The Idea Exchange

I came across this innovation for treating vertigo.   Interesting not just because it works (and I suffer from it, so I know), but also that it represents a growing trend in the medical device industry where commodity technology has advanced to the point where there are consumer electronics that can be used for legitimate clinical purposes.   Using commodity technologies could really shorten time to market and open the field for a whole new group of competitors.   Have a look.

Dr. Matthew Bromowich, ENT surgeon at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and CEO of Clearwater Clinical Ltd., has developed an iPhone app to treat BBPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo).  It's an inner ear problem where tiny, gravity-gauging crystals become loose, float around the inner ear and make you dizzy. Patients with BBPV can be guided to follow a series of head movements to move the crystals out of the inner ear into another area of the ear, eliminating the dizziness.   

How does the iPhone fit in?

The iPhone app works by determining the change in position as the individual follows the head movement steps. A simple visit to the doctor for this treatment can take a couple of minutes. The iPhone app walks the doctor through the steps while the patient places the iPhone to his or her forehead. The program makes sure that the angle of the head movement is positioned properly and at the correct pace. If the patient doesn't follow the right trajectory, the iPhone will beep.

While other options exist - even by Dr. Bromowich himself (DizzyFIX^TM) - the $15 price combined with the high likelihood of BBPV recurrence, should makes this iPhone app much more attractive to both patients and doctors (many of which use iPhones, including mine).  Relief is also offered to both doctors that are not comfortable with using other methods (Epley Maneuver) to treat BBPV and to the healthcare system as a reduction in the associated costs (as quoted by Dr. Bromowich).

Bromowich's research did not stop after he developed one device; his passion drove him to create yet another, this time using a widely available smartphone platform.   How many more medical applications could be built using the combination of position sensing, digital photos/video/audio, calendar functions, USB-connected sensors and secure data transfer?   We're likely to see more from this kind of platform.

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