LifeWatch: The wristwatch that can save a life

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Skyaid Watch: The wristwatch that can save a life! updated 10/12/02

The Skyaid nonprofit organization is creating a wristwatch that can be used to call for help for: sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack, stroke, house fire, auto accident, gunshot wound, crime in progress, etc.

Daily uses:
- Use voice mail
- Monitor heart rate
- Determine GPS location
- Read time

Emergency uses:
- Automatically calls in case of significant heart rate change: sudden cardiac arrest, stroke, or heart attack
- Push panic button to call for help in auto accident, fire, crime in progress, sudden cardiac arrest, stroke, or heart attack

The Skyaid Watch monitors the wearers pulse rate and will automatically radio a request for emergency aid for sudden cardiac arrests. The only hope of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest (300,000 die annually in the US) is to have the heart defibrillated within 8 minutes. Currently 90% of the people with sudden cardiac arrests die, often because the defibrillation equipment arrives too late. For the 40% of sudden cardiac arrests for which there are no bystanders, the Skyaid Watch will be a true lifesaver.

An automatic call will eliminate vital minutes that would be otherwise lost while bystanders call for emergency medical care. This call will be a true lifesaver in the case that there are no bystanders, which is the case for 40% of sudden cardiac arrests. The Skyaid Watch automatic call for help will also be of significant help for the 30% of all strokes which occur during asleep.

Initially, these requests will be responded to by a medic system or an ambulance service with ground vehicles. Later, a special air vehicle, now under development, would be particularly appropriate to use. The air vehicle is the Skycar – which will fly as fast as 360 mph and can land quickly in the street, yard, driveway, etc. It will deliver defibrillators to sudden cardiac arrest victims within 5 minutes virtually anywhere within 24 miles of an urban center.

The Skyaid nonprofit organization will promote the creation and use of the Skyaid Watch and Skycar. Skyaid intends to be a catalyst in saving 100,000 lives and preventing over 1,000,000 life years of disability every year.

Skyaid Watch function details

Skyaid Watch communication technology possibilities added 11/10/01

Possible Skyaid Skyaid Watch models added 12/25/01

Explore possibility of Life Warranty = Skyaid + Life Insurance added 11/09/01

Most of these benefits will result from
- getting cardiac and stroke victims to the appropriate regional critical care centers within 1 hour.

It appear that the costs for Skyaid Watch and Skyaid to save lives and prevent disability are less than 1% of the existing costs.

The Skyaid Watch emergency response system would consist of
- Skyaid Watch or telephone or cell-phone to initiate aid call
   - Pulse rate sensing - probably using reflectance from blue light emitting diodes
   - GPS location transmitted to emergency response center
   - Radio network for Skyaid Watch, probably using meteor-burst communications
       Meteor-burst communications requires a base-station within 1,000 miles
       GSM does not have as much coverage nor can it transmit enough data for voice-mail
- Emergency coordination center e.g. SCC911.com, which may include a doctor
     The SCC911.com company evolved into www.intradoc.com   in June 2001   added 10/08/01
- Emergency response vehicle delivering trained personnel via street or air

Reasons to wear the Skyaid Watch everyday
- Read time
- Voice mail (details below on voicemail option) This does NOT eliminate most need for cell-phones.
example: Call for air-taxi service (non-emergency)
- Protect against many forms of death and disability emergency aid details

A nice description of Skyaid Watch-type functionality appears in A Picture of Health,
Technology Review magazine March 2001 added 3/02/01

Improved description of Skyaid Watch radio frequency transmission requirements added 10/13/01

Hardening of the arteries is apparently detectable by a heartbeat sensor which detects secondary pressure waves. The faster the secondary pressure wave is reflected, the harder the arterial walls. Micro Medical in England has patented, published various papers and made this concept into a product. We wonder if the Skyaid Watch could also monitor these secondary waves. added 10/21/01

Skyaid Watch could provide Just-In-Time Health Information added 09/29/01
It is difficult to remember all of the information needed to prevent disability or death from stroke, sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack, etc,. added 09/27/01

Options for each model of Skyaid Watch 12+ options added 09/23/01

Skyaid Watch could serve as beacon to find a person. added 09/23/01

Skyaid Watch could be shared among members of a community added 09/23/01

Detailed estimates for Survival of Sudden Cardiac Arrest

		Survival Rate overall		Survive if Alone (40% of SCA)		Survive if observed (60% of SCA)		Delay till call is sent		Delay by dispatch		Avg. delay for vehicle to arrive		AED on vehicle
Skycar + Skyaid Watch		65%		50%				1/2 min.		1/2 min.		3 min.		100%
Skycar only		25%		0%		40%		1-5 min.		1-2 min.		3 min.		100%
Best 911 + Skyaid Watch		27%		30%		25%		1/2 min.		1 min.		5 min.		100%
	Typ 911 + Skyaid Watch		21%		30%		16%		1 min.		2 min.		7 min.		30%
Best 911		15%		0%		21%		1-4 min.		1 min.		5 min.		100%
Typical 911		6%		0%		10%		3-5 min.		2 min.		7 min.		30%
No 911		1%		0%				-		-		-		-

Skyaid Watch will use GPS to determine location

SnapTrack corporation has been awarded 24 patents as of 1/01 (example 5,945,944) for a networked GPS and 6,131,067.
Their field tests have shown high accuracy.
     Their solution broadcasts some GPS reference information.
      Need about 10 GPS reference stations in the US.

