In the past, Taiwan focused on caretaking applications in the smart medical electronics sector, with few Taiwan-based companies focused on the patient physiological monitoring sector, which includes EKGs and blood pressure monitoring. However, over time, the division of labor and market demands changed in the global medical care industry. With this change, Broadsims saw a huge market opportunity.
Broadsims, established in July 2017, is headquartered in the Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park. The company is displaying its medical-grade multi-parameter physiological monitor at CES 2022.
Broadsims CEO Bruce Yu said this type of monitor can be considered a patient monitor platform development kit (PDK). It can be used with third-party hardware and software to flexibly create smart medical electronics solutions for different medical situations. This type of patient monitor PDK integrates the collection and presentation of important patient physiological signals such as EKG, blood pressure and blood oxygen, and can satisfy the needs of general consumers.
Developing an exclusive medical monitor for PAC measurements
Previously, only leading manufacturers such as Philips and General Electric (GE) provided physiological signal monitoring systems such as EKGs, blood pressure and blood oxygen. While these types of products are highly visible, they are too large and bulky to be carried. These products also are independent units, which limits the ability to expand their capabilities. However, along with the demassification of medical electronics products, different segments of medical electronics products have different requirements. Based on Yu's observations, there was one section of the market where requirements were not being met: post-acute care (PAC).
Following the completion of treatment at a medical center, the PAC community requires the assistance of professional medical care equipment to understand the patient's EKG and other important physiological signals while they recuperate at home. In turn, professional medical personnel must be able to understand and know how to properly use the equipment.
Yu said these types of professional medical electronics products are too complicated for patients to use. Therefore, the primary goal of this patient monitor PDK is to make it easier for patients to use these products at home. The PDK also has a built-in 4G/5G communications module, allowing patients to directly communicate their physiological signals with medical personnel.
Creating a smart medical ecosystem with the monitor PDK
Earlier it was mentioned Philips and GE medical electronics products are independent units that make them more difficult to expand. But this type of patient monitor PDK can be used with third-party hardware and software products for a wide scope of product expansions. The PDK itself has a built-in Android operating system (OS). Since major medical and insurance institutions have launched their own service apps in the Android app store, patients can download the apps they need.
The PDK can be used to develop patient physiological signal monitors. When medical units interact with patients, the insurance payment entities also play a very important role. Insurance companies can conveniently carry out insurance benefits by obtaining the required information through this platform.
The PDK can also be extended to include ultrasound, temperature and EEGs. Broadsims wants to make the PDK the core of its smart medical ecosystem, according to Yu. Broadsims hopes the PDK will help medical electronics software and hardware solution providers work together and expand the market. Third-party companies currently working with Broadsims include research-grade EEG maker Artise Biomedical, ChungHua Biomedical Industry Association (CBIA), Sound Land, temperature patch maker iWEECARE, and wireless handheld ultrasound makers Foreaider and Hukai Biotechnology.
In the early days, Broadsims' main solution focused on automatic verification for regulatory checks, helping customers save time with medical regulation certifications in various countries. The main reason for going to CES is to respond to the needs of the local US market, as well as remote medical care services such as private cloud combined with the out-of-hospital market.
Broadsims also plans to invest in the Southeast Asia market. Although Southeast Asia is not as developed as Europe or the US, there is still demand for telemedicine from high-end customers in the region.
Broadsims CEO Bruce Yu with the company's patient monitor PDK.
Photo: DIGITIMES
