A blood-pressure monitor featuring the Vena platform could be worn on the wrist. The device would be easy to slip on periodically during the week and then would wirelessly transfer recorded data back to a central monitor.

Vena technology is a software platform on a single chip that lets medical devices wirelessly transmit data. It uses low-cost wireless technology to send medical readings to a central monitor located in the home, or even to an online health record such as Google Health or Microsoft Health Vault. Applications include devices such as blood-pressure meters. As the reading is taken, it's automatically sent to a PC and stored for future reference.

For example, a diabetes patient who takes regular blood-glucose measurements might want to track trends relating to treatment over some period. A device using the Vena platform can drive that data wirelessly into a personal-health record.

The Vena technology combines two emerging standards for how medical devices communicate: IEEE 11073 and the Bluetooth Health Device profile. IEEE 11073 concerns compatibility of medical devices. It has a framework which describes how different devices should present data so that other devices can understand and read it. For example, there are different device specializations for pulse-oximeters, glucose meters, and thermometers.

The Bluetooth health device profile concerns transmitting data wirelessly from one point to another. So it provides the standard for how data is transported over different connections. For instance, a pulse oximiter uses a streaming channel that continuously sends data, whereas a weigh scale might only need to send a small amount of data every now and then. Combining these two standards lets devices work together seamlessly.

The Vena platform can provide a connection to online records through a monitoring station, home PC, or TV set box. In addition to Bluetooth, the platform includes support for other connections. Full TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) implementation allows Wi-Fi or Ethernet connections, and cable connections by UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) or USB can also be added. The platform can even be used to transmit data by mobile phone for health and fitness applications on the move.

Designers who want to incorporate the technology can do so at any stage of the design or production process. Essentially the software can be placed on a single chip and they can design a module or lay out a small amount of electronics for the wireless connection itself. Design firms like ours can provide help with that, if needed.

Alternatively the chip that the Vena runs on can also drive a display and user interface, which means that device manufacturers can add a sensor and the device is wireless ready. It's possible to use the processor that does the communicating to also run the whole device application. So there's no need for two separate processors.

With the Vena platform, medical devices send data wirelessly to devices where it is recorded and stored.