웨어러블 헬스케어 디바이스 2013-2015

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본 자료는 Medgadget 온라인 저널에서 'wearable'이라는 단어로 검색된 일부 제품들임.

2004년부터 2015년까지의 혁신적인 웨어러블 헬스케어 디바이스들을 소개함.

www.medgadget.com

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2013

Translating Brainwaves Into Action: Q&A with NeuroSky CEO Stanley Yang

by RAVI PARIKH on Feb 12, 2013

The MindWave mobile is connected to the user through a single, dry electrode plate (no gels) that rests on the user’s forehead, and a simple ear clip that clips to the user’s ear lobe. The clip acts as a grounding device while the electrode picks up the electrical signals generated by the brain and emanates to the surface of the forehead skin.

At the same time, the electrode is also picking up a lot of ambient noise (including imperceptible electrode movements across the head) and muscle noise (artifact) generated at the forehead. This overlaying of brainwave signal and noise sources is called the raw EEG signal.

The “brains” behind the MindWave Mobile headset is the ThinkGear™ chip. The chip lies within a cavity of the headset. Its purpose is to capture the raw EEG signal, filter out as much noise as possible, then to provide a continuous, near real-time interpretation of the user’s mental states. This information is continuously updated and packed into the ThinkGear’s output data stream, which is sent wirelessly (Bluetooth in the case of MindWave Mobile) to a remote platform (Smartphone, PC/Mac, tablet, notebook, toy, video game console, etc.). From this point, our partners’ applications that reside on those platforms capture updated ThinkGear data stream information and perform actions based on this information (e.g. controlling a video game, training a child with ADHD, monitoring a student during a learning task, etc.).

FDA Approves Insulet’s New OmniPod Diabetes Management System

by EDITORS on Feb 26, 2013

Insulet Corporation (Bedford, MA) has announced FDA approval of the new version of its OmniPod insulin delivery system. The system comprises an insulin pump, which has been made 34% smaller and 25% lighter over its predecessor, and a Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM) glucometer that communicates wirelessly with the pump, and now calculates the insulin on board (IOB). The communication between the devices has been improved to allow them to talk over a distance of up to five feet (1.5 meters).

The pump contains the same 200-unit insulin reservoir as the original and can be worn continuously for up to three days. For added safety, the pump now features a pink indicator on its top to indicate that the cannula has been deployed.

Artificial Wearable Lung to Help Patients be Mobile Before Transplant

by EDITORS on Mar 25, 2013

Patients preparing for a lung transplant often end up bedridden for extended periods of time while awaiting surgery. Because poorly functioning lungs have to be continuously assisted by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines, mobility for the patient flies out the window. This is not only a matter of great discomfort, but lack of movement prior to surgery contributes to worse outcomes for patients that should really be ambulatory instead.

Now a collaboration of researchers headed by a team from University of Pittsburgh is developing an artificial lung and blood pump that is small and light enough to wear for up to three months.

“Our wearable lung will be designed to get patients up and moving within the hospital setting, which is important for both patient recovery and improving a patient’s status prior to a lung transplant,” said principal investigator William J. Federspiel, William Kepler Whiteford Professor of Bioengineering in Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering and director of the Medical Devices Laboratory within the Pitt-UPMC McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

The PAAL device will complement recent efforts by the University of Maryland (which developed a wearable artificial pump-lung) by potentially improving the efficiency of the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide and increasing biocompatibility, Federspiel explained.

A Brief Look at the Fitbit Flex Personal Tracker

by SCOTT JUNG on Jun 3, 2013

http://www.fitbit.com/kr/flex

The wrist. It’s the part of the body that many thought would largely become forgotten when cell phones replaced watches. But, the wrist has made a surprising comeback lately as the focal point for new smart devices that combine fashion and functionality. Apple’s mythical “iWatch” is one of the most anticipated products of the year, and Nike, Jawbone, Lark, and other companies all have integrated fitness tracking technology into stylish wristbands.

Fitbit, the company behind health products like the Fitbit One tracker and the Fitbit Aria scale, has followed suit with the new Fitbit Flex. Much like the Fitbit One, it tracks your steps and monitors your sleep, helping to motivate you to reach your health and fitness goals, all in a sleek bracelet. We spent a week with the Flex around our wrists to see if the latest fitness wearable can improve health and turn heads.

Sensoria: A Smart Sock You Can Really Sync Your Feet Into

by GAVIN CORLEY on Jun 25, 2013

Heapsylon, a wearable technology start-up from Redmond, Washington, is the latest health-tech company to venture down the crowd-funding route. Earlier this week the company launched an $87,000 Indiegogo campaign to complete development of their Sensoria smart sock.

The Sensoria system comprises a washable smart sock containing pressure sensing textiles, a magnetic anklet which houses the core circuitry for the sock, and of course an app to log and co-ordinate and socialize your activities. In addition to the standard altitude, calorie estimation and step counting features, the sock generates stride frequency, stride length and foot loading patterns.

