Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric

eHealth Tools

Authors: Årsand Ea, Hartvigsen Ga, b

aNorwegian Centre for Telemedicine, University hospital of North NorwaybDepartment of Computer Science, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

AgendaReprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Reprogrammable Hardware used in Future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

• Motivation

• Disease case

• Patient-centric

• Reprogrammable hardware

• Challenges

• Alternatives

Need for eHealth tools

• Safety

• Adjusting unhealthy parameters

• Health information

• Motivation

• Support

In form of a wearable buddy?

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

E.g. people with diabetes

• 200 mill. people, epidemic• Avoiding unhealthy blood glucose values• Serious complications• Vulnerable groups of people

– Especially children and elderly

• Need help to self-help– Blood glucose, nutrition, physical activity and

medicine– Also on distance

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Main principle

forming a ICT Self-help tool

sensors + Mobile/wearableterminal

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Patient-centric, demands

• Mobile or wearable

• Primarily for the patient

• Easy and motivating to use

• Self-adjustable

• Self-reconfigurable

• Context sensitive

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

eHealth tool / buddy

• Main components (reconfigurable)– Sensors– Wireless communication– Power– Logic (hardware)– Intelligence (software)– Memory– Supporting electronics

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Reprogrammable components

• PLDs – Programmable Logic Devices• pSOCs – programmable System On Chips• FPGAs – Field Programmable Gate Arrays• ASICs - Application Specific Integrated

Circuits• hybrids with CPUs - Central Processing Units

integrated with some of the above

+ : dynamic, cheap, small, low power- : specific competence needed

Xilinx FPGA

16x16x1.2 mm

UART

Memory FPGA A/D and D/A

BatteryBluetooth

Mic./Speaker

UART

Memory FPGA A/D conv.

BatteryBluetooth

Sensing unit

UART

Memory FPGA Ps

BatteryBluetooth

LCD

HEADSET

SENSORS

LOGICUNIT

Example setup

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Technology - PLDs

• Programmable Logic Devices – hardware changed at real-time

• Self-configured (software) and self-adjustable based on sensor input

• Example: Per with T2D is very inactive, walking just 700 steps each day. Then he is getting motivated by the eTool, beginning to walk 3000 additional steps each day…)

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

The eTool senses this increase in activity and changes hardware (AD-converter and electronics) to receive data from a different kind of step-sensor. During Per’s weekly blood pressure measurement, the eTool prepare itself (physically) to receive this data. Per is motivated to increase the blood glucose tests from 1 to 3 tests a day. Thus, the eTool reconfigure (software) itself to present a daily overview at the evening, in addition to the weekly graph. All data is transferred wirelessly (Bluetooth). The eTool is constantly sensing for changes in Per’s habits and consequently adjusts itself, i.e. self-adjustable (hardware and software).

The eTool senses this increase in activity and changes hardware (AD-converter and electronics) to receive data from a different kind of step-sensor. During Per’s weekly blood pressure measurement, the eTool prepare itself (physically) to receive this data. Per is motivated to increase the blood glucose tests from 1 to 3 tests a day. Thus, the eTool reconfigure (software) itself to present a daily overview at the evening, in addition to the weekly graph. All data is transferred wirelessly (Bluetooth). The eTool is constantly sensing for changes in Per’s habits and consequently adjusts itself, i.e. self-adjustable (hardware and software).

The eTool senses this increase in activity and changes hardware (AD-converter and electronics) to receive data from a different kind of step-sensor. During Per’s weekly blood pressure measurement, the eTool prepare itself (physically) to receive this data. Per is motivated to increase the blood glucose tests from 1 to 3 tests a day. Thus, the eTool reconfigure (software) itself to present a daily overview at the evening, in addition to the weekly graph. All data is transferred wirelessly (Bluetooth). The eTool is constantly sensing for changes in Per’s habits and consequently adjusts itself, i.e. self-adjustable (hardware and software).

The eTool senses this increase in activity and changes hardware (AD-converter and electronics) to receive data from a different kind of step-sensor. During Per’s weekly blood pressure measurement, the eTool prepare itself (physically) to receive this data. Per is motivated to increase the blood glucose tests from 1 to 3 tests a day. Thus, the eTool reconfigure (software) itself to present a daily overview at the evening, in addition to the weekly graph. All data is transferred wirelessly (Bluetooth). The eTool is constantly sensing for changes in Per’s habits and consequently adjusts itself, i.e. self-adjustable (hardware and software).

Challenges

• Power

• Labs and expertise

• Size

• Speech recognition / easy interface

• Usability– i.e. aiming for functionalities that use

a “no-touch” principle

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Alternatively

• Using existing mobile terminals; Smartphones / PCs

• A good alternative if the“Bluetooth Medical Device Profile” is realized

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Example

Programmedmobile phone

(Bluetoothenabled)Sensor Short-range

comm. adapter

Long-rangetransfer

EHR,PC,

mobilephone,

etc.

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

• Close to 100% propagation

• Follows the patient almost everywhere

• No extra device

• Cheap terminal (compared to PC)

• Verbal communication channel in the same unit

Advantages of using the patient’s mobile phone

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

• Physically reprogrammable, i.e. more flexible, more functions on less space

• Self-adjustable, both software and hardware

• Small size

• Cheaper per unit

• Low power consume

Advantages of using reprogrammable hardware

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools

Self-help through a mobile ICT toolSupporting lifestyle changes for preventing secondary diseases for people with Type 2 diabetes using a digital diabetes diary

Eirik.Arsand@telemed.no+47 992 43 592

For more information:

currently working with the PhD project:

Reprogrammable Hardware used in future Patient-Centric eHealth Tools