Progress as a technology supporting "telemedicine" in obstetrics and gynecology
Editor: Is this device available for purchase by the general public?
Kono: Since these are medical devices, we sell them only to doctors and medical institutions. In fact, this device was used by the current Empress Masako when she gave birth to Aiko more than a decade ago. At that time, this device could not originally be used in Japan due to the strict restrictions of Article 20 of the Medical Practitioners Law (doctors must provide medical treatment face-to-face), but since the general law did not apply to members of the Imperial family, it could be used.
However, the manufacturer of the device at the time decided that it could not be expected to sell the device in Japan as long as it was restricted by Article 20 of the Medical Practitioners Act, and stopped manufacturing it. That's when we took over the manufacture of the device and started selling it overseas. It was the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 that changed the direction of the domestic market. In the wake of the disaster, Japan's legal system underwent a major change in the direction of allowing telemedicine, and iCTG was able to receive approval.
Editor: So your company's efforts over the years have been recognized.
Kono: We've also made various improvements to the device. For example, in the original device, the heartbeat sound could only be heard at a remote location on the data receiver side, not on the sensor side. This made it very difficult to locate the fetus and move the sensor to the right place. That's why we improved the sensor by attaching a speaker to it, so that the pregnant woman can hear the heartbeat.
There are other advantages of being able to remotely measure the data necessary to know the condition of a pregnant woman. When blood pressure is measured in an unfamiliar environment such as a hospital, it becomes even higher than usual, and abnormal data that cannot be used is obtained. However, if blood pressure is measured in an unfamiliar environment such as a hospital, it will be even higher than usual, and abnormal data that cannot be used will be obtained. Therefore, if this device is used to measure blood pressure in a familiar environment such as at home, it has the advantage of obtaining more correct data. Currently, we are working with the Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology to establish rules for the use of this device.
Full Wireless" brings tremendous benefits to both hospitals and pregnant women
Editor: What kind of feedback do you get from people who use the service?
Kono: First of all, doctors can use the conventional delivery monitoring system and this system without any sense of discomfort because the basic operation method and the measured data are the same. In addition, the conventional delivery monitoring device only outputs measurement results on paper, but with this device, data can be viewed at home or outside the hospital with a smartphone or tablet. Another advantage of this system is that doctors can give instructions immediately even when they are away from the hospital.
