Medical Device Link.

WHAT'S NEW

People aren’t the only ones who need communication skills. In our wired world, machines also need to be able to talk to each other . . . and to us, for that matter. Promoting a sort of Esperanto for personal healthcare products is the goal of the Continua Health Alliance. Cambridge Consultants recently announced that it has joined the organization. As a member of the consortium of healthcare and technology companies, Cambridge Communications offers its Vena platform, a low-cost single-chip communication product that can provide wired (USB) and wireless (Bluetooth) connectivity to health devices.

“Device interoperability is a key focus for the alliance,” explains David Whitlinger, president and chair of its board of directors. “If we are to address the significant problems for healthcare provision around the world, we need to deliver technology that enables people to manage their own healthcare. Cambridge Consultants’ Vena platform is a positive step in delivering that vision.”

The Vena platform offers a breakthrough software solution on a single chip that allows medical devices to communicate. Vena includes the three standards required for the Version One Device Connectivity Standards selected by the Continua Health Alliance. It embeds the Bluetooth Health Device Profile and USB Personal Health Device standard, optimized for the secure transport of medical data, onto a single chip at an affordable price. Vena also offers the IEEE11073 standards for compatible exchange of information between health devices including thermometers, weighing scales, and blood glucose meters.

“Vena provides the capability to rapidly develop Continua-certified devices,” says Paul Williamson, head of wireless medical at Cambridge Consultants. “We are now engaging with medical device companies from within Continua with the aim of making compatible personal health and fitness devices a reality.”