CHARLESTON, S.C. (Dec 1. 2017) - Key components of Zeriscope, a comprehensive mobile telemedicine examination system, received a United States patent Nov. 14.
Robert J. Adams, M.D., developed the concepts behind Zeriscope as part of his work at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). He received assistance in securing Zeriscope's patent from the MUSC Foundation for Research Development (FRD). The company also received financial assistance from the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) SC Launch program and the South Carolina Smart State Centers of Excellence program.
A distinguished professor of neurology at MUSC, and the director of the Stroke Smart State Center of Economic Excellence, Adams initiated in 2008 the REACH MUSC Telestroke Network, which eventually linked patients at more than 20 emergency departments across the state to MUSC's stroke experts in Charleston.
He has advanced his work with the development of Zeriscope, which provides an easy-to-use, extremely portable and cost-effective system that allows for infinite telemedicine possibilities. "We are taking telemedicine 'the last mile' by uniquely connecting medical experts to patients wherever they are," Adams said. "That might be in the patient's home, a skilled nursing facility, an emergency scene or anywhere else we can reach patients."
Zeriscope allows a physician to conduct a comprehensive, real-time examination of a patient in a separate location. The physician receives audio and video from the point-of-view of a telepresenter - such as a nurse, paramedic or caregiver - along with patient physiological information collected with components contained in the Zeriscope examination kit.
The compact kits are highly customizable to meet specific uses and fit neatly into a lightweight bag. Components available in the Zeriscope kit include a hands-free camera mounted on the wearer's head, other specialty cameras, patient-wearable physiological sensors, stethoscope, streaming electrocardiogram, pulse oximeter and other tools to collect data from the patient and the environment.
"The Zeriscope system was designed and developed from the ground up to be very simple to use and extremely portable, working as well on a celluar network in a mobile setting as in a facility on a Wi-Fi network," Zeriscope CEO Bill Harley explained.
Zeriscope allows for the delivery of quality care in a lower-cost setting and can be used in patient homes, emergency scenes, jails, schools, home health, hospice care, mental health evaluations, the armed forces and many other ways.
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About Zeriscope
Zeriscope is a mobile telemedicine platform company that facilitates live, secure, online, video-enabled telemedicine exams. Zeriscope exam kits benefit patients, physicians, and a host of progressive health care business models leveraging smart telemedicine applications. Zeriscope's design philosophy is centered on simple and easy-to-adopt solutions that leverage affordable technology and common-sense health care delivery. Learn more about the Mobile Telemedicine Exam Kit at http://www.zeriscope.com.
About the MUSC Foundation for Research Development
FRD has served as MUSC's technology transfer office since 1998. During that period, FRD has filed patent applications on more than 400 technologies, resulting in over 150 U.S. issued patents. Additionally, FRD has executed more than 150 licenses and spun out more than 50 startup companies. MUSC startups have had products approved by the FDA and acquired by publicly traded corporations while attracting substantial investment dollars into South Carolina. Innovations from MUSC, including medical devices, therapies and software, are positively impacting health care worldwide. Please visit us online at http://frd.musc.edu/
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and 700 residents in six colleges (Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy), and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $2.4 billion, with an annual economic impact of more than $3.8 billion and annual research funding in excess of $250 million. MUSC operates a 700-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized children's hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (a National Cancer Institute-designated center), Level I trauma center, Institute of Psychiatry, and the state's only transplant center. In 2017, for the third consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the number one hospital in South Carolina. For more information on academic programs or clinical services, visit musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit muschealth.org.