Not exactly Lifedrive related, but apparently Medtronic has found a way to use a Palm Device to electronically control an intrathecal delivery device. They, along with other companies such as Advanced Neuromodulations Systems - a company presently working on pacemaker technology using handheld devices - appear to be at the forefront of what could be a new dimension for handheld gadgets.
No longer are PDA's limited to just PIM functioning, telling the date, showing addresses and appointment times, but they could become a literal lifesaving force for many patients.
What makes the Medtronics' Personal Therapy Manager (PTM) interesting is the fact that the
company decided to use an old HANDSPRING model revamped to do its work. Medtronic apparently made a deal with Handspring to remodel the device, after realizing "that Palm interfaces were friendly and popular."
If Medtronic can do this with a simple first or second generation handheld with limited memory and functionality, imagine what they could do with a Lifedrive.
However, according to Reena Jana who broke the story in Business Week, the Medtronic device is so customized that its PIM functionality no longer exists. I
Additionally, the handheld device appears to cost about $2,000 in addition to the $20,000 for the implant. I think that many of us out there in Palm Land would never have believed that a Handspring would sell for $2,000. But honestly, I think that this is the begining of something wonderful to come. Bravo Medtronic for taking the leap.
1
Jana, Reena. Medtronic Automates Pain Relief, Businessweek Online, January 12, 2006.
2
Photos used with permission by Medtronic.
LDD.
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