March 9th, 2012 by ElizaP

Imagine being able to monitor your health with your smart phone. That’s exactly what New Zealand researchers have accomplished. Information about the prototype appears in the International Journal of Intelligent Systems Technologies and Applications. The prototype connects to a smart phone via wireless Bluetooth technology and tracks parameters such as movements, heart rate and blood pressure. This not only offers a multitude of benefits to patients, but the information gathered can be sent immediately to their health care provider for the quick adjustment of medications or to obtain advice about specific symptoms a patient experiences. The device can also carry medical sensors, and offers lots of room for future expansion so that other data such as blood glucose levels could be measured. The software which powers the app allows users to navigate the GUI interface with the same buttons used for other types of navigation on their smart phone.