CNET News - Health Tech

IBM staffer posts pics on Facebook, loses benefits

Chris Matyszczyk — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:24:00 PST

A Canadian woman suffering from depression goes on holiday and puts some cheery photos on Facebook. Her insurance company withdraws her sick-leave benefits.

Originally posted at Technically Incorrect

Charlie the robot joins rest home staff

Leslie Katz — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:17:00 PST

As part of a three-year study into robots' role in senior health care, New Zealand retirement village welcomes Korean robot that will take vital signs, dole out medication reminders.

Originally posted at Crave

Brain scan finds man was not in a coma--23 years later

Elizabeth Armstrong Moore — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:01:00 PST

State-of-the-art brain scan finds Belgian man spent 23 years trying to tell those around him he was not, in fact, in a coma--leading some to question current methods of analyzing coma patients.

Bedside vital signs monitor goes mobile

Elizabeth Armstrong Moore — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:19:12 PST

Drager's Infinity M540 displays a patient's real-time vital signs on the go. Designed to fit in the palm of a caregiver's hand, the display auto-rotates so that it is always upright.

Germ alert: Attack of the killer necktie!

Elizabeth Armstrong Moore — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:06:00 PST

As the medical community debates whether to remove neckties from hospitals to prevent the spread of superbugs that claim thousands of lives annually, a microbe-thwarting tie is born.

Philips' Ambient Experience relaxes heart patients

Juniper Foo — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:33:00 PST

The multimedia machine, now being installed around the world, let angioplasty and other patients personalize the lighting, projected images, and sounds in the examination or lab room.

Originally posted at Crave

iPhone app scans bar codes for health, enviro ratings

Elizabeth Armstrong Moore — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:10:00 PST

GoodGuide releases a free app that lets you scan an item's bar code and instantly retrieve info on that product's health, environmental, and social responsibility ratings.

A stethoscope app? Be still my beating heart

Elizabeth Armstrong Moore — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:33:00 PST

The iStetho Adapter, from start-up RidRx, converts an old stethoscope into an electronic one using an iPhone or iPod Touch and the iStethoscope Pro app.

IBM chip to speed medical diagnostic testing

Larry Dignan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:30:00 PST

Breakthrough means physicians can test a patient immediately following a heart attack to improve survival rates.

Originally posted at News - Cutting Edge

A new antidepressant really turns women on

Elizabeth Armstrong Moore — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:52:09 PST

Flibanserin, designed to fight depression, turns out to be a poor antidepressant but a great libido booster in women who report low sex drives, new studies find.