India-based health-tech company LifeSigns has announced 4G/5G-based IoT hardware and airtime tie-ups with India-based IoT solutions provider Hetrogenous and London-based IoT airtime provider FloLIVE to launch a connected ambulance solution in the country. The LifeSigns product, called LifeConnect, uses medical sensors and live video to monitor patients during ambulance transit to hospital. It has been deployed “for hospitals” across India, the Chennai-headquartered firm said.
Hetrogenous is providing its EdgeSTAY-branded multi-SIM gateways to switch between IoT airtime providers, as required; FloLIVE, offering aggregated hybrid-private 5G from global mobile operators, is providing its multi-IMSI 4G/5G IoT SIMs for them. The pitch is to “ensure secure data transfer and high availability” for continuous patient monitoring – in order to “prevent connectivity drops”, and convert traditional ambulances, providing advanced and basic life support (ALS and BLS), into mobile critical care units.
Patient monitoring data is delivered to medical staff while patients make their way to hospital. The LifeConnect sensors collect electrocardiogram (ECG), heart-rate, and oxygen-saturation data; the solution also incorporates high-definition video cameras to provide hospitals with the ability to visually monitor patients during transit. A press release refers to the sensor/network technology as “5GIoT” (“trademark”, says Hetrogenous). It said: “5G and IoT… ensure low-latency [network] switching… and reliable data transfer(s).”
LifeSigns explains the importance of the 5G-IoT sensor/network setup in terms of the ‘golden-hour’ delivery of critical care to patients, covering patient transit to hospitals. It said: “In emergency medical response, high reliability is crucial for eliminating gaps in communication and data transfer. This solution allows paramedics to receive timely guidance and hospitals to prepare for patient arrivals… High reliability and uninterrupted connectivity [can] significantly reduce mortality rates during medical emergencies.”
LifeSigns, which produces a clinical-grade ‘biosensor’ product and other companion for remote patient monitoring, claims its solutions are used to monitor around 200,000 patients in 150-odd hospitals. It is showing the new ambulance solution at India Mobile Congress (IMC) this week. Vinayak Patil Kulkarni, chief technology officer at the firm, said: “FloLIVE capabilities and [Hetrogenous]… provide a resilient network element with the best… throughput and fail-over capabilities… [to accelerate] deployments for remote healthcare.”
Jeegar Swaly, floLIVE’s co-founder and vice president in the region, said: “FloLIVE recognizes the transformative power of IoT healthcare solutions and their pivotal role in enhancing patient care delivery. In a field where every second counts, high availability of data is not just important, it’s essential. We are committed to providing a resilient infrastructure that ensures uninterrupted connectivity, no matter the route or location of our ambulances. Our mission is to guarantee that life-saving technologies operate seamlessly.”