Mobile phones could help doctors

The information can be relayed in the same way as a voice phone call

Engineers at Loughborough University have developed a system which can monitor patients in their absence.

A person's blood pressure and heart rate are checked by electrodes and then sent to a hospital laboratory via a mobile phone.

The system is in its early stages and researchers want to make it smaller so it can be easily carried around.

As well as potentially cutting down on hospital appointments, it could also benefit the training of athletes.

Professor Bryan Woodward, of Loughborough University, said: "It's got to be reduced to like something the size of a credit card and we're looking at something like that being carried by a person, perhaps carried in a pocket, or maybe taped to the chest."

His team believe the advantages will enable patients to go about their normal business whilst instant, accurate results are monitored.

"They could be driving their car, they could be playing golf, they could be on holiday, they could be at work, whatever they're doing they could transmit their heart signal or their blood pressure," said Prof Woodward.