LifeBot® advanced EMS emergency telemedicine and communications.

The most advanced Emergency EMS Decision Support on the LifeBot Slate Tablet PC.

adminbot — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:49:42 +0000

LifeBot announced it has certified Odyssey Decision Support Software (DSS), the most advanced patient assessment system for Emergency EMS use, for use on it’s LifeBot® Slate tablet PC. The software may also run simultaneously the the tabelt PC with the LifeBot DREAMS telemedicine client.

Odyssey and DREAMS™ Telemedicine Integrated

Odyssey is a critical component for Community Paramedicine and Mobile Healthcare delivery. It provides for fast, safe, more accurate patient assessments in just minutes. LifeBot has issued a new technology guide entitled “Responding to the Needs of Community Paramedicine”. The guide details how the DREAMS telemedicine system, developed with the U.S. Military, is combined with Odyssey to form a powerful combination. Now each may run on the 1.5 pound portable Hewlett Packard Slate 2.

Odyssey may be utilized at the priority dispatch level, in emergency departments, clinical patient non-emergency calls centers, and in telemedicine tele-hub operations. Extremely successful, it now occupies more than sixty percent of the market for General Practitioners in the U.K. handling more than 18 million calls over a 15 year period without any major legal issues. No other clinical decision support software can make these claims. Average patient assessment times may be as little as 5 or 6 minutes, virtually eliminating ‘over-triaging’. While simultaneously increasing efficiencies, it significantly reduces the risks associated with medical errors.

Why Decision Support Software?

The Odyssey DSS performs real-time patient assessments referencing over one million words of clinical data. The human brain simply cannot perform this function. But Odyssey can, and it can do this in just a few minutes. It provides a vivid list of differential diagnoses in just seconds. This not only speeds assessments and care, but significantly lowers risks and errors.

Fast accurate pre-hospital patient assessments are also required in the design of an EMS Mobile Healthcare System. So Odyssey is not just for use in dispatch tele-nursing. The use of DSS at both the dispatch and on-board pre-hospital vehicles provides for an early alert system for discerning whether one is dealing with an emergent or non-emergent situation. Errors and risk may be significantly reduced in both areas of use.

Odyssey is the first integral component for forging a pathway to millions in healthcare delivery savings in the EMS Mobile Healthcare model; to demonstrate significant savings similar to those already produced in the UK over many years.

download Free Community Paramedicine Guide..

© LifeBot, LLC, 2012, All rights reserved. Patented. Additional patents pending.
LifeBot, LLC 2303 North 44th Street, Suite 14, Phoenix, AZ 85008 | Telephone: 877-466-1422
Date: 2012. | Post Permalink URL
Home Page | RSS Feed | Twitter | FaceBook | YouTube
Post tags: Community Paramedicine, decision support software, EMS Mobile Healthcare System, mobile healthcare, Odyssey Decision Support Software, Odyssey Decision Support System, patient assessment, patient assessments, slate tablet

Now the most advanced Telemedicine Cart is an Emergency Crash Cart

adminbot — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:12:12 +0000

"Multi-Function" to Save Both Money-Budgets and Lives.

A mobile telemedicine cart should be versatile enough to handle routine day-to-day procedures but capable enough to manage unexpected emergencies as well. One should not have to purchase multiple carts to fit multiple needs. One cart should "do-it-all"
..it should be an "all-in-one" solution.

The First "Virtual Ambulance™".

Now with the world’s most advanced Emergency Crash Cart, hospital Crash Cart Teams may deploy a cart where specialists may respond in seconds no matter where they are. They may simply login remotely to the cart system to be "virtually" on-the-scene.

Video-Conferencing is Not Telemedicine.

If one looks at the prominent telemedicine cart suppliers today, you may be shocked to find out most have little or no experience in the healthcare field at all; little knowledge of medical devices and acquiring critical life-saving physiologic information. Most are dedicated to performing video teleconferencing only and have a history as only audio visual specialists. view more..

Exclusive Telemedicine Technologies Developed with the U.S. Military.

LifeBot mobile telemedicine carts are the first and only carts designed to transmit "live" voice, video and full patient physiological data. This is the data usually acquired by complete physiological monitoring systems that are connected directly to the patient. Such parameters include ECG, Pulse Ox, NIBP, Invasive BP, and much much more. LifeBot carts utilize DREAMS™ technologies developed with the U.S. Military making them the most advanced in the world. view more..

The DREAMS™ system was conceived by renowned trauma surgeon James "Red" Duke, Jr. Dr. Duke and S. Ward Cassells, M.D, former Assistant Secretary of Defense (Medical Affairs, received the General Maxwell Thurman Award for these designs at the national meeting of the American Telemedicine Association.

© LifeBot, LLC, 2012, All rights reserved. Patented. Additional patents pending.
LifeBot, LLC 2303 North 44th Street, Suite 14, Phoenix, AZ 85008 | Telephone: 877-466-1422
Date: 2012. | Post Permalink URL
Home Page | RSS Feed | Twitter | FaceBook | YouTube
Post tags: ambulance, american telemedicine association, an Emergency Crash Cart, cart system, deploy, emergency, Emergency Crash Cart, knowledge, lifebot, S. Ward Cassells, solution, telemedicine, telemedicine technologies, today, trade, video teleconferencing

LifeBot Mobile Healthcare Technology Design Guide for Community Paramedicine

adminbot — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:31:52 +0000

Responding to the
Needs of Community Paramedicine ^sm

EMS Mobile Healthcare Systems
LifeBot Technology Design Guide Kit

This is a comprehensive guide to the deployment of the Mobile Primary Care Unit (MPCU) for delivering primary care via EMS providers. This guide also is a detailed presentation on EMS Telemedicine and the prospects for using these technologies for substantially reducing healthcare costs.

Crucial to these systems is the use of Decision Support Software (DSS) to triage callers at the dispatch, call-center, and in actual field operations to determine if a call or a patient is an actual emergency (emergent) or non-emergency (non-emergent). Also reviewed is the crucial nature of EMS Telemedicine to “look inside” and acquire critical physiological data and transmit this to hospital physicians and specialists to save lives.