The foot loading feature in particular is interesting, and it seems Heapsylon has engaged a number of senior podiatrists as advisers to refine this feature so that the Sensoria may be used as a means to avoid running injuries due to poor foot loading. The Heapsylon site also references applications for the management and prevention of neuropathic ulcers in diabetic patients, hinting at a more medically-oriented version of the system down the line.

The Heapsylon team features some serious credentials in the form of former Microsoft management and engineering alumni, and has been backed by Flextronics, one of the world’s major electronics manufacturers. As is standard for any Indiegogo campaign, there is a menu of pre-order options to choose from ranging from $3 – $8,000.  It is early days yet, but this is one campaign we will be watching closely.

Telescopic Contact Lens System for AMD Allows Switching Between Normal, Zoom Modes

by EDITORS on Jun 27, 2013

https://www.osapublishing.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-21-13-15980

People with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) experience progressive vision loss in parts of their retinas. Typically, either specialty glasses or surgically implanted telescopic lenses are used to project images to the healthy parts of the retina. The glasses are uncomfortable and look goofy, resembling ones surgeons use with telescopes protruding from the front.

Now a team of researchers from U.S. and Switzerland, funded by DARPA, are reporting the development of a contact lens, that works in conjunction with active polarized glasses, to provide both normal and telescopic projection of light onto the retina. The contact lens has two built-in lenses, one in the center that simply adjusts where the light is projected and one around it that has a zoom of 2.8 magnification. Both send light to the same region of the eye, but because they’re polarized perpendicular to each other, basically the same glasses that are used for viewing movies on 3D TV’s can be adapted to allow the wearer to change through which lens light gets to the eye.

Medgadget's First Look at the Misfit Shine

by SCOTT JUNG on Jul 23, 2013

http://misfit.com/products/shine

Over the past few years, we’ve had the opportunity to try out a number of smart fitness trackers. These pocketable devices have varied in form factor, from the colorful and fun Striiv, to the wrist-worn Fitbit Flex, to the Argus app that turns your own iPhone into a tracker. The latest is one that we and nearly 8,000 Indiegogo contributors have been anticipating since it was announced back in November, the Misfit Shine.

As with other fitness trackers, to use the Shine you simply put it on and go. To check your progress toward your daily fitness goal, you tap on the Shine twice, which illuminates a certain number of LED’s corresponding to your progress. Wait a couple seconds, and the Shine will also display the current time. It takes a little bit to interpret how the Shine shows the time (especially if you don’t keep 12 o’clock at the top), but once you figure out that the solid LED shows the hour and the blinking LED the nearest 5th minute, you’ll enjoy this unique way of telling time. Tapping three times activates a “bookmark,” which basically tells the Shine that you’re either sleeping, swimming, or cycling. We didn’t get a chance to test these, but we’re guessing this also changes the way the Shine detects movement. We did find on occasion that tapping the Shine wouldn’t always cause it to light up. We always got it to work eventually, but it sometimes took a few attempts of double-tapping to show our progress.

On the other hand, it was interesting to note how much less responsive the Shine was to regular arm movement. After 8 hours of working at a desk using a computer, the Shine would display that we were 16.66% (2 LED’s) toward our goal; in contrast, our Nike+ Fuelband would show that we were upwards of 25% to our goal. While this means we can no longer trick ourselves into thinking we’re getting exercise while sitting at the desk, this probably means that the Shine is more accurate when it comes to counting real steps.

On the syncing end of things, the Shine uses low-energy Bluetooth to communicate with your iPhone without wires or pairing. All you need to do is open the Shine app, choose the Sync option, place the Shine on the circle outline displayed on your phone (or simply just press the outline with your finger), and the Shine uploads its data to your phone. The Shine app’s interface is simple and flat, fitting in perfectly with the soon-to-be-released iOS 7. It gives you a quantitative look at your activity, such as number of steps, calories burned, distance, and Misfit’s system of points that takes into account the type of activity as well as its intensity. Underneath, a line graph shows your activity throughout the day, and a swipe underneath the graph shows the day’s highlights, such as your most active times, sleep statistics, and personal milestones. Syncing always worked without a hitch, and the app gave some interesting statistics about our activity, but otherwise, there wasn’t a whole lot more to see.

Tooth Sensor Accurately Detects the Various Ways You Use Your Mouth

by SCOTT JUNG on Jul 29, 2013

Researchers at National Taiwan University have developed a new wearable oral sensory system designed to detect your oral activities. The system consists primarily of a tiny accelerometer embedded in an artificial tooth that detects motion in three dimensions. The rationale is that different oral activities, such as speaking, chewing, drinking, etc., each produce unique motions that can be recorded and differentiated. In a laboratory experiment of the oral sensor, eight participants performed four common oral activities: chewing, drinking, speaking, and coughing. The sensor was able to achieve a respectable 93.8% recognition accuracy.

