The FDA has cleared GE Healthcare's ECG solution, called the portable MAC 800, which the company says is based on cell phone technology. The device was originally introduced into China's market last year and will become commercially available in the US during the second quarter. The device includes the keypad of a mobile phone and a full-size color display, which both help doctors or other caregivers to create two-way communication with patients.
GE's release claims the "MAC 800 has the features of a full size, 65-pound ECG device, engineered down to under seven pounds, battery included." The device can be carried like a "briefcase" and its battery keeps it running for an estimated two hours and a quick, four-hour recharge ensures minimal downtime.
GE said the device can connect via LAN, modem, SD card and serial port to store and send ECG data from anywhere. The company said MAC 800 also connects to a variety of vendors' EMR solutions via Cardiosoft, GE's cardiology information software system.
Read more for the complete press release from GE Healthcare....
New MAC® 800 Launched for Physicians' Office, Pharma with Innovative SMS Keypad on Board
WAUWATOSA, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medical testing meets medical "texting" with the US Food and Drug Administration clearance of GE Healthcare's latest ECG (electrocardiogram) solution, the portable MAC 800, based on cell phone technology. Targeting physician's offices and the pharmaceutical industry, GE's entry into the portable ECG market is as practical as it is innovative.
Originally developed and introduced in China, for China in 2008, the lightweight portable device combines the keypad of a phone with a full-size color display and world-class diagnostic software to help clinicians shape the future of healthcare in regions across the world.
"After reaching out to customers in the United States, we realized the market was ready for MAC 800's unique SMS (short message service) keypad," said Dr. Matthias Weber, Vice President and General Manager of GE's Diagnostic Cardiology business. "With clinicians asking for a way to take communication and medical innovation into the 21st century and beyond, MAC 800 is a strong fit."
The innovation doesn't stop there. MAC 800 has the features of a full size, 65-pound ECG device, engineered down to under seven pounds, battery included. The unit's integrated carrying handle enables clinicians to carry it like a briefcase, expanding access to care, regardless of patient location. Its lithium ion battery keeps it running for roughly two hours and a quick, four-hour recharge ensures minimal downtime.
"In the US primary care market, portability, ease of use and EMR connectivity are essential," said Weber. With the MAC 800, physicians get the latest ECG technology innovation combined with the assurance of exceptional ECG analysis to help them diagnose patients faster and more efficiently."
But its convenience doesn't come at the expense of its quality.
Connectivity within a physician's work environment is key to coordinated care and improved diagnoses. MAC 800 helps to make that vision a reality through its multiple communication options that fit the needs of most practices, including LAN, modem, SD card and serial port to store and send ECG data from any location. Additionally, MAC 800 offers the option of a PDF or XML output for universally recognized storing and data sharing. MAC 800 also connects seamlessly to a variety of vendors' EMR solutions via Cardiosoft, GE's cardiology information software system, creating a fully digital ECG workflow. "In the MAC 800, we believe we have produced our most portable and connected ECG to date," added Weber. "It's an idea born from customer feedback. Physicians needed change and GE responded by introducing these innovations to help increase access and quality of care."
MAC 800 will launch to the US Primary Care market during Q2 and will show at the upcoming Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando at the end of March.
ABOUT GE HEALTHCARE:
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, performance improvement, drug discovery, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies is helping clinicians around the world re-imagine new ways to predict, diagnose, inform and treat disease, so their patients can live their lives to the fullest.
GE Healthcare's broad range of products and services enable healthcare providers to better diagnose and treat cancer, heart disease, neurological diseases, and other conditions earlier. Our vision for the future is to enable a new "early health" model of care focused on earlier diagnosis, pre-symptomatic disease detection and disease prevention. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.
