Sony considers TV set-top health monitoring device
updated 12:15 am EDT, Fri April 20, 2012
Combo device and TV could send data to doctors
In 2010, Sony filed patent application 20120095302, describing a device that attaches to the wrist and transmits personal health data to a set-top box connected to your television and the Internet. Said data can be monitored real time by the viewer, and potentially transmitted on command or automatically to a health provider. No patent has been awarded as of yet.
Parameters for monitoring include blood glucose levels, heart rate, blood pressure, and body mass index. The data is stored in a set-top box and historical data can either be recalled or displayed simultaneously with the recent data so the user can identify trends in health. As filed, the device is aimed at an "aging populace" and health problems that can more easily be rapidly identified so changes can be made in personal behaviors, such as diet, to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
Not addressed in the patent filing is any mention of data encryption requirements for retention and digital transmission of health data as required in the privacy or security sections of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA requires all digitally stored information facing or transmitted over the web to be encrypted to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines which may be too onerous for an individual to maintain. [via Engadget]