The researchers still need to work a few things out before this oral sensor could find its way into our mouths. The lab prototype was powered by an external device via a wire, so a battery would need to be developed that is small enough to fit inside the mouth, as well as a means to recharge the battery. The device also needs a way to wirelessly transmit its data to a nearby computer. While the lab prototype used thin wires, the scientists plan on using Bluetooth in the next version. Lastly, with the various solids and liquids that pass through our mouths, and the powerful forces that break them down, the scientists are refining the sensor to ensure that it’s safe for the user to wear and tough enough to be in the mouth for long periods of time.

At-Home Medical Products: What Consumers Look for and Need

by GEORGELEWIS on Aug 13, 2013

George Lewis, PhD, is the Chief Scientific Officer, inventor, and co-founder at ZetrOZ, an innovative ultrasound technology company focused on developing a new generation of ultrasound products and applications. Thomas Best, MD, PhD, is Professor and Pomerene Endowed Chair, Division of Sports medicine, Department of Family Medicine at The Ohio State University. Dr. Best is also a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Past-President of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Patients of all ages — and those with a wide range of medical issues — have a wealth of information available to them at all times. Especially in the United States, patients proactively seek out medical information online, on TV, and in magazines. They are active participants in their healthcare, working in partnership with their physicians to explore new treatment options.

Technology has put patients in charge of their health in terms of knowledge, but it’s also time to put them in charge of some treatments. In-home medical products have made this possible, granting patients access to healthcare on their own terms with convenient, efficient, and cost-effective products.

The Benefits of At-Home Care

There is an increasing emphasis in our healthcare system on keeping people out of hospital, reducing early readmissions, and taking control and responsibility for one’s personal health. As we move from a reactive to a proactive healthcare model, empowering patients with assistive medical technology in their homes lets them control their treatment and manage pain. They can find relief whenever and wherever they want it: in the middle of the night, while playing with their kids at the park, or on the road.

Elderly, disabled, bedridden, or terminally ill patients who may have trouble traveling to appointments can benefit from in-home treatments. Self-administered care can replace trips to the doctor, and in some cases, might eliminate the need for a live-in nurse or aide. This removes the cost of travel and eliminates co-pay fees at appointments, making life more enjoyable for patients who already deal with constant pain or medical issues.

For those recovering from a surgery or intensive medical treatments, being back in the comfort of their own home — around family and friends — can help speed the healing process. Treatments can be individualized by a physician with the help of at-home health products, giving patients more autonomy, yet also making them more invested in their own care and progress.

What Makes an At-Home Medical Product Practical?

A medical product should be effective above all else, but that alone doesn’t make a patient or consumer want to buy it for his home. It should promise more than just relief. At-home medical products should be:

Intuitive: A well-designed at-home device can be used by any patient with any level of intellect and ability. No special technical knowledge is necessary; the product simply works. Keep user-friendliness in mind when designing every aspect of the product, from packaging to operation to recharging or replacing batteries.

Convenient: The product shouldn’t take up too much space, require a lot of maintenance, or require help from another person. If an at-home product has any of these factors, then its usefulness is diminished. The whole purpose of the device is to enhance the patient’s life by making his medical treatment easier.

Safe: These tools can’t harm the patient if used incorrectly. When patients are using a device at home, it’s part of their lives; chances are they won’t use it perfectly or follow directions every time. For a product to succeed, the probability of the patient hurting himself has to be low or nonexistent.

Data Transmission: The electronic medical record (EMR) continues to penetrate modern healthcare. It is critical that information acquired by at-home medical products be readily available to the EMR. Examples include home blood pressure monitors and devices managing the dosing of medications.

What Consumers Look For

An in-home product must have a personal draw for the patient, along with the potential to significantly improve his quality of life. For a patient to invest in a piece of equipment for home use, it must be effective, practical, and potentially life-changing for the user. At-home treatments options will seem more appealing if they also allow the patient to receive treatment while doing other activities, such as walking, working, or sleeping. This increases the convenience and value factors, making your product a seamless part of the consumer’s life. It’s even better if insurance will provide coverage for the device, rendering the cost irrelevant.

All these factors went into the creation of SonoBandage by ZetrOZ, Inc. Patients needed a more advanced, convenient, and effective way to receive ultrasound treatment on a daily basis. The system was built into a small, bandage-like device that’s activated by simply putting the device to your arm. The SonoBandage is portable and intuitive, with simple, tactile response activation and a clean LED display with “on/off” indicator lights. It’s completely self-applied, and the patient can charge it as easily as a smartphone. Furthermore, the SonoBandage is a home-based platform for wearable, ultrasound-driven transdermal drug delivery without the need for needle sticks.

