News & Updates

Evoz, a start-up founded by two tech product developers and a businesswoman, has launched their new iPhone app that allows you to convert your cell phone into a baby monitor. Withings (they offer the scale and new blood pressure cuff) has something similar coming out soon.

Mother Knows, an online hub of medical records for parents, raised $1.7 million in seed funding. Backers include “First Round Capital, Giza Ventures, Charles River Ventures, The Band of Angels, former Google Health product manager Maneesh Arora, and other individual investors”.

It may be of no surprise to us, but more and more articles such as this one are revealing the increase in the number of start-ups that are utilizing social media as well as mobile and web-based tools to allow patients to strengthen control over their health. Many of the technologies featured have also been presented at Health 2.0.

As part of the ONC’s Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Project (SHARP), Mayo Clinic has been working to develop a single tool for sorting EHR data across varying formats to eventually allow for secondary use while retaining security.

Health Insurance manager, Humana, Inc. has launched a virtual world tool, HumanaVille, for senior citizens to take control over their health plans and actions. It’s made by Numdeon, the inventors of the kids virtual world WhyVille. With graphics similar to The Palace circa 1996, the platform should be pretty approachable to those unfamiliar with virtual worlds.

Tracking app TheCarrot.com announced the launch of a new cloud-based platform for social health exchange for its clinical clients (including UCSF).

DrChrono, a company that’s among the first to build an iPad native EHR raised $675K in seed funding. It’s already been through the Y-Combinator incubator, and (of course) has presented three times at Health 2.0.

Oxford University researchers are utilizing new technologies that will (hopefully) allow for bionic glasses to replace guide dogs for the seeing impaired.

Wireless technology developer, Toumaz Limited, has received FDA approval for its Sensium Digital Plaster technology- minimally invasive monitor that acquires data such as body temperature, heart rate, and respiration rate, and can transmit the information to wireless devices. The company has formed a joint venture with California Capital Equity (holding company for Patrick Soon-shiong) for distribution and commercialization of the new technology.

Joining the crowd (fitbit, BodyMedia, Basis et al), phone headset manufacturer Jawbone showed off prototypes of its Up wristband and body monitor.