by: Brian Chau, MS3

Being able to recognize key anatomical landmarks on radiological imagery is important for any medical student or clinician.

NeuroRad Mini is an app available through iTunes for users looking for a mobile reference and review guide to brain images.

NeuroRad Mini, from developer RadLynx, is a clinical MRI brain atlas for iOS devices. It features coronal, sagittal, and axial views of the brain. These are all labeled, allowing for easy viewing and review of important anatomical locations and relationships.

Designed by a senior member of the American Society of Neuroradiology, NeuroRad Mini is a more limited version of the iPad-only app, NeuroRad, also from RadLynx. NeuroRad Mini is designed to be a quick-reference guide to MRI views of the brain, while the iPad version offers more features, due to the limitations of the screen size and processing power of the iPod Touch and iPhone platforms.

I was impressed by how easy it was to navigate NeuroRad Mini on a small device such as the iPod Touch. Everything in the app loaded quickly, with little noticeable lag. Image scrolling through different cross-sectional views are fluid and accomplished by using the Multitouch contols. I could either swipe once to change to a single new view, or enable continuous image changes by dragging two fingers on screen. Just swiping to view the next image seemed to be the best way to view images through NeuroRad Mini.

NeuroRad Mini also allows the user to view labeled images of the various neuro cross-sections. This option is very useful, especially in a clinical educational setting. A simple upward swipe on the screen will turn off labels, while swiping down turns them on. The pointers to each brain region are easy to follow and visualize, even on the smaller screen of the iPod Touch. To zoom in, double-tapping the brain or tapping the magnifier glass will do the trick. I did notice that zoomed in images weren’t quite as detailed as many would like, but they are certainly still useful for learning and reference.

While some medical apps require an active Internet connection to pull images and information, NeuroRad Mini offers almost all of its content locally. This is a huge benefit, as not every user has access to a network data plan or wireless connection 24/7. Even the basic help and support pages on the app do not require active network access. Finally, for users desiring more information or assistance with NeuroRad Mini, the developer’s website offers a fairly comprehensive FAQ and user guide.

Price and technicals:

• NeuroRad Mini is available for $9.99, through iTunes
• This app requires iOS 4.3 or later and runs on the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad
• There is also a larger version named NeuroRad available for the iPad exclusively.

Likes:

• Wonderful review of brain anatomy seen through MRI imagery
• Large selection of high-quality neuro MRI images
• Smooth navigation and superb layout
• Excellent clinical relevance
• Great customer support, both online and off

Dislikes:

• Users of older iOS devices will not be able to run NeuroRad Mini
• Limited to MRI imagery

Conclusion:

• NeuroRad Mini is a solid choice for a brain atlas utilizing MRI imagery
• It’s a must-have for any user interested in better understanding the anatomic layout of the brain in a clinical setting.

Links:

Developer
iTunes

Scosche MyTrek is a Bluetooth enabled armband and wireless pulse monitor. It is a comfortable workout tool for managing pulse, training type, calories burned and more using a complimentary iPhone/iPod app and a great example of the emerging consumer market in the new mobile paradigm  of ubiquitous computing.

I believe the “self-quantifiers” are among the least understood and under appreciated market. Courting this early adopter customer is going to be key for developers of mobile fitness and health monitoring peripheral devices.

MyTrek utilizes two LEDs combined with a photo sensor to detect minute changes in the user’s blood pressure to accurately measure pulse. A built-in accelerometer allows MyTrek to adjust for movement during exercise from the user’s heartbeat allowing for an extremely accurate measurement of pulse and calories burned.

The device uses a lithium ion battery, which provides five hours of continuous workout time before the MyTrek needs to be charged with the included USB cable.

Users can set goals and monitor their track record passively and receive alerts either congratulating or following through and achieving those goals. The device also includes a motivational voice which guides you through your workout and helps keep you in your training zone.

Another cool feature that should help the MyTrek device gain traction is the incorporation of buttons on the device which allow users to control the music while they workout without having to pull out the device itself.

The device itself costs $129.99 online at Scosche.com or at participating Apple retail stores, 24-hour Fitness gyms, Target and Verizon Wireless stores. You can download the complimentary iPhone app for free at the App Store.

Other devices competing with the MyTrek for the consumer fitness wireless pulse monitoring space include Body Media, and Zephyr Technologies.

See a promotional video for the MyTrek device below.

An orthopedic surgeon in Mumbai, India, performed successful knee replacement surgery on a patient using an innovative device from Smith & Nephew and Brain Lab — a really interesting contraption that uses the iPod Touch’s processing power and user interface as a part of the surgical device.

The device is currently pending FDA approval, and Smith & Nephew is hoping it changes the way orthopedic surgeons perform knee and hip joint replacement procedures by improving surgical accuracy. Currently, surgical navigation tools are bulky and difficult to set up, not to mention expensive for the hospital. Using an iPod Touch as an interface could potentially make this technology accessible to more surgeons.

The following video from the company shows how the device works:

Per the companies description of the device:

The Smith & Nephew Dash™ Smart Instrument system*, powered by Brainlab, is a portable surgical navigation system designed to assist orthopedic surgeons in performing knee and hip joint replacement procedures with greater accuracy. Central to Dash™ is the easy-to-use handheld device with touchscreen interface (iPod touch) that works remotely with the mobile platform and infrared camera to provide surgeons with accurate and intuitive guidance through each procedure.

