You may recall my previous reporting on the incredible iPhonECG (subsequently re-named the iPhone ECG) which caused quite a stir in the medical and gadget blogosphere.

It's the third-most visited page in the history of the EMS 12-Lead blog (behind the lead placement charts and the notice that the 572 pound spokesman for the Heart Attack Grill died of a sudden cardiac arrest).

The original invention was a simple cell phone case that turned the iPhone 4 into a clinical quality ECG monitor. The ECG is stored locally on the smart phone and can be transmitted anywhere in the world.

Incredibly, the device can capture a high-quality ECG through a cotton t-shirt!

What paramedic or nurse wouldn't want one of those?

That's not to say there aren't any naysayers. A small handful either can't see the potential or have some doubts.

I gave this explanation of a possible use for the iPhone ECG in a discussion on the Wirelss Health group on LinkedIn.

Consider this scenario. An acute care NP is having dinner with her husband and they notice a commotion in the corner of the restaurant. Someone is "down". She comes over and and assesses the patient. His pulse is slow and weak. Out comes the iPhonECG and she captures third degree AV block. By the time EMS arrives the arrhythmia has resolved. She says to the paramedics, "Here's my phone number. Have the ED physician call me and I'll transmit the ECG for the patient's medical record." Now, instead of being blown off as "vaso-vagal syncope" they know the patient has a significant conduction problem in his heart.

You could imagine dozens of other scenarios. Indeed, the iPhone ECG is an incredible device. I can't wait to get my hands on one! 

Dr. Dave Albert, the inventor of the iPhone ECG, recently gave this entertaining talk at TEDxOKC explaining how the iPhone ECG went "viral" on the internet.

Unfortunately, I no longer own an iPhone. I lost my iPhone 3G at Disney World last year and replaced it with a Droid X.

I'm generally happy with the Droid X, but the iPhone ECG is only for the iPhone. It would be too difficult to make it work for Android because Android isn't a phone, it's an operating system.

Dozens of different phones run on Android so AliveCor would have to design dozens of different cases to make this invention work with a Droid phone, let alone the Ipad or a Tablet. Right?

Wrong! 

In walks the iCard ECG!

With the iCard ECG any of these devices can be converted instantly into a clinical quality ECG monitor. I realize that Dr. Dave did not specifically mention Droid phones in the YouTube video for the iCard ECG but he did clarify the point on Twitter.

So, who else wants one?

As @scottthemedic posted on Twitter….

See also:

Universal iCard ECG attachment for your iPhone & iPad – The Rohan Aurora

iCard ECG Turns Any iPhone/iPad Into a Powerful Electrocardiograph – MedGadget