Reparre Biologic says that a next-generation medical monitoring program is wrapping up its preliminary trial in Maui, and the company plans to expand the program. For the past 6 months, 54 subjects have worn the IndiMed device to help monitor their health and track any changes. Engineered by Lahaina’s own resident inventor Ano Lee, the device is designed to offer wearers 24/7 medical monitoring, and physicians accurate individual patient information on demand. Reparre says the next phase of the study will focus on integrating more individualized medicine and will expand to over 300 individuals across the island.
The Individual Medical Assistant (IndiMed) was born from a previous Reparre telemedicine program. Back in the Fall of 2045, Ano Lee found himself with a fever that wouldn’t break and intense headaches. He was diagnosed with a rare condition called Leptospirosis, or Weil’s disease. Left untreated the bacterial infection can lead to organ failure, severe internal bleeding, and death. Because of the rareness of the condition and his location, Lee was asked about becoming part of the telemedicine project by Reparre Biologic and The West Maui Medical Group. “I can’t tell you how many hours I had to spend staring at the injectable med unit on the wall. In the end, the antibiotics and tailored stem cells worked, and I didn’t spread the infection to anyone else. The program was a success, but I just couldn’t get it out of my head that there had to be a better way to monitor patients. Then, I remembered the Weather Watchers I made for some surfer friends a few years ago. I talked to Reparre about my idea, and we started designing a week later.”
The Weather Watcher was a wrist band designed to warn the wearer of potentially dangerous weather or ocean conditions like: thunderstorms, severe tides, strong undertows, or even jellyfish swarms. “Dozens of people die while swimming or snorkeling around Maui every year, but for some reason the alert bands never really took off like I thought they would. However, I thought with a few tweaks and additions it would be perfect for what Reparre and I had in mind.”
“Using the Weather Watcher platform, the IndiMed program offers patients cutting edge medical monitoring and allows physicians to fully utilize our custom stem cell medicine and our personalized DNA technology,” says Reparre Biologic President Shawn Hastings. “The device not only provides continuous up-to-the-second monitoring and patient information, it also runs a series of tests every hour to provide the best diagnostic information available and alert the wearer of any significant changes. We are thrilled with the results so far and the feedback has been so good that we plan on starting the second phase early, and expanding the program across the island.”
While Hastings is quick to point out the program’s success, it has not been without a few hiccups. There were many complaints initially about the old incorporated alert system malfunctioning. Several subjects complained that the alert shock feature was too strong, with one patient complaining, “Every time a warm front would come in, or the tide was really high, it was like being hooked up to a car battery. Then an alert would go out that I had been electrocuted and paramedics would arrive. It took weeks to straighten out.” Others complained that the automated assistant voice had no privacy setting and would relay potentially embarrassing information in public. “I understand that the IndiMed monitors any change in my health very closely, but I really didn’t appreciate it alerting everyone in line at the store that my temperature had increased slightly, and my urinary tract infection might be getting worse,” wrote another.
Hastings says that these, and other early issues, have been worked out and he is excited about the program’s future, including possible integration with Nuuskin techology. “We announced our partnership with Nuuskin this Spring and unveiled our Tailored Cellular Optimization (TCO) process. While TCO is for animals only, it offers a glimpse as to what might be possible for human treatments in the future. With this state-of-the-art monitoring and record system in place, the possibilities seem wide open. I can foresee a time when stem cell therapies can be precisely directed to damaged areas, and automated procedures could happen on demand. The second phase of the IndiMed program might be the beginning of a medical revolution!”
