Qualcomm launched a new company today that aims to be the middleware of the mobile healthcare industry.
The Qualcomm Life subsidiary's first product is a platform that automatically collects data from patients' mobile healthcare devices and transmits the information to doctors.
"Our mission is to help improve the health of individuals by making it easier to connect devices into the Internet and databases," says Qualcomm mHealth executive Don Jones, who will serve as vice president of global strategy and market development for the new company.
For instance, a diabetic patient could use the hub to keep his doctors up to date with information from wirelessly connected glucose meters, scales and blood pressure monitors.
The system is designed to be plug-and-play – literally. Patients plug in the nightlight-style 2net Hub into a standard electrical socket, and the gadget detects nearby medical devices that users have registered with the system. The 2net Hub is then able to glean data from the devices and transmitted to the main 2net platform over a cellular connection. The platform supports 2G, 3G, Bluetooth, ANT+ and Wi-Fi.
The platform then transfers the information to the end-user's preferred interface, such as electronic healthcare records. The platform can also collect information from sources other than the hub, such as a smartphone or console equipped with the necessary software.
Jones said the new Qualcomm Life subsidiary was designed as a "middleware" play, providing a platform designed to help other mHealth companies make it easier for patients and physicians to use their products. The platform is designed to be compliant with HIPAA regulations and is ISO 13485 certified, bringing the technology in line with the quality requirements of domestic and international health care regulators.
More than 40 medical device manufacturers, application developers and health care services companies are considering using the 2net platform, and some have already signed up. Some companies are already developing products compatible with the platform, including AirStrip Technologies, AT&T, Ingram Micro, Numera and U.S. Preventative Medicine.
Qualcomm also announced a $100 million fund targeted at the mHealth industry. The Qualcomm Life Fund is part of the company's existing budget for the Qualcomm Ventures venture capital unit, but will focus exclusively on mHealth and expanding the reach of the 2net platform. The division has already invested in five wireless health companies, Sotera Wireless, Telcare, AliveCor, Cambridge Temperature Concepts and WorkSmart Labs.