Download Guide

The Role of Triage in Electronic Health Records (EHR)

The first step in building patient records is triage or teletriage. This is the start of initializing the whole process of managing electronic patient records. EHR (Electronic Health Record), EMR (Electronic Medical Record), and ePCR (electronic Patient Care Record) all need to be merged, but currently lack data interoperability or compatibility, particularly between hospital and prehospital based systems. Look to LifeBot® to be the first to fully integrate all of these and meet the NEMSIS 3.0 telemedicine multimedia integration standards. Stay tuned to this page for major developments in this area. This is why we are concentrating our efforts in this area at the beginning.

Triage and TeleTriage clinical Decision Support Software (DSS) are necessary ‘front ends’ to properly and safely manage health care patient record systems. A triage system is only as good as the amount of accurate clinical information it contains and how easily and quickly patient assessments may be executed. That’s why our teletriage systems, Odyssey, have the most highly developed databases for this purpose. This highly developed system contains more than one million words of clinical triage information for safe and accurate assessments. It can substantially lower risks and more clearly determine emergent or nonemergent status of a patient at the earliest stages of patient record management. Data may be transferred into ambulance or hospital record systems once responsive triage is executed.

© LifeBot, LLC, 2012, All rights reserved. Patented. Additional patents pending.
LifeBot, LLC 2303 North 44th Street, Suite 14, Phoenix, AZ 85008 | Telephone: 877-466-1422
Date: 2012. | Post Permalink URL
Home Page | RSS Feed | Twitter | FaceBook | YouTube
Post tags: Community Paramedicine, decision support software, ehr, electronic health record, electronic health records, emergent, EMS Mobile Healthcare Systems LifeBot Technology Design Guide Kit, Guide, Health, lifebot, LifeBot Mobile Healthcare Technology Design Guide for Community Paramedicine, link, Mobile Primary Care Unit, software, telemedicine, Triage

ems1.com: DREAMS revolutionizes communication between ER and ambulance

adminbot — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:51:36 +0000

It is arguable the most sophisticated example of a working telemedicine system in EMS. Dan White

By Dan White on ems1.com:

In years to come, telemedicine systems like DREAMS™ will protect first responders by documenting what they did and under exactly what kind of circumstances.

A combination of hardware and software, Disaster Relief and Emergency Medical Services (DREAMS) enables advanced communications between EMS and the ER in real time. DREAMS™ was in use for several years on five ambulances in Liberty County, Texas.

DREAMS™ was originally developed as a military research project using $14 million in funding through U. S. Army Materiel Command and the Telemedicine and Technology Research Center (TATRC), in conjunction with Texas A&M University and the University of Texas Science Health Center.

The system was in use for several years on five ambulances in Liberty County, Texas. Last month I was invited to take a tour of one of these ambulances in Houston, Texas. It is arguable the most sophisticated example of a working telemedicine system in EMS. After I got a close look at DREAMS, I called up and talked to two Paramedics who actually used it.

Mike Koen, EMT-B and Executive Director at Liberty County EMS, was part of a project in conjunction with Texas A&M University and Memorial Herman. At the start of the project, the idea was to “prove that mobile telecommunications in a moving ambulance was feasible.”

DREAMS™ was used for six years in Liberty County Texas

We proved that because it works, and it works very well. Mike Koen

“The biggest benefit is improved survivability,” Koen added. “First by providing better support and then later by driving the development of better training to match the new advanced skill demands. EMS is rapidly evolving and telemedicine in EMS is the next logical step.”

He reported about how they used the DREAMS™ ambulance during Hurricane Katrina, and also told me the story of how two of them were pulled into the bay to replace a closed ER during Rita.

It was during Rita when a PA on the DREAMS™ ambulance linked up with famed Trauma Surgeon James Henry “Red” Duke, Jr. at Herman Memorial for a live telemedicine consultation during a difficult hand repair.

DREAMS offers direct live transmission of voice and video, along with prioritized patient physiologic data, including 12-lead ECG, blood gases, ultrasound, e-PCR, EHR, blood pressure, and more.

The installed hardware includes a touch screen panel and portable user interface, two roof mounted cameras, headset communications, two bar code readers for scanning supplies used, and even a card scanner. Swipe a patient’s driver’s license or credit card and their name, age, and maybe address shows up instantly on your patient record.

DREAMS stores all this data in the ambulance.

DREAMS stores all this data in the ambulance. If it loses communications due to physical location or bandwidth limitations, it will save all data until communications are re-established. Then it sends all the saved data and updates your destination on current status, sending the most relevant data first (like the ECG on a chest pain patient).

All of this data instantly populates the e-PCR, and you can stop constructing narrative from memory to complete the chart. Since many large regions use established e-PCR systems, DREAMS can also integrate and populate other e-PCR systems.

It offers remarkable flexibility. If the ER doctor wants an updated BP, he doesn’t have to ask you to take it. They can just push a button on their screen and initiate another BP reading in your truck, because the multi-parameter monitor talks to DREAMS. If he wants to increase the tidal volume on your ventilator, once again he can do it remotely without bothering you when you have your hands full. When he gives a med order he can also instant message you the exact dosage in text form to confirm the order and reduce the potential for communications errors.

On the ER’s HP touch screen, doctors can even use a stylus to circle where they want your attention. They can pan, tilt, and zoom the cameras remotely if they want to take a closer look at something. The whole idea is to improve and streamline communications through interconnectivity, and the test DREAMS system in Liberty County only had one real limitation: it only worked with one destination hospital and was intended primarily for trauma.

In this case, only Memorial Herman was connected. The hospital had two big screens, one showing live video and one showing all the physiological data. The layout of the ambulance components was clearly designed with the input of working street professionals.