The Future of At-Home Products

Many in-home diagnostic tools have been introduced, such as heart monitors, breathing apparatuses, and machines that prevent cardiac arrest. The Holter heart monitor informs patients on a weekly or semi-daily basis of their hearts’ EKG rhythm and automatically sends a report to their physicians. This can change the life of an open-heart surgery patient or the victim of a heart attack. It’s like having a doctor watching over your health without physically having the doctor present. Another example would be a home glucose monitor, which enables diabetics to have the information transmitted to their healthcare providers for feedback regarding insulin or oral agents for diabetes management.

Convenient, portable, cost-effective, and life-changing — these products are everything an at-home medical tool should be. By empowering patients with the tools to treat themselves in the comfort of their own homes, patients will feel better, be more independent, and live happier lives.

UVA's Continuous Closed-Loop Artificial Pancreas Powered by Android Smartphone

by EDITORS on Aug 15, 2013

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/36/7/1851.full

Continuously keeping one’s glucose levels within normal range is a big part of life for diabetics the world over. Some rely on continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps to control their blood sugar, but these devices operate autonomously with the glucometer not sharing its readings with the pump and the pump not telling the meter how much insulin it’s delivering.

Researchers at University of Virginia have developed a system that uses an Android smartphone to link the two devices into a unified machine that continuously monitors glucose and adjusts insulin delivery as needed. The closed-loop system uses Dexcom monitors and Insulet OmniPod pumps and originally relied on a specially developed wireless protocol for communications. This has been passed over for the new Bluetooth low power standard that allows much greater range between the medical devices and the smartphone. Using the new system the researchers performed a clinical trial to study how practical and effective it would be in real life, and after having 20 subjects with type 1 diabetes live with the new system for 42 hour sessions, the system performed with an impressive 97.7% uptime, paving the way for larger trials.

New CT Scanner to Aid Fashion Victims in the UK

by GAVIN CORLEY on Aug 30, 2013

Despite the proliferation of wearable and fashionable health & wellness technologies in recent years, fashion and health are not often a harmonious couple. Most of our readers will be keenly aware of the sacrifices made in the name of sophisticated shoe-wear. High heels, more than any other shoe, are the bane of podiatrists who most deal with the corns, Morton’s neuroma and plantar fasciitis among the numerous conditions which can arise from excessive wear.

Traditionally, 2D X-rays were the tool of choice for podiatrists and orthopedic surgeons assessing foot injury. However, a relatively new product from CurveBeam of Warrington, PA is bringing 3D load-bearing CT scanning to the fight against harmful heels.

CurveBeam’s pedCAT  scanner enables office-based foot and ankle scanning in a load bearing posture. The scan takes just over a minute, and image reconstruction is complete within 2 minutes. The system was approved by the FDA in April 2012 and has made its way to the UK this summer.

Researchers at the Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculo-Skeletal Sciences at University College London in conjunction with the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital are using the system to treat and manage shoe-related symptoms. The researchers have released a video which includes a wince-inducing CT scan of a foot in high heels. Commentary is provided by Mr Andy Goldberg, a consultant orthopedic surgeon who explains the advantages of the system and highlights the particular injuries that can arise from high heels.

AiQ's BioMan Biomonitoring Shirt and Other Smart Clothing Technology

by GAURAV on Sep 23, 2013

Why bother buying a watch or bracelet to track your daily activities and calories burned, when your shirt can do it for you? AiQ, a company based in Taiwan that develops smart clothing featuring embedded sensors, has come out with the BioMan shirt that is able to keep track of your body vitals. The BioMan is able to track heart rate, respiration rate and skin temperature. That information can then be sent to a smartphone or other device wirelessly via Bluetooth. Embedded steel threads within the shirt provide the electrical conductivity that allows for vitals sensing. The material can be further customized to potentially measure skin moisture and electrophysiological signals such as EKG, electroencephalography (EEG), or electromyography (EMG). The Bioman shirt is different from other wearable monitors as the sensors are integrated into the garment so that the wearer doesn’t have to worry about misplacing or forgetting to wear them. This technology has great potential for not only routine tracking of body vitals, but also to alert care centers in the event of unusual cardiovascular activity.

In addition to BioMan, AiQ offers other smart clothing textiles as well. Its NeonMan clothing line integrates patented LED wire and LED buttons powered by a small removable/rechargeable battery to enhance the safety of night time activities.  Its ShieldMan fabric, a wearable Faraday cage, uses a textile consisting of a fine metal mesh distributed evenly inside casual clothing that shields the wearer from electromagnetic radiation. And finally, the ThermoMan fabric line keeps the wearer warm without the use of large heating panels or pads that weigh the wearer down while performing outdoor tasks. The ThermoMan fabric uses uniquely coated stainless steel yarn to ensure the wearer’s safety and to maintain fabric softness.

