Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are commonly using in healthcare organizations worldwide. The android operating system (AOS) based electronic devices such as Smartphones and computer tablets are extensively used for many purposes like instant messaging, gaming, word processing, Internet and download number of applications online.

This laboratory study set out to characterize Calcium Phosphate (CaP) based bone cements with added Zinc Oxide (ZnO) embedded in Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Bone cements with varying percentages of CaP mixed with and without varying percentages of ZnO in PMMA were fabricated by one-step polymerization by reacting equimolar ratios of MMA powder and acrylic resin. Neat-PMMA was used as control throughout the experiment. Fabricated samples were tested for their contact angle measurement, surface roughness, nanohardness, elastic modulus, and also their chemical characterization using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used as a statistical method, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. It was found that increasing CaP content elevated the hydrophobicity of the composites while mechanical properties increased with the increase of CaP. On the contrary, the addition of ZnO did not show any significant effect. The optimal concentration was observed to be at 20% CaP loading where the mechanical properties were balanced with the hydrophilic nature of CaP. It was also noted that different wt.% of ZnO and CaP did not affect the physicochemical characteristics of the composites. The PMMA-CaP composites demonstrated encouraging results and necessitate further studies to ascertain the implementation of these bone cements clinically.

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BackgroundThe electrocardiogram is the most convenient and widely used method of cardiac monitoring. The information provided by the ECG has the potential to be used as a means by which cardiac arrhythmia can be detected at an early stage in order to prevent life-threatening complications. Its significance is widely accepted in the medical field so much so that tele-monitoring is being utilized across the world for cardiac activity. To perform cardiac monitoring more efficiently, a mobile application, used in conjunction with a sensor unit, is designed to perform real-time monitoring of the cardiac signal. The device consists of 3-lead EKG patches with an integrated Bluetooth module allowing a point-to-point pairing between the hardware and smartphone application. The hardware can either be placed on humanoid robot arm fingers or connected to a wearable patch placed on the chest. A real-time EKG signal is transmitted to the Android application on which a time vs. voltage plot will be displayed. ResultsThe device was tested using the ProSim8 ECG simulator by Fluke Biomedical. The test confirmed the signal quality of the ECG signal with clear P, QRS, and T waves. ConclusionsThis device provides a more cost-effective telemedicine solution for cardiac home care assistance in remote areas which can serve as a viable alternative to conventional monitors as it has the potential to reduce the time for clinical procedures