My tour of the DREAMS™ Ambulance:

During my tour of the Liberty County DREAMS ambulance I was amazed how cleverly everything was placed. The cameras covered the action from different angles, yet both were well out of potential head strike zones. The printer was tucked up front out of the way, and the two bar code scanners were exactly where your hands would be naturally when pulling down supplies. The card scanner was right at the head end attendant seat.

Liberty County EMS Paramedic Supervisor Johnny Spurlock, EMT-P, also worked on the DREAMS ambulances, and I asked him what he thought the major benefits of the system were.

“DREAMS™ was designed to give us access to a Trauma Surgeon in the field. It was great knowing you could count on them to watch your back,” he said.

I asked him if he also saw potential for this technology to help select the best destination for cardiac patients and he said it most definitely would. I asked him if he wished he still had the system operational again with all the area hospitals able to receive data from it. Not a half-second elapsed before he answered, “Yes I do.”

In years to come, telemedicine systems like DREAMS™ will protect first responders by documenting what they did and under exactly what kind of circumstances. They will streamline and improve communications while re-distributing valuable time. They will give our Medical Directors real-time tools to better support their EMS professionals. Telemedicine also has the potential to improve the utilization of diminishing healthcare resources. It will help patients get the care they need when they need it.

For all of these reasons and more, these kinds of systems will become commonplace in EMS; it’s just a matter of time before they do.

DREAMS™ and Liberty County EMS have led the way by proving that telemedicine works.

LifeBot® – Heath 33rd Patent to Issue Integrating Telemedicine with Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS)

adminbot — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:09:16 +0000

LifeBot has just been advised that R. Lee Heath will have his 33rd patent issue from the U.S. Patent Office. The new patent integrates crucial call management, Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) and resuscitation technologies that will only be available from LifeBot.

According to CEO, Roger Heath, "This new patent has major ramifications when applied to managing emergencies during telemedicine home remote monitoring. The majority of these patients are chronic and they are going to have an emergency arise. The patented system does away with the old mantra, “Hang up and dial 911.” because the last thing patients wish to do is disconnect a doctor or nurse during an emergency. There is no reason to hang-up on high-level life-saving medical expertise in the midst of an emergency. This could cost human lives."

"Most very large telemedicine firms have been investing billions in home remote monitoring and this undoubtedly will reduce healthcare costs. But, they seem to have "skipped over" or completely forgotten that most of these patients are going to have an emergency. This is inevitable.", states Heath, "So emergency management is critical to saving more lives and LifeBot® holds the exclusive patented technologies to make this possible."

When this patent is combined with Heath’s patented resuscitation technologies, this forms the basis for the most advanced home remote monitoring systems with emergency management "built-in" says, Heath.

© LifeBot, LLC, 2012, All rights reserved. Patented. Additional patents pending.
LifeBot, LLC 2303 North 44th Street, Suite 14, Phoenix, AZ 85008 | Telephone: 877-466-1422
Date: 2011. | Post Permalink URL
Home Page | RSS Feed | Twitter | FaceBook | YouTube
Post tags: call, dial, doctor, emergency, emergency management, Home, lifebot, patent, personal emergency response systems, R. Lee Heath, remote monitoring, resuscitation, roger heath, telemedicine, u s patent office

Health Care Innovation to Reform Prehospital Care in Emergency Rooms

adminbot — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:44:10 +0000

A person would use lateral thinking when they want to move from one known idea to creating new ideas. Dr. Richard Reese

Lateral thinking is solving problems through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic. . Lateral thinking is concerned with the movement of ideas. A person would use lateral thinking when they want to move from one known idea to creating new ideas. Edward de Bono defines four types of thinking tools:

Idea generating tools that are designed to break current thinking patterns—routine patterns, the status quo
Focus tools that are designed to broaden where to search for new ideas
Harvest tools that are designed to ensure more value is received from idea generating output
Treatment tools that are designed to consider real-world constraints, resources, and support.

November 6, 2011 – When I received the following email from Roger Heath, a biomedical engineer who is CEO of www. lifebot.us.com, I thought immediately of the concept of “lateral thinking,” arriving at innovation through direct and creative thinking.

Edward de Bono, MD, founder of a thinking institute in Malta, says the medical system is comprised of a horizontal landscape full of vertical holes with a specialists at the bottom of each hole. The problem is the vertical holes do not always intersect. The Internet, social media, and IT Techologies are in the process of connecting the holes. This is especially true in business-friendly environments, where entreprenuers and venture capitalists actively talk to each other.

The medical system is comprised of a horizontal landscape full of vertical holes with a specialists at the bottom of each hole. Edward de Bono, MD

The E-Mail:

We are focused on the ‘front door’ of the hospital, the Emergency Department, where roughly 80% of admissions occur. This is also where most medical record systems are initialized. We are working with Chief Dennis Murphy of the International Association of Fire Chiefs in this area. This is the “eye of the storm” of our projects, you might find this perspective fascinating because this may save cities tens of millions right away, even during healthcare reforms.

Simply put, this involves the prioritizing calls as emergent or non-emergent. Then non-emergency calls (30-60% at the 911 level) may be responded to with a lower cost Mobile Primary Care Unit (MPCU) that can elevate care, lower risks, and save substantial monies. To do this, one needs Decision Support Software (DSS) and mobile telemedicine. In the middle of healthcare reforms, major cities can respond by significantly lowering costs while providing higher levels of care at the same time. It’s a win-win situation, for both providers and patients.

I saw you reporting on Skype being used to qualify ED visits. I view this as potentially very risky, when done without Decision Support Software, like our Odyssey systems. Nurse teletriage was started in major U.S. city some years ago and resulted in a patient lawsuit that was successful and resulted in the complete over-haul of the fire department administration. This set back this concept for some years. Many are experimenting in this area without a great deal of understanding of the inherent risks. I did a post on our site that addresses this issue about using video conferencing only. See: Video Tele-Conferencing is NOT Telemedicine!