Preventice Receives European Approval for BodyGuardian Cardiac Monitoring System

by GAURAV on Oct 10, 2013

Minneapolis-based Preventice has received CE Mark approval for its remote cardiac monitoring technology called BodyGuardian. The system had previously received FDA clearance for tracking of non-lethal arrhythmias in ambulatory patients in the US.

BodyGuardian is a biomonitoring device, developed in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, that uses a highly portable, lightweight, wearable sensor called the BodyGuardian Control Unit to help doctors constantly track one’s cardiac electric performance. This continuous cardiac ECG and rhythm monitoring keeps physicians informed of their patients’ states of health and warns them in case of an emergency. The non-intrusive sensor attached to the patient’s skin is in the form of a bandage, and allows patients to go about their day-to-day activities with little, if any, discomfort. Data from the BodyGuardian Control Unit is transferred to a BodyGuardian enabled smart phone, which in turn is delivered securely to Preventice’s cloud-based mobile health system called Preventice CarePlatform. The Preventice CarePlatform accumulates real-time data from user devices and sends them to healthcare professionals to enable constant monitoring of patients’ cardiac performance. Doctors and nurses can view emergency alerts and notifications regarding their patients on a computer or an iPad. Further, patient specific cardiac performance thresholds can be set, so that a physician receives an alert when that threshold is crossed. The stand-alone BodyGuardian system can monitor the ECG, heart rate, respiration rate, activity level and body position. The sensor can be coupled with other devices to also remotely monitor weight and blood pressure.

QMedic's Smart Medical Alert Device for Seniors (VIDEO)

by GAURAV on Oct 3, 2013

According to the AARP, for the next 18 years, baby boomers in the U.S. will be reaching retirement age at a rate of about 8,000 a day and 90% of these people prefer to live at home in their later years. Since a large percentage of these seniors are not able to reach out for help when an emergency occurs at home, caregivers for senior citizens benefit from passive connectivity to proactively monitor their loved ones’ well being in the home 24 hours/day. QMedic, a Boston, MA company, is developing what it claims to be the first ever passive wearable sensing technology that detects and predicts emergency events in the home, and sends real-time feedback to caregivers when something unusual occurs. This medical alert system warns the caregiver if the user is not wearing the device, fails to get out of bed, or is out of home for extended periods of time. 

The QMedic system requires the user to wear a waterproof bracelet which has a large button on the top. Sensors in the bracelet can monitor the senior’s sleeping habits and gauge physical activity. The button on the bracelet can be pressed in case of an emergency around the house, which contacts the base station, which in turn calls the QMedic’s 24/7 emergency call center. A QMedic representative first tries to reach the user through the speakerphone attached to the base station, and if the user is able to convey his or her emergency situation, then the QMedic representative can send out an appropriate emergency response team or contact a family member. If the user is unable to respond, the QMedic representative attempts to reach the user through the home phone line. If there is no response, QMedic calls up the local emergency service to the user’s home.

Tongue Controlled Wheelchair Performs Better than Conventional Sip and Puff Systems

by GAURAV on Dec 4, 2013

Researchers from Georgia Tech have published a new study in which a wheelchair using a tongue controlled navigation system (see flashbacks below for previous coverage) has provided improved performance compared to conventional sip and puff navigation systems that are probably the most common interfaces among severely disabled for controlling wheelchairs. In the Georgia Tech study, paralyzed individuals accessed computers and transmitted commands to their wheelchairs using a wireless and wearable Tongue Drive System at faster speeds than conventional wheelchair controlling methods.

The position of the user’s tongue is relayed to the Tongue Drive System similar to a joystick, but with the help of a magnetic tongue stud piercing. A magnet in the tongue stud allows a head worn sensor to detect its location, interpreting it as one of six commands that the wheelchair can follow.

The researchers published results showing that 11 patients with tetraplegia using the Tongue Drive System were able to maneuver wheelchairs three times faster than with conventional sip-and-puff systems, without compromising accuracy. More than half of the patients in the study had years of routine experience with sip-and-puff navigation technologies but still preferred the Tongue Drive System after using it for the first time.

Athos Develops Workout Attire that Monitors Muscle Activity (w/video)

by GAURAV on Dec 5, 2013

Athos (Redwood City, CA), a company started by two students from the University of Waterloo, Canada, has developed workout attire with embedded sensors that track muscle function and activity. The Athos garment consists of a long sleeve shirt and stretchy pants embedded with EMG sensors that monitor muscle exertion, heart beat, and breath. The embedded sensors are capable of obtaining information from 22 muscle groups in the body and the information recorded is relayed to a wearable unit called the Core that processes muscle activity data along with heart rate data and sends it over to a smartphone app for final analysis.

The app provides the user with valuable information such as the effectiveness of certain workouts, information about the user’s balance, and is able to also warn the user when he or she is in an improper workout or lifting posture. The Athos sensors are able to track the number of workout repetitions, so the user no longer has to carry around a pen and pad around the gym. Users can receive information regarding the amount of time spent resting or being active, and can see immediate results on how certain activities, such as stretching prior to a workout, can influence the end result. The app also provides users with continuous coaching, workout summaries, and allows sharing of results with friends and family.  The Athos app is available for any Apple device running iOS 7 and it uses Bluetooth 4.0 to communicate with the Core.

