21 May 2010

The Business Times 

Start-up develops smallest ECG device

WEB Biotechnology, a Singapore-based medical technology start-up, has developed the world's smallest and lightest wearable electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring device. Named the Spyder, it weighs 26 grams and is six cm at the longest. It can transmit real-time ECG signals to a wireless device such as a mobile phone.

Use of the device is simple. With the help of a specially-designed pad, the Spyder can be attached onto a person's chest. A rechargeable battery allows for continuous ECG monitoring, transmission and storage of the ECG signal to a paired device. Batteries can last up to 24 hours on a single one-hour charge. The ECG signal will also be sent, simultaneously, over the Internet to a computer server that has been programmed to identify abnormal patterns which will then be brought to the attention of a qualified healthcare professional. Currently, the most commonly used ECG monitoring devices are bulky and wired to external power supplies. They are also unable to transmit the signals.

The Spyder will begin clinical trials next month in one of the public hospitals in Singapore. The system is expected to be officially launched in July after undergoing the necessary regulatory approvals and certification. Philip Wong, the medical director of WEB Biotechnology, said: "The Spyder will be especially helpful in the detection of underlying heart conditions in individuals and the rehabilitation of patients recovering from recent heart attacks."