I brought the Odyssey DSS software from the UK because I could not find this in the US. It has done over 20 million assessments without a lawsuit. It has been developed over 15 years now. East Midlands Ambulance service has already been saving $11 million annually using the software for some years. I recently was at the Cleveland Clinic reviewing all of this at a very special meeting there regarding call center management. Triage and qualifying patients needs is becoming a central focus. See: DSS Tele-Triage

Prioritizing and coordinating care is the name of the game. It involves very carefully, and safely, matching patient needs to exactly the level of care required.

Reposted from Dr. Richard Reese’ “Medinnovation Blog” view full article

© LifeBot, LLC, 2012, All rights reserved. Patented. Additional patents pending.
LifeBot, LLC 2303 North 44th Street, Suite 14, Phoenix, AZ 85008 | Telephone: 877-466-1422
Date: 2011. | Post Permalink URL
Home Page | RSS Feed | Twitter | FaceBook | YouTube
Post tags: area, concept, decision support software, Edward de Bono, emergency, Fire, health care innovation, idea, landscape, Lateral, Lateral thinking, person, Reform Prehospital Care, Richard Reese, software

Dream a Little Dream with Me – Emergency Management

adminbot — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:57:47 +0000

What do you get when you invest $14 million and 6 years of field tests in an emergency medical services telemedicine system? You get DREAMS™ Bob Pessemier

What do you get when you invest $14 million and 6 years of field tests in an emergency medical services telemedicine system? You get DREAMS™ – Disaster Relief and Emergency Medical Services – described as the most advanced EMS telemedicine system in the world. The $14 million came from the U. S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and the Telemedicine and Technology Research Center (TATRC) through a Congressionally Funded military research project. The six years of field tests were done in Liberty County Texas. LifeBot® is the company bringing DREAMS™ to the public safety, EMS, and hospital emergency medicine markets. I had the pleasure to interview Dr. James “Red” Duke and Roger Heath recently about DREAMSTM and what this solution can do for emergency medicine.

DREAMS™ is a complete telemedicine system to connect EMS field units to hospitals and doctors who may be hundreds of miles away and spread out across the country or across the globe. You can transmit voice, video, patient data, and even instruct field personnel on medical procedures. The system integrates voice, video, data, wireless networking, and radio-telephone communications systems.

The solution can be installed in ambulance or EMS units to create a Super Ambulance or Mobile Primary Care Unit and can also be used by field personnel on an HP Slate 500 tablet PC. Hospitals can connect the emergency department with the field units using the HP TouchSmart 9100 in the hospital.

The goal of the system is to provide better triage, diagnosis, and treatment on the scene. DREAMS™ is designed to help public safety agencies and hospitals save lives, lower liability risk, and reduce costs.

Solution Overview:

For Example:

Let’s say you have a Medic unit set up with the DREAMSTM solution and they respond to a car accident that is 100 miles from the nearest hospital. Doctors will be able to view the patient and their injuries with one of the three cameras mounted in the unit and the even view the scene so they can determine method and extent of injuries. They can look up patient records from a hospital database and consult in real time with a hospital trauma department. Patient vital signs and other telemetry data are transmitted to the hospital. A doctor in the trauma center could help the paramedics close a large laceration (something they are not trained to do) that is critical to a patient’s survival. Triage and patient care becomes much more effective and efficient. They can also communicate with anyone they need to even if they are on a cell phone, land line, or a completely different radio system.

What Sets Them Apart:

A major differentiator of DREAMSTM is that it is an all-in-one integrated system designed to work seamlessly from the field to the hospital in any technology environment. This system was used for six years in Liberty County Texas and is the only telemedicine system used in actual disasters (Katrina, Rita, Ike).

The people behind this solution are also unique. Dr. James Duke is a renowned trauma surgeon, introduced the first helicopter life flight program in the U.S., attended to Governor Connally’s wounds during the JFK assassination, and hosted the former PBS series, “Bodywatch”. His credentials and involvement in EMS is on the scale of legendary.

Roger Lee Heath is an entrepreneur and inventor who is credited with bringing the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to the EMS world. Mr. Heath is another legendary figure in telemedicine technology.

Dr. S. Ward Cassells received the General Maxwell Thurman Award for his participation in the design of the DREAMS Digital Ambulance telemedicine system, is the former Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs), and is the John E. Tyson Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Public Health, and Vice President for External Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Texas at Houston, and Senior Scholar at the Texas Heart Institute.

The contribution these three have made to health care and telemedicine over the years is very impressive. They should know what they are doing with LifeBot and DREAMS.

Client Quote:

“Through our close collaboration with innovative technology leaders like LifeBot, HP mobile technology products bring physicians closer to the point of care, regardless of their location. In the back of an ambulance where every second counts, this type of technology is particularly critical, said Chris Mertens, vice president, Healthcare, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Combining our HP Slate 500 and HP TouchSmart PCs with Lifebot’s DREAMS™ ambulance teletriage system is revolutionizing speed of care in emergency health situations and truly saving lives.”

From Roger Heath: “DREAMStm has many applications beyond ambulance telemedicine – the software can be used on hospital mobile telemedicine carts and desktops, or by neurologists on LifeBot’s hub and spoke system to meet American Heart Association recommendations for telestroke. DREAMStm can expand those capabilities to include teletrauma, e-ICU, and disaster management. With the 1.5 pound HP Slate tablet PC, a physician or intensivist can remotely connect hospital-to-hospital or hospital-to-ambulance from almost anywhere, and at any time, to save lives. Call centers, or “telemedicine hubs” may quickly triage and dispatch higher levels of care. Improved communications and care coordination provides for new efficiencies significantly lowering healthcare delivery costs.”

View full Article on Emergency Management

© LifeBot, LLC, 2012, All rights reserved. Patented. Additional patents pending.
LifeBot, LLC 2303 North 44th Street, Suite 14, Phoenix, AZ 85008 | Telephone: 877-466-1422
Date: 2011. | Post Permalink URL
Home Page | RSS Feed | Twitter | FaceBook | YouTube
Post tags: ambulance, Department, dreams, emergency, emergency medical services, field tests, HP TouchSmart, solution, telemedicine, telemedicine system, trade, Triage, Unit, voice

Prepare to Hear More About Low Energy Cardiac Defibrillation and the LifeBot Patented Telemedicine Robot

adminbot — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 07:20:23 +0000

LifeBot® announced today that founder, R. Lee Heath, has received Notice of Allowance from the U.S.P.T.O. of his 32nd patent focusing on integration cardiac defibrillation and telemedicine robotics.