The SnapTrack network GPS solution has several benefits for Skyaid Watch.

1) Can receive GPS signals which are 100X weaker than existing designs
-thus can use Skyaid Watch inside of a forest, a building, etc.
2) Will consume much less power
3) Require less processing capability, so will be smaller and less expensive existing designs.

SnapTrack estimates that in high volume the solution will add $5-$10 to the cost of a cell phone.
Qualcomm liked the SnapTrack solution so much that they bought the company in March 2000 for $ 1 billion in stock.

Previous GPS designs are a second choice: SiRF is sensitive - and has fairly low power consumption
approx. 5 GPS location readings per 1 gram of Lithium cell 9/9/00

Voicemail

A voicemail functionality would provide an excellent reason to wear a Skyaid Watch constantly
Messages could be transmitted and received over meteor-burst communications channels
     - The most efficient voice compressors use only 1,000 bits/sec. but do not preserve voice tonality
            - toneless voice is better than e-mail, but not as good as cell-phone
     - Adding burst error correction increases the message length by about 30%.
     - A 10 second voice-mail packet would thus be about 1,600 Bytes
          = (130% x 10sec x 1000 bits/sec) / 8 bits/Byte

The following Watch manufacturers have been contacted, but are not interested

Seiko Precision made a prototype wristwatch in 1999 that used a blue LED to watch the pulse rate and issue a radio message when the heart ceased to function normally. The pulse rate sensing may be partially covered by US patent to Seiko Epson "arrhythmia detecting apparatus' 6,095,984
see http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html

Casio has a GPS watch, but has decided to not be involved

Potential Skyaid Watch suppliers:

Motorola and Timex in 2000 made a wristwatch for $180: Beepware
– which uses Skytel radio system to read e-mail, page a person, etc.
Timex has a heart rate monitor watch - but it requires a chest strap

Similar to Skyaid Watch

Emergency watch for downed pilots, etc. "Breitling Emergency" $3,000
Transmits emergency call on 121.5 MHz for up to 48 hours
Compared to Skyaid Watch: no GPS, must extend antenna and have search aircraft.
Introduced in 2000 added 02/18/02

Digital Angel offers a watch & pager (with GPS) which you can use to call 911 added 02/14/02

Phillips is now producing a device which allows people having a heart attack to phone in their ECG for real time analysis. This device, of course, is of no use for sudden cardiac arrest. added 01/23/02

WatchMan - Skyaid Watch initially announced by Philips in 1998 has an emergency button, but requires being next to a custom electronics which uses the telephone. New announcement of use in Israel July 2001. They may be teaming with Medtronic added 09/06/01

Heart Monitoring Devices overview added 08/24/01

Disposable Cell-Phone could be helpful. Voice recognition dialing, lightweight, Small (2.3" x 4.3" x .4"), $30 price includes 60 minutes of pre-paid time. Available Oct 2001 added 08/24/01

PanicPendant has a home wireless system to send a telephone request for help from a 1 button device on your wrist.
$130 for basic equipment + $35/month for the service. Higher prices for voice messaging. added 08/23/01

Armband monitors many parameters, including heart rate added 08/10/01

A Wristwatch which corrects itself to the 0.060MHz radio time signal (WWVB) many times per day - costs $200. added 5/17/01

Internet Messenger Watch by Timex - e-mails sent on 900MHz added 4/28/01

Glucose Monitoring wristwatch
http://www.glucowatch.com/us/default.html and http://www.cygn.com/glucowatch.html
It is informative to see the approvals needed for a device like the Skyaid Watch
The Glucowatch was announced over a year ago.
UK price for this prescription device for adults is 350 pounds.
It's consumables are extra   added 3/23/01

Samsung Cell-phone watch only available in Korea added 2/23/01

WristCare monitoring system from Finland.
Wrist unit radios to a receiver 20-30 meters away, and a phone call is placed within 30 minutes.
This short communication range effectively puts the person on a leash.
This response time is too slow for sudden cardiac arrests. added 2/01/01

More Heart Rate monitors added 07/22/01
- with chest straps
   http://www.odfs.com
    http://www.vernier.com/probes/ehr.html
    http://www.newsearching.com/heart_rate_monitor/heart_rate_monitor.html a metasite!!
    http://www.myhealthpro.net/cgi-bin/dynitems.pl?file=heartratemonitors 12 - with pictures
    http://directory.google.com/Top/Shopping/Sports/Fitness/Accessories/Heart_Monitors/ >20 at Google
http://www.smp.ca/smp_008.htm  no chest strap, but must put two fingers on the watch $129 US, others only $40

Monitor vital signs from cell phone - provided you are not moving.

Sharper Image wristband for $130 monitors blood rate and blood pressure
in less than 1 minute with oscillometric (?) and fuzzy technology Battery lasts just 2 days updated 08/26/01

Suunto Advisor wristwatch monitors heart rate - but requires use of a chest strap

www.Wherify.com can track children with a lockable bracelet that
functions as a GPS location device, pager, watch, and cell-phone transceiver.

Here is the large Wherify system diagram

FDA Watchdog role. added 5/09/01
FDA gets upset if a company even states that it might soon get FDA approval.
We will have to be very very careful about FDA statements when the Skyaid Watch becomes available in the US.

Detailed estimates for Survival of Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Survive if Alone (40% of SCA)

Skyaid Watch will use GPS to determine location

Voicemail

Survive if Alone
(40% of SCA)