Release date: 2008-03-13

A groundbreaking heart monitoring system in the UK is now using satellite technology to track patients' conditions in real time. One in every 2,500 people in the UK suffers from primary dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that currently has no cure. Ross Kay, a resident of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, is one such patient. However, since he began wearing a specialized heart monitor over a year ago, his health has been continuously monitored via satellite. When Kay was 36, he started experiencing heart problems. In December 2006, he began using an advanced heart monitor—an automatic defibrillator. This small device, about the size of a matchbox, is worn on the waist. The satellite system tracks the signal from the defibrillator and sends Kay’s heartbeat data back to the monitoring center. If the signal shows an irregular heartbeat, the company, Baiduoli Co., Ltd., immediately alerts the nearest hospital. The hospital then contacts Kay or dispatches medical staff to his location.