Carrying Your Vital Signs With You

Jonathan Otero Suárez Metropolitan University, San Juan, Puerto Rico

NSF REU: “Creating Computer Applications for Medicine”

08/07/2007

Outline Motivation Goals Current State-of-the-Art Approach Design Demonstration Conclusion Future Work References Acknowledgements

Motivation

When our doctor recommend to keep track of our vital signs we write the results in different places and then we lose them and that's a problem. This is why it is a good idea to develop an application that allow us to save this information in our cellular phones because nowdays it is something that everyone has.

Goals

To become familiar with the J2ME technology. To increase the skills in the Java programming

language. To develop an application directed to specifically to

store information about the vital signs of the body in cellular phones.

Current State-of-the-Art

Vital Signs are measurements of the body's most basic functions. They include the measurements of: body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate and blood pressure. These parameters provide critical information about a person's state of health.

There are several methods to store information like for example desktop applications that allow us to store some type of medical information. An application directed specifically to store information about the vital signs of the body in a place where you can have easy access for future consultation like a cellular phone is not yet created.

Approach We used a technology called Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME)

which permits the ability to develop applications for cellular phones, PDAs, pagers among other devices.

The J2ME technology has two kinds of components:

- configurations: is a set of low-level APIs and a virtual machine optimized for a family of devices. For this approach we used the CLDC 1.1 configuration.

- profiles: complements a configuration by adding classes that provide features appropiate for specific market segment. For this approach we used the MIDP 2.1 profile.

Design: Demo Vital Signs 1.0

Vital Signs Demo 1.0 (MIDlet)

Submit test results. Search for test results. Send test results through email. Application Security

Provides the ability to save the test resultsof once vital signs on to a cellular phone.

Provides the abilityto review previoushistory allowing theuser to take a look at files and records.

Provides the ability to send the previouslysave data through email.

Provides security forthe application allowing the user toset a login id and a password.

Implemented using the Generic Connection Framework.

Implemented using the Record Management System.

Demonstration: Demo Vital Signs 1.0

Conclusion

It is evident that cellular phones provide the perfect atmosphere to develop new applications in the field of medicine.

Because we are able to use only the classes available in the chosen profile this made a complex and limited programming.

In some occasions the reaction of the emulator under new programming instructions was unexpected bringing with it the need of consuming time looking for new methods for the programming.

Future Work

Add a function to provide an accurate analysis based upon results of vital signs measurement, considering the differences between individuals.

Bluetooth could provide an efficient and automated method of transferring vital signs to a user's cellphone.

References

Tremblett, P. (2002). Instant Wireless Java with J2ME. McGraw-Hill.

Muchow, J. (2002). Core J2ME. Prentice Hall PTR. Cardiovascular Diseases. (2004, February 10). Vital

Signs. Retrieve June 25, 2007, from the University of Virginia Health System Web site: http://www.healthsystem.virgnia.edu/UVAHealth/adult_cardiac/vital.cfm

Acknowledgments

Dr. Alfred C. Weaver Mr. Andrew Jurik Mr. Paul Bui Mrs. Beth Shannon