Phoenix, AZ, USA September 8, 2011 : Cardiac defibrillators, used to shock heart arrest victims back to life, are in widespread use throughout the world today. They are in virtually all hospitals, most ambulances, at airports and major public gatherings, aboard airplanes and sea going vessels. They are implanted similar to pacemakers. But, what if defibrillators could use 80% less energy? Could they be much smaller lighter and cost less? Would there be less pain and heart tissue damage?

Most of this is possible according to CEO and founder R. Lee Heath. With his 32nd patent issuing, LifeBot® is even better positioned to deliver these exclusive resuscitation and telemedicine technologies. LifeBot® is focused on the use of remote telemedicine to manage critical emergency life saving procedures.

New Reports: Successful Defibrillation with 80% Less Energy:

Researchers in the U.S. and Germany surprised everyone just a few weeks ago announcing the results of their extraordinary studies showing that defibrillation may be performed using counter-shocks with almost 80% less energy. The studies were done on internal procedures with electrodes connecting directly to the heart. But, according to Heath, it is just a matter of time before this area of research will have an impact on external procedures as well. Each study demonstrated that a series of small shocks could produce similar results to that of a large single counter-shock or the conventional method most commonly utilized by all defibrillators today.

According to Science Daily, "An international team of scientists — from the Max-Planck-Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (Göttingen, Germany), Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon (France), the University Medicine Göttingen (Germany), the Rochester Institute of Technology (USA), and the Institut Non-Linéaire de Nice (France) — has developed a new low-energy method for terminating life-threatening cardiac fibrillation of the heart. They have shown that their new technique called LEAP (Low-Energy Anti-fibrillation Pacing) reduces the energy required for defibrillation by more than 80% as compared to the current conventional method. Their discovery opens the path for the painless therapy of life threatening cardiac fibrillation."

The LifeBot® – A Telemedicine Robot to Keep You Alive™:

According to Heath, the methods used in the above studies are the same methods reflected within his patent already issued by the USPTO. ( US Patent # 7,672,720 , Domestic and International Patents Pending. ) Heath was very gratified to see the research by such esteemed institutions affirming his already patented methods. Heath also stated that, in his opinion, this research only “scratches the surface”. There is more work to do to carry this into widespread use for both implantable ( Internal Cardiac Defibrillators or “ICD” ) and external ( Automatic External Defibrillators or “AED” ) systems. Either way, Heath’s already awarded patent is designed to apply to both instances of use.

Smaller size and weight with reduced cost? “Yes”, says Heath, "The external defibrillator prototypes we have constructed and tested some time ago are only about one and one-half inches square." This has given rise to speculation that these systems could be integrated or added to a PC, tablet, or even a cell phone. This has already been the subject of additional patent documentation on file at LifeBot® for some time.

The patent covers the unique concept of a "Telemedicine Robot" or "LifeBot®" or life support communications system that any one may use under very adverse circumstances. Integrated is the ability to trigger remote telemedicine so a doctor or nurse is virtually "on-the-scene" to aid the patient and/or rescuers. Contact with 911 or 999 dispatch may also be independently initiated as well. Electronic or Personal Medical Record ( EHR or PCR ) may be immediately shared as well as GPS and common location records.

The "e;robot"e; may even initiate emergency calls for help if the owner is alone and collapses or becomes completely disabled. Some have termed the LifeBot® as, "OnStar® for your home or business", but the system goes much further. The product will be made available to consumers for personal use "over-the-counter" the same as existing AEDs.

It goes without question the LifeBot® will be an invaluable life-saving tool for use by paramedics and lay rescuers. It should also be noted that the patented system is the first and only design to fully integrate and automate the American Heart Association’s recommended "Chain of Survival" which says dial 911 first before deploying an AED. There is no easy breakdown in this chain when using the LifeBot®. No doubt, paramedics and rescuers will love carrying substantially smaller more cost effective defibrillators.

Sending patients that may be at risk home is a difficult and potentially very risky prospect for both hospitals and physicians. The concerned physician can send the patient home with a LifeBot® knowing that an emergency system has been put in place should the most dire of consequences arise.

Many patients are in denial and very hesitant to dial 911, but with the LifeBot® most agree that patients will likely call much earlier for a telemedicine consult to assess whether symptoms are potentially serious. The prospect of patients calling with the earliest symptoms is an idea readily embraced by members of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association and the Chest Pain Society.

32nd Patent Notice of Allowance – A Legacy Continued:

R. Lee Heath is best known as the inventor making possible the modern Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) through his patented electrode defib-pads ( R2-Pads or Combo-Pads ) that are placed on the chest to shock cardiac arrest victims. He was recommended for the Lemelson MIT Prize by American Heart Association officials and other peers. The first use of his earliest inventions has placed him in cardiac electrophysiology labs around the world, where he has conversed with the most prominent cardiologists about procedural and theoretical treatment methods for more than thirty years. "This is how it happened", says Heath.

Now that legacy is continued with the Notice of Allowance for his 32nd patent now issuing. This patent specifically addresses his latest defib-pad electrode designs. The designs are not only corrective of many serious problems that exist, but it is also complimentary to the LifeBot® Telemedicine Robot™ already patented. The two patents form the basis of a complete comprehensive end-to-end personal life support system and advanced paramedic or lay rescuer system design. Integration of the two preserves features for delivering quality and continuity of patient care.

Priorities and Long Term Goals:

On August 17th, LifeBot® acquired the exclusive world-wide rights to the most advanced emergency telemedicine technologies called DREAMS™ ( Disaster Relief and Emergency Medical Services) developed by Texas A&M University, Texas Engineering Experiment Station, UTHealth Houston, and the U.S. Department of the Army. The Digital EMS Project was funded by more than $14 million from the Telemedicine and Technology Research Center (TATRC) an office of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Defense Department agencies.

