Got an iPhone? Image an ear infection
Many parents who have spent frantic hours trying to calm a child wailing over some unseen source of physical discomfort are all too familiar with ear infections. Soon they may be able to help their pediatrician diagnose the condition without leaving home—as long as they’re packing an iPhone.
That’s because a physician at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is working with colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, to develop a clip-on attachment and downloadable app that would turn iPhones into image-transmitting otoscopes.
They’re calling the innovation Remotoscope. According to a news release from Georgia Tech, where the physician, Wilbur A. Lam, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, the add-on uses the iPhone's camera and flash as the light source while a custom app magnifies the images and records relevant data. The iPhone’s transmission capabilities make it possible to send images, video and data to both the doctor and the EMR.
Lam, who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta, said the device could save money for both families and healthcare systems. He noted in prepared remarks that ear infections, or otitis media, affect 75 percent of children by age 6, making it the most common diagnosis for preschoolers.
If approved by the FDA, Remotascope, which is now in clinical trials, could help pediatricians differentiate between infections that call for antibiotics and those that don’t, added Lam. It could also reduce the number of pediatric office visits, as more than 15 million per year begin with children crying over ear pain.
In announcing the pending invention, Georgia Tech disclosed that Lam owns equity interest in CellScope, the San Francisco software company that will sell Remotoscope and pay Lam royalties if the system makes it to market.
That outcome seems likely, as FDA is working with the Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium to partially fund the clinical trial.
The principal investigator is Andrea L. Shane, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory School of Medicine and a physician at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
That’s because a physician at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is working with colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, to develop a clip-on attachment and downloadable app that would turn iPhones into image-transmitting otoscopes.
They’re calling the innovation Remotoscope. According to a news release from Georgia Tech, where the physician, Wilbur A. Lam, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, the add-on uses the iPhone's camera and flash as the light source while a custom app magnifies the images and records relevant data. The iPhone’s transmission capabilities make it possible to send images, video and data to both the doctor and the EMR.
Lam, who is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta, said the device could save money for both families and healthcare systems. He noted in prepared remarks that ear infections, or otitis media, affect 75 percent of children by age 6, making it the most common diagnosis for preschoolers.
If approved by the FDA, Remotascope, which is now in clinical trials, could help pediatricians differentiate between infections that call for antibiotics and those that don’t, added Lam. It could also reduce the number of pediatric office visits, as more than 15 million per year begin with children crying over ear pain.
In announcing the pending invention, Georgia Tech disclosed that Lam owns equity interest in CellScope, the San Francisco software company that will sell Remotoscope and pay Lam royalties if the system makes it to market.
That outcome seems likely, as FDA is working with the Atlanta Pediatric Device Consortium to partially fund the clinical trial.
The principal investigator is Andrea L. Shane, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory School of Medicine and a physician at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.