The app runs on most mobile phones that support SMS messaging, movement detection and GPS position location.
Epdetect monitors the movement of the person while the phone is in their pocket or worn on a belt.
The software differentiates the movements associated with epilepsy from normal movement.
When a seizure is detected, it will warn the person that it is about to send an SMS message to a carer.
The SMS message contains time, GPS co-ordinates (if the phone has GPS) and a short message, allowing the carer to raise the alarm and take remedial action or call an ambulance.
In the case of a false alarm, the person is able to cancel the SMS alert. The cancel button must be pressed for five seconds, to eliminate accidental cancellation of the alert during the seizure.
When the person recovers, they can press a button to cancel the alarm, which will initiate an end-of- emergency SMS message.
The use of mobile LBS apps in healthcare and emergency response will be one of the many topics under discussion at The Where Business' People Tracking & Location conference in December.
