts of the healthcare service processes. The project was targeted on advanced home care. This market segment will not be mature for years, but it will have a potential for growth based on local- and national-wide projects.
The main challenge to secure dissemination for MedIT will be to combine the best from the sensors and applications we are selling today and the new MNI in the coming product industrialization process. If we manage to combine the input from different user groups into a new flexible product platform, volume sales can be reached at a much earlier stage than aiming only for the home care segment. A new generic software application platform will be developed to cover several market segments and the main segments to start sales will be emergency care and hospitals.