LifeBot® is currently pursuing accounts that represent the potential for immediate military use of DREAMS™, whole state’s and whole nation’s standardization on DREAMS™ for use primarily for hospital to ambulance telemedicine. So the number one priority of the Company is the marketing and deployment of the DREAMS™ telemedicine systems. Those who use existing LifeBot® products, including DREAMS™, will save money by easily launching the more advanced patented solutions in the future.

Long-term the plan is to pursue deployments of the LifeBot® Telemedicine Robot™. Market research indicates the annual defibrillation markets exceed $10 billion annually. LifeBot® estimates that the total consumer markets for the robot exceed $70 billion. The Company may consider an additional equity financing to accelerate this to the fore-front. This is especially true in light of the results demonstrated by the very recent research in Germany and the U.S. supporting the Company’s patented methodologies.

References and Links:

1. Science Digest, “A LEAP in Controlling Cardiac Fibrillation: Researchers Develop a New Low-Energy Defibrillation Method”, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110714072907.htm

2. Nature.com, “Cardiovascular disease: Several small shocks beat one big one”

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v475/n7355/full/475181a.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20110714

3. Nature.Com, “Low-energy control of electrical turbulence in the heart”

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v475/n7355/full/nature10216.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20110714

4. About R. Lee Heath and LifeBot – Numbers List of Awarded Patents
/about/

5. LifeBot: “LifeBot Acquires World-Wide Rights to DREAMStm “Super Ambulance” and Emergency Telemedicine Technologies”
/prehospital/lifebot-acquires-exclusive-worldwide-rights-to-dreams-super-ambulance-and-emergency-telemedicine-technologies/

6. mobihealthnews.com, “Interview: Roger Lee Heath’s LifeBot and Super Ambulances”

http://mobihealthnews.com/10052/interview-roger-lee-heaths-lifebot-and-super-ambulances/

7. LifeBot Commentary by R. Lee Heath , “Video Teleconferencing is NOT Telemedicine!”
/care-coordination/video-teleconferencing-is-not-telemedicine/

8. Hewlett Packard, “Ambulance 2.0: Bringing Doctor-Quality Care to Ambulances”

http://h20435.www2.hp.com/t5/The-Next-Bench-Blog/Ambulance-2-0-Bringing-Doctor-Quality-Care-to-Ambulances/ba-p/62649

Related Media Download Links:
a. High Resolution Image LifeBot Telemedicine Robot:
/images/LifeBotTelemedicineRobot.jpg

LifeBot Acquires Exclusive Worldwide Rights to DREAMS; “Super Ambulance” and Emergency Telemedicine Technologies

adminbot — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 15:00:56 +0000

LifeBot® announced today it has exercised its Option Agreement securing the exclusive worldwide licensing rights to DREAMS™ Digital EMS, the $14 million advanced EMS ambulance and hospital telemedicine system developed by Texas A&M University, Texas Engineering Experiment Station, UTHealth, and the U.S. Department of the Army.

Phoenix, AZ, USA August 17, 2011 : LifeBot, LLC acted today to secure its leading technology position in emergency telemedicine systems. Considered by many to be the most highly developed ambulance to hospital EMS telemedicine system ever deployed, DREAMS™ Digital EMS is the first and only system to provide interactive simultaneous “live” transmissions of critical patient data, audio, and video. The system, in essence, brings hospital specialists to the scene giving to doctors and nurses a virtual tele-presence to collaborate in saving lives and managing disasters in real time, on the “battlefield”, at home or abroad.

Not Just a Concept : Proven in Use for Over Six Years:

The DREAMS™ Digital EMS system is the most highly developed field tested and proven emergency telemedicine system in the world. Developed with over $14 million in funding from the Telemedicine and Technology Research Center (TATRC) an office of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, the Digital Ambulance System has been deployed in actual use for over six years in five prototype ambulances in Liberty County, Texas.

The project was headed by renowned surgeon, James “Red” Duke, Jr. who utilized the system to triage and treat victims in New Orleans “live” during Hurricanes Katrina from the Memorial Hermann emergency room in the Texas Medical Center in Houston. DREAMS family products were also used to support remote clinics during the Katrina and Rita disasters.

Both Dr. Duke, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) Dr. S. Ward Cassells, received the distinguished General Maxwell R. Thurman Award, presented at the American Telemedicine Association, for participation in the design of these advanced telemedicine systems.

“Most attempts at ambulance based telemedicine systems have had extremely limited success, but DREAMS™ has actually delivered on its promise to get the job done and over a number of years.” says LifeBot CEO, R. Lee Heath, who is also best known as the inventor making possible the Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), recommended for the Lemelson MIT Prize by American Heart Association officials and others.

The “Super Ambulance™” System utilizes multiple remote controlled cameras to provide hospital based emergency specialists invaluable live intelligence, emergency preparedness or “situational awareness” so prompt, objective, and safe life-saving assessments and treatments may be made. The hospital knows more precisely “what”s coming in the door” and can accurately prepare the appropriate assets accordingly to both reduce costs and loss of life.

The patient’s physiologic vital signs, data, and medical record reporting (EHR or e-PCR) are updated dynamically between the hospital and the scene. The system is especially valuable for treatment of cardiac, trauma, stroke victims and is important in remote areas where transport times may be prolonged. And, the system may actually act to protect ambulance personal and providers during sensitive difficult situations. It may enhance critical decisions during disasters and mass casualty events. DREAMS™ Digital EMS can make the difference in saving thousands of lives, reducing medical errors and their associated risks further lowering costs.

Not Just for the Ambulance, but Hospitals too:

The DREAMS™ system is not solely for use in ambulances, but also for tele-cardiology, tele-stroke, intensive care (e-ICU tele-ICU) and many additional hospital-to-hospital and physician-to-hospital applications as well. LifeBot mobile telemedicine cart and desktop systems will also utilize the DREAMS™ Digital EMS system as well.

