InnovationInnovation in Bluetooth technology development runs across all sectors and markets. Decluttering your electronics is only the beginning. From healthcare to entertainment Bluetooth devices are solutions to help you enhance your life. As part of our Bluetooth SIG One to Watch program we will feature some of the Bluetooth technology implementations worth watching. Which product is likely to have the most impact in the market? The Bluetooth SIG Ones to Watch are solutions chosen from those Qualified by Bluetooth SIG members. This program is open to all levels of the SIG membership, including Adopter, and these solutions have been selected as a One to Watch because of their unique value, market possibility and implementations of Bluetooth technology.
3M Littmann 3200 Stethoscope  One can only imagine the amazement French physician Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laennec would experience seeing the metamorphosis of his 1816 invention, the stethoscope. In its 200+ year history, the stethoscope has been one of the most ubiquitous medical tools, not much changed from its inventor’s original vision.
The 3M Littmann 3200 stethoscope with a built-in Bluetooth radio takes Laennec’s invention to an entirely new level. With the 3M stethoscope physicians can enhance their patient assessments by easily recording and storing heart, lung and other body sounds. These recorded sounds can be sent wirelessly to a PC using Bluetooth technology and then amplified; enabling physicians to more easily detect physical conditions such as heart murmurs. These sound files can also be attached to medical records or shared online for review by colleagues—enhancing physicians’ ability to diagnose and treat patients. Future versions of the device are anticipated to interact with mobile phones, an expansion that would bring this technology to the consumers and provide opportunities for improved home health care. We think Doctor Laennec would be impressed. |