Equivital physiological monitor nears approval

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 22, 2006

Hidalgo has announced that it has formally applied to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for market clearance for its Equivital physiological welfare monitoring system.

Hidalgo has announced that it has formally applied to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for market clearance for its Equivital physiological welfare monitoring system.

This is the final regulatory step needed to release the product for sale in the US and represents the completion of significant test and validation on the unit.

European regulatory clearance will also be completed in parallel.

Justin Pisani, Operations Director, said: "Achieving this milestone has taken a huge amount of work over the last twelve months".

"The Equivital EQ-01 is the world's first commercial solution designed specifically to monitor users engaged in hazardous activities in the military, public safety and isolated working environments".

"The system enables rapid detection, assessment, location and first-line medical treatment of individuals sustaining injuries".

"Ultimately, this device is all about improving the chances of successful life saving interventions" The system has been developed in co-operation with the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine who contracted Hidalgo to provide its Equivital technology for trial this year by the US Army as part of its Warfighter Physiological Status Monitoring Programme (WPSM-IC).

The Equivital system combines a comprehensive range of sensors into a small, light, body-mounted wireless sensor module.

The system monitors a wearer's vital signs, and after analysis, forms a Physiological Welfare Indication, providing a measure of the wearer's primary cardio-respiratory status alongside other supplemental information, which can then be transmitted over a communications network back to a remote monitoring station.

The current system can communicate over the public mobile phone network, the emerging Public Safety Network (TETRA) and also over satellite communication links.

Peter Cowley, Sales Director added: "This is the first product release in a series of exciting product solutions we intend to deliver based on our core Equivital technology".

"We already have a strong product pipeline which will deliver new features and enhance our diagnostic capabilities over the next twelve months".

"The system is ideal for a wide range of applications within the healthcare and human performance arenas".

"We have seen strong interest from the ambulance services/paramedics, home based care providers, first responders, and sports medicine.

"In addition we will be very actively looking at the next phase of business development and growth for both the product and company, and aiming to develop strategic relationships needed to access these markets and achieve our aim of making Equivital the number-one product in the marketplace.".