8th February 2007

UK based Medick Healthcare has harnessed the power of neural network software which is utilised in everything from handwriting recognition software to predicting future stock market trends to power the MHM 100 personal heart monitor which is being backed by a number of the country’s leading physicians including Professor Brian Glenville.

The MHM100 personal monitor offers ECG monitoring with access to a cardiology centre via the Internet which analyses and overviews the reports generated by the monitor – all from the patient’s home. The MHM 100 costs 50p a day for six expert analyses per year. As well as monitoring the rhythm of the heart in real time the monitor allows users to directly see the impact on the heart’s performance of smoking, caffeine intake and exercise.

The MHM 100 monitor uses three electrodes to capture the heart’s rhythms for up to 8 hours at a time. It is simple to use and requires no specialist medical knowledge. The product has been developed to allow people who either already have a heart condition or are worried about developing a potential heart condition to monitor the rhythms of their heart as they go about their daily routine. Until now, such monitoring would usually require a visit to a GP or hospital. The monitor is also ideal for those concerned about their partner or a family member who may be at risk from cardiovascular disease.

The MHM 100 has been launched on the back of 10 years of research and development and utilises many of the conventional techniques found in ECG (Electrocardiogram) monitors used by hospital doctors and GPs and combines these with neural network technology

The use of neural networks enables the heart monitor to identify key patterns and trends across millions of different heartbeat patterns, which is of critical importance because everyone has a different heart rhythm and spotting potential problems requires many years of training to interpret an ECG trace readout.

The web based reporting service features an easy to understand traffic light system and allows users to download the results of their tests. The reports are analysed by cardiac physicians who specialise in the reading of ambulatory ECGs. Furthermore if any specific issues are identified, the report is then passed to a cardiologist for further analysis.

In addition, MHM 100 users can view their heartbeat on the monitor’s built in display or download the results of the test onto a computer and view the waveforms. This latter feature is especially useful for those who do have a Heart condition and wish to learn more about how to best manage their condition and performance of their Heart.

The MHM 100 is capable of detecting a wide range of potentially serious arrhythmias such as tachycardia (including VT), bradycardia, atrial and ventricular ectopics, pauses, and AF, as well as ST segment depression events.

The device includes a built in log button that is pressed if physical symptoms are experienced while a monitoring test is in progress. This allows the user to easily identify any changes in the heart trace once the report is viewed. It can also be used to understand what effects our lifestyles can have on our heart rhythm such as alcohol, caffeine and nicotine.

According to leading physician Professor Brian Glenville, “This is a real breakthrough for the public and doctors alike and will enable the public to assume much greater responsibility for monitoring the health of their hearts.”

Kay Patton, Managing Director of Medick Healthcare said, “More than 10 years of research and development have gone into this device and it offers a real breakthrough for people concerned about the risk of heart disease. At a time when the Government is spending millions to educate the public on adopting healthier lifestyles we believe this device could play a key role in helping the Government achieve its goal of reducing the risk of heart disease in the UK.”

http://www.medick.com