Although it is more renowned for its connection to the world of personal computers, Intel is also a pretty noticeable player on the market for medical devices as well. The latest addition to its portfolio is an in-home medical gadget that will not only monitor your vital signs and store all your medical details, but it will even find a doctor for you and call him on the phone.

 

The Intel Health Guide PHS6000 is an all-in-one health station that patients can use at home to, say, connect to a blood pressure monitor for analysis and storage of their vital signs. It will organize weekly video conferences with a doctor for you, and let them send you over personalized care guides.

 

You'll find that Intel has taken care of everything, making sure this is indeed a medical device that you can use at home, as the PHS6000 comes pre-loaded with a database of medical knowledge, so that it is able to interpret a patient’s readings and provide medical explanations – either as written description or video. The machine’s findings aren’t designed to replace trips to the doctor though, so, in case a certain problem persists, it's highly recommended you see a specialist.

 

Nevertheless, this is a very useful device, able to save people's lives, just as Hank Osowski, senior vice president for Corporate Development at Senior Care Action Network Health Plan (SCAN), puts it. “We'll be able to get to more people in time via the data and the information. For example, if medical data shows any abnormality, nurses from the organization can call and intervene early,” Osowski said.

 

The 280 x 90 x 270mm PHS6000 sports a 10.4in touchscreen, and an unspecified Intel processor and chipset. The unit has a wired web connection so patients can make use of its integrated microphone and video camera for video calls.

 

A 40GB hard drive holds the user’s medical details, and presumably the inclusion of four USB ports and Bluetooth connectivity means you can move your medical stats off onto a Flash drive or mobile phone.

 

This device is to be tested in a number of pilot programs, developed by Intel with Aetna, Scan Health Plan, Erickson Retirement Communities and the Providence Medical Group in Oregon. If the results are satisfactory, the Health Guide PHS6000 health-monitoring device is expected to hit the market in mid-2009.