The Most Advanced Telemedicine Tablet Solution:

LifeBot has signed a Joint Marketing Agreement with Hewlett Packard. The DREAMS™ Digital EMS solution has been tested on the 1.5 pound portable Slate Tablet PC as well. This means intensivists, cardiologists, neurologists, trauma and emergency disaster specialists can login and achieve tele-presence from almost any location and at any time to save lives.

Additional Solutions for Telemedicine:

Other major technology projects for LifeBot are included in the licensing signed today. “The DREAMS™ Digital EMS system is really a family of solutions”, according to CEO Heath, “and this makes this technology licensing even more exciting.” This includes a stand-alone system called a Deployable Telemedicine System (DTS). This may be used by hospitals to expand their facilities during disasters or dropped into the battlefield to deliver telemedicine as well.

Included is the Back-Pack Telemedicine System, in which battlefield, mobile or tactical medics can actually wear telemedicine systems to save lives in remote or difficult to access locations. It is ideal for medics using motorcycles, ATVs, bicycles, mountain rescue, and helicopter transport, for example. Ultimately, it may even be used by private and municipal providers to deliver telemedicine into homes and businesses to save lives. “When you combine these with our LifeBot patented technologies”, Heath said, “it sets the stage for a roll-out of multiple critical solutions that will only be available from LifeBot.”

Care Coordination and Telemedicine Hubs:

If the ultimate objective is to lower healthcare costs, provide for efficiencies of care, and elevate the quality of care, then LifeBot can accomplish all of these things too. Important is prioritization of patient”s needs and connecting the right medical expertise or using care coordination. This becomes the central “the name of the game”. To accomplish this LifeBot now has the experience and solutions to build full call centers or telemedicine hubs, at the dispatch, hospital, or battlefield levels.

These centers can use LifeBot triage solutions and telemedicine to intelligently coordinate and safely determine if patient needs are emergent, non-emergent; send ambulances to “real” emergencies and match the needed medical expertise into each particular situation. This is absolutely key to both lowering healthcare provider costs and responding with comprehensive disaster management. This may also fulfill the objectives of the Mobile Healthcare Project of the International Association of Fire Chiefs by providing for “treat and release” and reimbursement for non-emergent calls which may rescue financially distressed Fire and EMS services.

“We will be making more announcements soon as this roll-out of these solutions unfolds.”, said Heath.

About DREAMS™: The DREAMS™ (Disaster Relief and Emergency Medical Services) digital emergency medical services (Digital EMS) program is led by famed trauma surgeon and educator, Dr. James H. “Red” Duke, Jr. Dr. Duke is professor of surgery, holder of the John B. Holmes Professorship and chief of surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), as well as medical director of Memorial Hermann Life Flight.

The software, hardware, and telecommunications aspects of this program are led by Texas A&M University Researcher Larry Flournoy, and Texas Engineering Experiment Station researcher James Wall, Ph.D. The digital EMS program has developed and deployed wireless video communications and combining AVL/GPS (Automatic Vehicle Location/Global Positioning System) technology and advanced software to enable ambulances and helicopters to reach the victim sooner, begin triage, diagnosis and treatment on the scene, and coordinate helicopters and ambulances to minimize transport time to the nearest appropriate facility, using continuous “live” communication with these facilities.

DREAMS™ Digital EMS has already been successfully deployed and tested aboard “Super Ambulances™” in multiple counties of Texas. In addition, these “Super Ambulances™” also have aided with rescue efforts during the aftermath of the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. DREAMS™ is a tested and proven “battlefield” application.

The development of this system was in conjunction with U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) through its Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC). TATRC performs medical reconnaissance and special operations to address critical gaps that are underrepresented in DoD medical research programs. Versions of DREAMS™ also include field and disaster deployable versions that may be dropped into combat theaters and a HMMWV 9978A2 (Humvee) prototype for in-the-field use by the U.S. Military.

About LifeBot®: LifeBot provides exclusive patented and military developed telemedicine solutions for emergency management of hospital-to-ambulance and hospital-to-home communications. These systems are used to send and receive live video, voice and patient vital-sign data transmissions primarily in support of heart, trauma and stroke victims in ambulances. The company’s patents focus on extension of these life-saving systems into consumer use in the home and business.

The company was founded by R. Lee Heath, who is best known as the inventor businessman making possible the life-saving Automatic External Heart Defibrillator (AED) now in common use throughout the world. Mr. Heath was recommended for the Lemelson MIT Prize by American Heart Association officials and other peers. His experience spans almost four decades in the design and deployment of emergency life-support and their communications systems.

Video Teleconferencing is NOT Telemedicine!

adminbot — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 20:30:56 +0000

OK, I’ll say it. Health is not skin deep. It’s what’s inside that counts too, sometimes much much more.

Health is not skin deep. It’s what’s inside that counts too, sometimes much much more.Roger Lee Heath

Recently a paramedic friend in Texas told me about a day where they took their DREAMS Ambulance to a shopping center to provide open public testing or free health screening as a public service to his community. Most of the people that showed up appeared happy healthy and smiling. But, once he began to hook up subjects to his equipment and look at their vital signs, electrocardiogram, blood pressure, etc., he found many of them had very serious health risks. Most appeared just fine on-the-surface, until then.

Recently my brother went in for surgery on his knee, an old basketball injury. Pretty simple, right? He appeared quite healthy for years. Well, they hooked him up only to find he was a primary candidate for a heart attack and needed a stint from an interventional cardiologist right away to save his life. Previously, this had gone completely undetected.

Just take a look at the photo above. This appears to be a happy healthy couple, unless you find out one has a myocardial infarction (MI) in progress (STEMI) or another has risky tachyarrhythmias or is simply not well perfused and may have an impending risk of stroke. Potentially, it is not as pretty a picture in a strict healthcare context.

