Portable technology at the service of health

3 portable solutions for mothers, patients at risk of arrhythmia and victims of chronic constipation

It is sufficiently proven that well-used technology is one of the greatest allies in the human being’s fight for survival and well-being. And so it goes that in the midst of the technological era we find a wide range of inventions and possibilities offering solutions to our most singular problems. And they work – helping us to solve or palliate them and even to prevent future concerns. According to a report prepared by the Global Web Index platform, “81% of those who use this technology associate it with an improvement in their health and lifestyle.” We refer, of course, to portable technology applied to the field of health and medicine.

Portable devices help in the processes of prevention, diagnosis and monitoring of patients. They are also used as tools in therapies and psychological treatments, for monitoring the immune system and in the prevention of contagious and high-risk diseases for society.

Today, thanks to the development of such technologies, it is possible to treat diseases such as chronic constipation, to manage and prevent arrhythmias or to facilitate the extraction of breast milk for example.

Nuubo, the portable heart monitor

This portable heart monitoring system, birthchild of its Spanish inventor Agustín Macià, can be used to detect and diagnose irregular heart rhythms in a simple and comfortable way. Aimed at patients in whom arrhythmia is suspected and also as a prevention mechanism, this wearable gathers detailed information about the wearer’s heart, remotely, during their day to day. No cables, no adhesives, no heavy pouches; the patient can lead a perfectly normal life.

It is composed of a silver elcetrode-textile and ECG cream that prevents the appearance of allergies. In addition, its material can adapt to any type of body structure thanks to the elasticity of its fabrics and absence of uncomfortable seams.

Willow, the portable breast pump

This wearable intended exclusively for new mothers was designed by the American company Mountain View and has been approved by the American Medicines Agency (FDA, for its acronym in English Food and Drugs Administration). It is a kind of wireless mechanical pump that collects the breast milk in a bag, while mothers get on with other activities. This system is also capable of analyzing the rhythms of milk production specific to the users’ body, and an application enables you to control the various parameters accompanying the extraction.

 Mowoot, a non-invasive solution for chronic constipation

This is the first physiological, non-pharmacological and non-invasive solution for chronic constipation. This portable device was designed and developed by a team of scientists and engineers from the usMIMA startup together with the Guttmann Institute, within the framework of the Master in Biodesign d·HEALTH Barcelona and inspired by a Stanford University program. This emulates manual belt massage techniques performed on the ascending and descending colon region, normally practiced by health professionals on patients with spinal cord injury, stroke, Parkinson’s disease or other types of pathologies.

This portable device works via pneumatic technology that takes in and manages air in combination with a control system for the duration and intensity of the massage. As it does not use electrostimulation, it presents no adverse effects, but rather a natural solution which offers patients greater autonomy.