Biophone
Encyclopedia
The Biophone was a combination voice and telemetry
radio communications system commonly used in the 1970s and 1980s by field emergency paramedics (typically firefighters or ambulance attendants) to talk to the doctors
supervising them from a hospital base station, and also to transmit EKG
rhythms. It was this sort of communications equipment that first made emergency field paramedic programs practical.
The Biophone was produced by the Biocom Company. Motorola
produced the Apcor
which was very similar to the Biophone. The Biophone 3502 used the internals of a General Electric
PE series handheld radio mounted into an orange case, which was made of an orange laminated fiberglass with aluminum trim. The Biophone had an internal rechargeable battery which powered the sensor equipment, the PE Handheld and an amplifier that raised the transmitting power to 50 watts. The unit had a connector for a vehicle-mounted antenna for when driving in an ambulance
because signal could not penetrate through the steel skin of the ambulance. The Biophone could have any 6 (the maximum that could fit in the PE radio) of the 10 UHF "Medical" duplex channels in the 450-470 MHz range. This allowed flexibility in the overall system. The battery was a NiCad which could charge in only 15 minutes. This Biophone radio can be seen throughout the series of Emergency!
being carried by the fictional characters John Gage and Roy DeSoto. The actual Biophone 3502 radio that was used on Emergency! was donated to the Smithsonian
's National Museum of American History because of its public service. It is now on display in Washington, D.C.
.
Telemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
radio communications system commonly used in the 1970s and 1980s by field emergency paramedics (typically firefighters or ambulance attendants) to talk to the doctors
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
supervising them from a hospital base station, and also to transmit EKG
Electrocardiogram
Electrocardiography is a transthoracic interpretation of the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time, as detected by electrodes attached to the outer surface of the skin and recorded by a device external to the body...
rhythms. It was this sort of communications equipment that first made emergency field paramedic programs practical.
The Biophone was produced by the Biocom Company. Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
produced the Apcor
Motorola Apcor
The Motorola APCOR was a 12 watt, paramedic telemetry radio produced by the Motorola company during the 1970s and the 1980s. The Motorola Apcor could transmit voice and EKG simultaneously and was battery operated. There were three or more versions of the Motorola APCOR, the first was similar to...
which was very similar to the Biophone. The Biophone 3502 used the internals of a General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
PE series handheld radio mounted into an orange case, which was made of an orange laminated fiberglass with aluminum trim. The Biophone had an internal rechargeable battery which powered the sensor equipment, the PE Handheld and an amplifier that raised the transmitting power to 50 watts. The unit had a connector for a vehicle-mounted antenna for when driving in an ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
because signal could not penetrate through the steel skin of the ambulance. The Biophone could have any 6 (the maximum that could fit in the PE radio) of the 10 UHF "Medical" duplex channels in the 450-470 MHz range. This allowed flexibility in the overall system. The battery was a NiCad which could charge in only 15 minutes. This Biophone radio can be seen throughout the series of Emergency!
Emergency!
Emergency! is an American television series that combines the medical drama and action-adventure genres. It was produced by Mark VII Limited and distributed by Universal Studios...
being carried by the fictional characters John Gage and Roy DeSoto. The actual Biophone 3502 radio that was used on Emergency! was donated to the Smithsonian
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
's National Museum of American History because of its public service. It is now on display in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
External links
- Medical Telemetry Radios: Biocom Biophone 3502, Apcor "Orange" Box ...
- http://www.general-devices.com/files/learning_pdf/From_BioCom_to_Bluetooth.pdf