Yet, if you look at the prominent telemedicine equipment suppliers today, you may be shocked to find out most have little or no experience in the healthcare field at all; little knowledge of medical devices and acquiring this critical life-saving inside information. Chances are they were ushered into the healthcare industry because someone wanted video conferencing only. A recent television ad shows a patient in an ambulance talking to a doctor in the Emergency Room on a tablet. But, how will this fair as a comprehensive EMS telemedicine system? Most would say generally not very well and perhaps more risky for the healthcare or emergency professional who could make more informed decisions with more complete information. But, who needs urgent care, and who doesn’t? How can these patients be effectively detected and prioritized?

The Main Issue – Care Coordination:

Very recently, I attended a conference at the Cleveland Clinic on healthcare call center development. After almost 40 years working primarily in the Emergency Medical environment I heard terms such as "Care Coordination" and "Patient Care Coordinator", terms not so common in this industry. Yet, the Emergency Department is really the true front door to most hospitals with up to 80% of patient admissions often occurring there. If one is to reduce medical errors or risks and more clearly determine what level of care a patient needs, how can one go about accomplishing this in a thorough and safe way?

First – Use Really Good Triage and TeleTriage:

Asking the right questions is important. It can save a life. If you don’t, obviously your risks and chances for medical errors are significantly increased. So how do you ask the right questions? How are they properly clinically referenced, and what are the differential diagnoses? How do you quickly drill down a query to make sure a patient in need doesn’t fall through the cracks. The answer is to use proven Decision Support Software (DSS) to help you do this. It can speed your assessments and assure you are deploying a safety net for those patients in urgent need who otherwise might have gone undetected. It can also save time and eliminate "Over Triaging" by making sure exactly the right questions are asked, not a hand-full of questions that may not directly relate to the exact symptoms before you. When attached to a patient’s medical record, it demonstrates adherence to standards of care and significantly lowers provider risks

Put quite simply, the human brain simply cannot reference millions of words of clinically referenced research, but Decision Support Software can, and it can help you do it within just a few minutes to save a life. It can provide for both accurate and early detection of the risks at hand.

Second – Acquire Physiological Data:

Go beyond video teleconferencing by acquiring vital signs data, ECG, 12-lead, pulse ox, blood pressure, video exam cameras, etc. This gives one the ability to look inside and see what is really happening. This is the only objective way to fully assess the risks. Of course, the modern ambulance may do some part of this already, but almost none fully integrate decision supported triage, video, physiological data, and patient medical record charting into one system.

A proper telemedicine system design should also store this important data together. Most systems don’t. In fact many do not record video, much less important patient physiological data. Of utmost importance is for the telemedicine system to "Tag" patient data for each call, encounter or instance so that one patient’s medical record does not get mixed with another’s. Without this feature, risks for the provider are significantly increased.

If you are in a location where there are no fixed or wireless network connections then this is more important, if an intensivist, EMS professional, neurologist, or cardiologist has to assess a patient’s vitals or early symptoms later. If you operate air or ground ambulances or patient transport operations the system, once in route and connecting to networks, should prioritize this critical data and send the most important life-saving information first to the hospital. Then faster more accurate responses to the problems at hand are assured.

Third – Send the Data "Real-Time"

Ideally critical patient data should be provided Real-Time or "Live". If you have to send the data to a server somewhere, and critical care professionals have to take the extra time to separately locate that patient’s data, this only prohibits or delays prompt assessments and patient care. The data should be made immediately "Usable". The difference may be life-saving. In addition, there can be additional costs associated with server services. Patient confidential medical record information may also be more protected when shared with only the select parties or the professionals involved.

Fourth – ePCR EHR (Electronic Health Record) and Data Portability:

In an age where EHR and patient charting has become such an important central focus, a proper telemedicine system design should not only store this critical data, but also allow you to forward the data immediately. An example of this is the sending of a 12-lead ECG to activate a STEMI Alert at a hospital cath lab. The system should allow for full data portability, or the ability to save all this information as one complete report. Then complete information, video and physiologic data, may be attached to the patient’s medical record very efficiently.

It is far better to minimize long-term costs and adopt one system that does it all at the outset.Roger Lee Heath

In proper telemedicine design, One System should do it all. The alternative is to try and adapt or cobble together many different video, data and charting components, a real mess. ePCR, EHR, video and data from separate systems can only manufacture a nightmare for Data Portability and delay critical patent care. This also sets the stage for major inefficiencies and running up major costs of deploying telemedicine systems. It is far better to minimize long-term costs and adopt one system that does it all at the outset.

Fifth – Video Conferencing is Important

Video Teleconferencing in healthcare is invaluable, but is just one component in a true comprehensive telemedicine system. That is the opinion, at least, of many who have invested a lifetime in delivery of quality patient care. As put forth by one Medical Director, "A picture is worth a thousand words, but perhaps a video is worth a million words." A video is the central component in many patient assessments. It is essential in trauma and disaster management to assess method of injury, the patient’s exact state, situational awareness, what disaster and rescue assets are on the scene, and much more. It may even provide for legal protection of medical and rescue personnel, similar to the experience of law enforcement. Video recording may pay for itself over-night in such a situation.

But, Health is not skin deep. It’s what’s going on inside that counts, sometimes much much more.

About:

The above commentary was put together by R. Lee Heath, best known as the inventor making possible the modern Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). His company, LifeBot® is involved in the design and deployment of advanced communications telemedicine hubs and call centers for healthcare coordination.

Download-Print Adobe PDF Version

LifeBot® provides exclusive patented and military developed telemedicine solutions for emergency management of hospital-to-ambulance and hospital-to-home communications. These systems are used to send and receive live video, voice and patient vital-sign data transmissions primarily in support of heart, trauma and stroke victims in ambulances. The company’s patents focus on extension of these life-saving systems into consumer use in the home and business.

The systems are also designed for management of major crises, disasters and emergencies by hospital based and field public safety emergency professionals and for the U.S. Military in battlefield operations. We integrate next generation broadband capabilities not inherent in today’s interoperative digital radio communications so the benefits of achieving telemedicine, telehealth, and emergency preparedness objectives may all be fully realized. To learn more about these systems, please contact us.