High-tech system tracks wanderers.Global positioning system Global Positioning System: see navigation satellite. Global Positioning System (GPS) Precise satellite-based navigation and location system originally developed for U.S. military use. (GPS) technology and advanced biosensors are key elements in a new system designed for people with Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (ăls`hī'mərz, ôls–), degenerative disease of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex that leads to atrophy of the brain and senile dementia. and other cognitive disorders. The Digital Angel Senior System consists of a wristwatch with special sensors and a pager-sized transmitter A device that generates signals. Contrast with receiver. that communicates with a call center or secure Internet site. Via sensors and the GPS, the monitor transmits the wearer's vital signs and location. An emergency 911 button on the wristwatch can send a distress signal to the Digital Angel Call Center, which then notifies local EMS authorities. The system can also be equipped with a "sudden fall sensor A device that measures or detects a real-world condition, such as motion, heat or light and converts the condition into an analog or digital representation. An optical sensor detects the intensity or brightness of light, or the intensity of red, green and blue for color systems. " designed to let caregivers or family members know whether the wearer is upright, in the process of standing, or has fallen. The system, which is manufactured by Digital Angel Corp. [less than]www.digitalangel.net[greater than], Palm Beach, Fla., is scheduled for release this month. |
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