The Athos top and bottom garment can currently be pre-ordered for $99 each, and the Core can be pre-ordered for $199. The garments and the Core are scheduled to be shipped in the Summer of 2014.

Vigo, an Energy and Alertness Tracker, to Help Keep You Focused and Awake

by BEN OUYANG on Dec 23, 2013

Vigo is a new push in the wearable health technology front which aims to track the user’s energy and alertness levels throughout the day, and to intervene to wake the user when it detects drowsiness.  The headset device measures patterns in blinking and head movements using an infrared sensor and accelerometer, and processes these patterns with an algorithm to determine energy levels.  When it senses drowsiness, it can nudge and wake the wearer with an arsenal of user-selected alarms, vibrations, LED notifications, and/or pump-up songs.  It can also make recommendations, such as to take a break and stretch or drink a cup coffee.  vigo-appThe Vigo records and tracks the user’s mental energy levels over time on an iOS or Android smartphone, and alert/drowsy patterns can inform the wearer of their most/least productive times of day.  The device is currently being touted for use to keep users awake during long drives or boring meetings and lectures, and may gain expanded functionality, like winking-based gestures, as the company plans on releasing the SDK (software development kit) to the public.

The Vigo is equipped with an ARM Cortex-M0 16MHz processor, low-energy Bluetooth 4.0, infrared sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, vibration motor, and is reported to last 2-3 days on a single charge.  The Vigo team, made of University of Pennsylvania graduates, has currently launched the project on Kickstarter, and the Vigo can be backed for $79 (retail $119). Expected shipping date is May 2014.

2014

Electromed Receives FDA Approval for Next Generation SmartVest Airway Clearance System

by GAURAV on Jan 2, 2014

http://www.smartvest.com/smartvest-system/

Electromed (New Prague, MN) has received FDA approval for its next generation airway clearance system called SmartVest SQL. The SmartVest System makes use of high frequency chest wall oscillations (HFCWO) to clear mucus in the airways. HFCWO is prescribed is a last option by physicians when chest congestion cannot be cleared by more conventional therapies such as drugs, chest physical therapy, special coughing techniques, or cough-assist aids. The HFCWO mucous drainage therapy is prescribed for patients with long term pulmonary issues such as bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and cerebral palsy, and has so far been used to treat chest congestion associated with more than 400 different medical conditions including neuromuscular and immune disorders.

The system consists of a wearable vest with an inflatable air bladder that is connected by a hose to a programmable air compressor. When the patient wearing the vest turns on the air compressor, pulses of air enter the air bladder within the vest in repetitive cycles that create a “squeeze and release” action on the upper body. The squeezing action serves as a “mini-cough,” helping to dislodge mucus from the airways and reducing the thickness of the mucus to help it propel towards larger airways. Patients are recommended to use the device twice a day for about 15 to 30 minutes with the air compressor programmed to deliver 5 to 20 compressions per second. The FDA approved SQL version of the SmartVest is lighter, quieter and smaller than previous generations and features with an improved generator, optimized pause feature, and a more user friendly graphical interface.

iHealth Launches New Wristworn Pulse Oximeter, Ambulatory Heart and Blood Pressure Monitors at CES 2014

by GAURAV on Jan 13, 2014

iHealth (Mountain View,CA), a subsidiary of China-based Andon Health, launched a new wristworn pulse oximeter, an ambulatory heart monitor, and an ambulatory blood pressure monitor at CES 2014. The pulse oximeter continuously measures blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate at the finger tip, and is connected to a wrist strap that has an LED display showing the readings. The device also syncs via Bluetooth to the iHealth iOS app to display and track blood oxygen levels over time. Like other pulse oximeters, the device works by projecting two light beams, one red and the other infrared, onto the blood vessels in the finger. Oxygenated blood absorbs more infrared light and allows more red light to pass through, whereas deoxygenated blood absorbs more red light and allows more infrared light to pass through. A photodetector opposite the light emitters measures the ratio of red to infrared light received and from that calculates the amount of oxygen in the blood.

The second device unveiled by iHealth is an ambulatory heart rhythm monitor that is attached to the user’s chest using an adhesive patch. The monitor syncs with an iOS device using Bluetooth connectivity and displays a complete ECG on the user’s phone.

The device is capable of notifying the user of any arrhythmia and will also be able to convey this information to a loved one or a caregiver. The device can save up to 72 hours of ECG data, and may one day serve as an option over Holter monitors for arrhythmia detection and characterization.

