Re: Info On Your Linux Health Projects/Collaboration

[Mario Baldini]

Dear Ira and fellows,

Happy New Year! Just now with the holiday season I was able to proper respond some pending e-mails in my inbox. 

We have been using Beaglebone as a hardware tool to ease development of a platform around the TI's AM335x. This SoC was chosen because its performance capabilities (LCD control, high level OS -- android), while keeping a relative low cost when compared to other embedded computers. 

In the future we plan to build a custom hardware from scratch, using this SoC.

The short time goal is to develop a "totem" style product, for homecare use. We are currently integrating an OEM module to acquire Blood Pressure. We also have partially developed a module for electrocardiogram acquisition. 

This personal hub would then transmit the data to a central (using GSM network). Some data would be directly acquired by the totem, or also by external modules (like wristwatches, etc). For other portable modules we are still evaluating some technologies, like AVR vs ARM based microcontrollers, or 2.4Ghz vs 433Mhz band.

Since we are a startup (with no big capital), we are developing this as a commercial product for a specific customer, but the ownership is still ours. As we gain financial stability, we intend to make this opensource and give the proper support. 

In our view, just throwing the source code and schematics isn't the right way to do opensource. Specially in the healthcare field, we need to take special care of it, in a way that the final product really reaches the patients, avoiding that the project  doesn't simply implodes.

Regarding the goals of Physiosense,  we basically share all of them. It would be great to contribute with anything possible.

One big issue that we didn't quite figured out how to solve, when it comes to making it opensource, is how to build something that is really usable in the real world, and not just for academic / educational purposes.

There are many tools (ie. arduino based) for health data acquisition. These tools are *great* for learning purposes, or niche scientific use. But mostly aren't legally approved for deploys with real patients. 

I personally don't think that the technical aspects are the main problem. I see you investing a great effort in the specification of inputs, sensors, etc for the platform. 

At least in the Brazilian healthcare market, we learned that most of the work is non technical.  It's difficult to see a project like this to succeed and gain large scale  without a proper market strategy and financial roadmap. 

By "how to put in in the market" I don't mean commercial / how to sell it. But how to legally use in the real world patients. 

I constantly see medical products that are technically simple, but costs *a lot*, simple because there are few vendors and most solutions are imported.

What we are trying at Atto is to create products ( and opensource them) to be effectively used by patients, in the real world treatment, since most of the available solutions are proprietary and overpriced.

What is the roadmap of the project, regarding the certification process ( and financial support of it ) ? 

Forgive me if I misunderstood its goals, and to certificate it isn't one of them. But in my view, if we want that this platform become widely used, by real patients, the product must be properly certificated. 

Certification process implies (at least in Brazil) that someone becomes directly responsible for it (liability). Who would fulfil this role in the project? Would a company/foundation be in charge of it? 

Also, is there any intersection point with the Continua Health Alliance ( http://www.continuaalliance.org/index.html ) ?

I'm not trying to just point out problems. I am sincerely exposing the main issues that we have facing, as a way to discuss it further. 

Thank you,

Best regards,

Mario Baldini

2012/12/17 Ira Laefsky <lae...@comcast.net>

Hi Mario:

 

I am eager to learn more about your Linux projects involving collecting data from Health Sensors, and to learn more about how we might work together for the benefit of Health Self-Trackers (e.g. the “Quantified Self” community) and Open Source data aggregation.  Pls. let me know some more about what you have done in the past and your thoughts on our documentation.

 

--Ira Laefsky

lae...@comcast.net

SKYPE: ira.m.laefsky

Gooogle Groups: Physiosense

 

 

From: mario....@gmail.com [mailto:mario....@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Mario Baldini
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 8:28 PM
To: Ira Laefsky
Subject: Contact

 

Dear Ira,

 

 

Sorry I couldn't reply you sooner. I just came back from a business trip and had many issues to resolve. 

 

Please don't see this as a lack of interest. I am very interested in contributing to your proposal. 

 

 

Best regards,

 

Mario Baldini

 

--

Atto Engenharia de Sistemas

Caixa Postal 10170

Florianópolis - SC

CEP: 88062-020

Brasil

 

--

Atto Engenharia de Sistemas

Caixa Postal 10170

Florianópolis - SC

CEP: 88062-970

Brasil