This, combined with the ability to make interactive fine-tune adjustments to the surgical instruments, provides the surgeon with a high-precision and portable tool for the accurate placement of artificial knee and hip implants.

The surgeon who performed the surgery remarked on how the iPod Touch allowed for improved navigation and better accuracy.  This is a great example of how a device maker is using existing technologies in conjunction with their hardware.

The economies of scale allow the iPod Touch to be cheaper to use than making a home grown graphical interface device, and allows for a more versatile device due the robust user interface of the iOS platform.

Source: Brain Lab

Source: Times of India

With over 100,000 apps available for the iPhone/iPod Touch and billions of downloads since the App Store opened just under two years ago, the market is clearly hot. And with the release of the iPad, expect a new flood of apps into the market.  However, a recent article in the New York Times suggests that even with the wealth of options, people generally use only five apps despite having downloaded far more.

The average iPhone or iPod Touch owner uses 5 to 10 apps regularly, according to Flurry, a research firm that studies mobile trends. This despite the surfeit of available apps: some 140,000 and counting.

Another finding that the article notes is that even thought hundreds of thousands of apps are available, the entire user group is generally exposed to the same few thousand apps.

A survey of iPhones, iPod Touch and Android users conducted in July 2009 by AdMob, an advertising network that helps people promote their applications on smartphones, found that people discover apps most often by browsing app stores. And even though the iTunes store is bloated with offerings, people tend to gravitate to the most popular….

“…The top apps featured at the store do change out,” Mr. Putney said. “But most users will never see more than 1 percent of the total apps available.”

These findings are important for iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad users, app developers, and even us here at iMedicalApps, and here’s why. For users, this means that finding the best apps requires some work – a conscious effort to search the app store for things that interest you. That includes looking beyond the most popular medical apps. For developers, this means that reaching potential customers requires finding ways to climb that popularity ladder. For the Malcolm Gladwell enthusiasts, this means finding the Mavens, Connectors, and Salesman (from Tipping Point) – basically the people with large social (or professional) networks who are most likely to adopt early and spread the message about your great app. And for us here at iMedicalApps, it means actively looking for that diamond in the rough, languishing at the bottom of the popularity rankings, and helping our readers discover useful apps they wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

So you’re a practicing provider or you’re in medical school.  You’ve seen some interesting medical applications out there and you’re wondering if you should get an iPhone or an iPod Touch.  This is a scenario that is often e-mailed to our site from providers and students.  In order to answer this question, I’ll first talk about the differences between the two devices and how the user experience will vary from a medical standpoint.

The iPod Touch runs the same operating system as the iPhone, called the iPhone Operating System.  However, the iPod touch has key hardware limitations that differentiate it from the iPhone.

The major difference between the two is obvious.  The iPod Touch doesn’t have any cellular capabilities.  So in order to use the internet, you must be connected to WiFi (wireless internet).  This is key to note because there are certain applications that require you to have an internet connection.  Two that come to mind are the Blausen Human Atlas and the Clinical Orthopedic Exam Apps.  These apps can function without a dedicated internet connection, but you aren’t able to use them to their full potential.  Both apps require you to stream videos that are not built into the applications.

If you hospital has a dedicated WiFi connection and your iPod Touch can connect to this WiFi connection easily, then this difference will not affect you.  But if your hospital does not have a dedicated WiFi connection, or if it’s difficult for you to connect to the internet, than the iPhone would be a better option if you want to use applications such as these to their maximum potential.  Remember though, if you aren’t getting reception in the hospital, often the case with AT&T, than your iPhone won’t be able to connect to the internet unless you turn the WiFi on. 

My suggestion would be to contact your hospital’s IT department to see if they can connect your iPhone or iPod Touch to the wireless internet.  In order to use the WiFi in my hospital you have to go through a login screen, which can be extremely painful and annoying.  Luckily, the IT department is great and they were able to change the wireless setting on my iPhone so I didn’t have to go through the normal login screen anymore and and now my iPhone is always connected to WiFi. 

To be honest, for medical professionals, this is the main key difference between the two devices.  The medical apps we’ve run across don’t really utilize the added functionality of the iPhone, such as Push-notification, GPS, and the camera.  Medical Apps such as Epocrates, Merck Manual Professional, and other reference apps don’t require this added functionality and will run just fine on your iPod Touch. 

If you’re always in the hospital, and are easily able to connect to WiFi, then I’d recommend you stick to the iPod Touch and save yourself from having to pay the extra monthly data fee that comes with the iPhone.  Plus, if you’re a resident you’re working 24/7 anyways and you probably won’t even that that much of a chance to use the extra functionality. 

If you’re a medical student, all the study applications we’ve reviewed, such as the USMLE question banks and anatomy apps, will work just fine on an iPod Touch. 

There are also some minor differences, such as the lack of an extra “zoom” feature that the iPhone has.  I highlighted this in the iRadiology review.  This feature can be useful when looking at detailed radiology, however, it’s not that big of a deal.

Now if you want to get the iPhone because you want a dedicated smart phone, than by all means, it’s a great device.  I went with the iPhone because I need to always be connected to the internet so I can respond to e-mails.  I use the push-button notification,push-email, and GPS functionality constantly, but I’m fully aware that many healthcare professionals don’t. 

In our reviews, if a medical app has limitations on the iPod Touch, we almost always comment on it.  If you still aren’t sure though, feel free to comment on this post or a particular review before you buy a medical app and your question will get answered.