The third device launched by iHealth is an ambulatory blood pressure monitor that connects to a wearable blood pressure vest. The monitor is able to continuously track the wearer’s blood pressure without disturbing the user’s normal activity. It is able to connect to Android and iOS phones through Bluetooth 4.0 and can save up to 200 blood pressure readings. The blood pressure measurements can be registered in preset intervals, starting at every 15 minutes, or the user can have the device measure blood pressures at longer intervals of every 2 hours. The device is targeted at addressing the need for a continuous blood pressure monitoring device to better understand and track hypertension.

UnitedHealthcare, Konami, Zamzee Aim to (Dance Dance) Revolutionize Childhood Obesity

by BEN OUYANG on Jan 15, 2014

Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic. According to the WHO, over 40 million children across the world were overweight in 2011, 10 million of which were in developed countries. As technology makes it increasingly easy for children to have their eyes glued to the television or their fingertips to their tablets, physical activity seems harder to come by. To address this issue, UnitedHealthCare, Konami, and Zamzee are turning to the old adage: if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

The three announced their partnership at CES 2014, and plan to reduce childhood obesity through “exergaming,” an emerging concept that uses video gaming as a motivator for physical exercise.  Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), a popular game by Konami, prompts players to move and step on a special gamepad to the beat of a song, and has often been praised for its innovative and fun approach to physical activity.  UnitedHealthcare and Konami have been rolling out DDR: Classroom Edition to schools across the U.S. to study its impact on students’ health, well-being, and exercise habits.  A second initiative is aimed at investigating the benefits of the Zamzee, a fitness wearable targeted at children.  It’s placed on a shoe and measures the time and intensity of physical activity.  As children exercise more with the Zamzee, they are rewarded with more “pointz,” which can be cashed-in for real-life prizes, such as Xbox consoles. The pointz and activity logs can be visualized through Zamzee’s website and apps for easy monitoring.

Approximately 60 students and their families will take part in the Zamzee study, as part of the broader childhood obesity and intervention program Join For Me, and will be evaluated for how effective the Zamzee is in promoting fitness, compared to other Join For Me participants.

Google Announces Eye-Opener: Glucose-Sensing Contact Lenses

by BEN OUYANG on Jan 17, 2014

Were you wondering why Google sent members of its mysterious Google X research group to meet with the FDA‘s eye department a few days ago? Wait no longer: Google will be entering into the medical device foray with a stunner.  It announced its plans for a new contact lens on its blog yesterday.  However, this won’t be a more compact Google Glass – the advanced wearable is a medical device aimed at the management of diabetes.

Google is preparing the contact lens to measure glucose levels from the wearer’s tears and to beam the data wirelessly to a receiver (presumably a smart phone).  Noninvasive continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are seen as a holy grail for the management of diabetes, and Google claims its prototypes are capable of continuous readings at a rate of once per second, with less hassle and pain than current CGMs which are bulky and require needle sticks about once a week.  Furthermore, Google plans on integrating tiny LEDs as instantaneous early warning systems for the user if the glucose level is out of range.  The company is working with the FDA on this device, and has said that they will collaborate with experts that can bring the contact lens and its corresponding app to market for both patients and doctors to better manage diabetes together.  They have already done multiple clinical trials.

Research into this technology has been explored for over a decade now, and Google may finally have the power to bring it to market.

EZpole Lets You Take Your IV Drip Along on a Post Surgical Hike

by EDITORS on Mar 4, 2014

Mobiu, a Korean company, aiming to improve the recovery experience has developed a new IV pole that’s worn like a backpack and, while looking pretty silly, allows the patient to at least get out for a walk.

The IV pouch hangs above the patient on a plastic pole that’s strapped onto the shoulder. The whole unit (without the drugs) weighs less than 400 grams, and as long as the patient remains upright, the medicine will flow. The device is not yet available, but the company is planning to soon release it in four different sizes, according to the AVING news service.

SunSprite Hopes to Help You Get Enough Sun

by EDITORS on Mar 6, 2014

Researchers have been using light monitors for decades to study everything from how the body adapts to changing sleep schedules to what effect light has on our mood, sleep, and overall health. A lot of this knowledge could be made more useful if people knew what their personal exposure to light is.

SunSprite, a new device that is scheduled to come out in a few months thanks to Indiegogo crowdsource funding, is designed to monitor and record your daily exposure to light. It clips on to your shirt, purse, or dress, and uses a solar panel to measure brightness. The same panel generates the electric power needed to run the SunSprite, so you won’t ever have to charge any batteries.

Certainly this will be a fun new addition in the quantified selfer’s toolbox and will hopefully lead to a bunch more useful data to analyze and get some sense out of.

LeapFrog Announces Fitness Tracker for Kids

by TOM FOWLER on May 1, 2014

http://www.leapfrog.com/en-us/store/p/leapband/_/A-prod19263

The fitness tracking market is not quite saturated yet and the wearable tech industry is casting a wider net to capture an untapped market potential: children. Leapfrog, an educational entertainment company based in Emeryville, California, today announced LeapBand, a fitness tracking device for kids.

