Asia's huge gap in health care infrastructure makes it rich ground for technology-driven devices that allow home health care. This has prompted New York-based medical device company Vasomedical to expand development capabilities in China by acquiring leading device manufacturers Biox Instruments and Life Enhancement Technology. Vasomedical's proprietary Enhanced External Counterpulsation system is the leading non-invasive, non-pharmacological therapy system for cardiovascular disease. Last year, it introduced MobiCare, a wireless multiparameter patient monitor that can transmit a patient's vital signs anytime and anywhere. The acquisition in June of NetWolves, a Florida-based provider of reliable and secure proprietary network connectivity, has catapulted Vasomedical's business into the new arena of telemedicine and mobile health care. With VasoHealthcare, which exclusively distributes GE Healthcare diagnostic imaging products to small- and medium-sized clinics in the United States, the group is a comprehensive solutions provider with global potential. "The real value is in properly managing chronic diseases," says Jun Ma, Vasomedical's president and CEO. "People are talking about personalisation, prevention and pre-emptive medicine as major trends of future health care. With telemedicine and home care, they can become reality." Once a platform is deployed on the care provider's side and on the patient's side, patients only need to run an application on their mobile device or PC to have remote consultations with doctors and receive prompt treatment. "People's quality of life will improve greatly, and health care costs will be reduced significantly," Ma says. Fewer visits to the emergency room will ultimately cut critical care spending in developing countries with overburdened systems and a lack of resources. Through Biox Instruments, Vasomedical has made inroads into some 1,300 hospitals in China for products approved by the China Food and Drug Administration. It is testing next-generation MobiCare for applications in remote settings, including offshore oil fields and rigs. "Network connectivity in health care is most important, because you cannot afford to have downtime during crucial times," Ma says. Vasomedical: www.vasomedical.com