Aimed at the 4 to 7 year old age range, this rechargeable water-resistant digital wrist band gives kids interactive commands that help them stay physically active through gamification. The LeapBand comes pre-loaded with 14 challenges that intend to get kids moving with active and imaginative activities. Activities are rewarded by giving points that can be used to unlock special features in the on-board games. These games, similar to Tamagotchi, incorporate a set of eight virtual pets that can be fed and played with.

LeapBand uses a simple USB connection through which parents sync activity data, install extra activities, or control parental settings such as limiting play time, or setting the LeapBand to be in silent mode during school hours. In LeapFrog Connect, parents can set up any of the 36 LeapBand challenges with activities like: “Jump like a frog” or “Walk like a crab” to get kids moving.

The device is expected to fetch around $40 and is planned to become available in August of this year.

Students Develop Defibrillator Vest to Help Save Lives Thanks to Smart Design

by EDITORS on Jun 6, 2014

A wearable defibrillator can save the life of a cardiac patient waiting to receive an implantable device. Yet, the ZOLL LifeVest, the only such device currently available on the market, is still kind of bulky, making it difficult to wear, especially in bed. A team of biomedical engineering students at Johns Hopkins have put in the effort to slim down the wearable defibrillator, making it more comfortable and easier to wear for extended periods. They hope that with a more discreet and comfortable design, patients prescribed wearable defibrillators will be more compliant with putting them on at all times.

The students surveyed patients who wore the currently available defib garment and electrophysiologists that are experienced in setting it up. The new defirillator, instead of looking like an athletic chest strap, is in the form of a vest that’s much more intuitive to put on. The fabric is both breathable while being waterproof, both to help protect the electronics and to make it easier to clean the vest. All the active electronic components are distributed inside the pockets along the vest, and the control box has been slimmed down to be able to be worn on the patient’s wrist like a watch. The control box can be used to monitor the system, as well as to cancel an impending shock if the patient believes the system detected a fake arrhythmia signal.

Spire Activity Tracker Reminds You to Take a Deep Breath (VIDEO)

by SCOTT JUNG on Jun 18, 2014

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is in full swing right now, and if matches like the United States’ late victory over Ghana continue to happen, you’ll probably have a few more gray hairs and require bottled oxygen by the time competition ends. Thankfully, there’s a new wearable that was announced yesterday for pre-order that can warn you when a stressful work day (or a nail-biter of a soccer match) is taking a toll on your respiration.

Called the Spire, this petite activity tracker is the first to monitor breathing patterns. Why are breathing patterns important to track? Breathing patterns, as you can guess, can be a good indicator of your mental state. Moreover, according to Spire, the average person is physically active and moving only about 14% of the day, but because breathing happens 100% of the day, Spire works the other 86% of the time where fitness trackers don’t. Spire can still track your steps and even your sleep like the other trackers do; in fact, it uses your breathing patterns to help gauge the intensity of your exercise.

Breathing patterns and measured activity are synced via Bluetooth Low Energy to an iOS app (Android app currently in development), which can be programmed to remind you to occasionally take deep breaths and perform other breathing exercises. Battery life is about a week, and the Spire charges wirelessly with a Qi compatible wireless charger. You can pre-order Spire now for $119 and it’ll start shipping in September.

And for your own health’s sake, please don’t forget to breathe as you cheer on your nation.

Vibrating Electronic Glove Teaches People to Read/Write in Braille with Little to No Effort

by EDITORS on Jun 23, 2014

Reading and writing in Braille can be a frustrating new skill that people who lost their eyesight have to learn. Typically, to become a natural at Braille requires many hours of learning, but researchers at Georgia Tech developed a glove that can help learn Braille without even thinking about it.

The electronic glove has vibrating motors sitting atop each knuckle and was originally used to teach people to play piano. The knuckles can be made to vibrate in different patterns that correspond to phrases written in Braille. In studies, to be presented at the 18th International Symposium on Wearable Computers (ISWC) in Seattle in September, the researchers had volunteers wear the glove while focusing on learning Braille, while other participants played unrelated video games during the same Braille learning sequences. Remarkably, even those that didn’t consciously focus on Braille were able to repeat writing phrases taught by the glove. Moreover, not only did writing of Braille improve, but the study participants were also able to read Braille with greater ease.

FreeWavz Earphones Feature Fitness Tracking and Great Sound Quality Without the Wires (VIDEO)

by SCOTT JUNG on Jun 24, 2014

Headphones are a fitness gym staple, but they’ve changed little in their functionality over the years. While they vary in form factor and size, they all basically fit over or inside your ear and let you rock your tunes. We’ve found that the ear, however, is a great point of sensing on your body for all kinds of biometrics and fitness data. A new kind of earphone announced this week by Orlando, Florida-based FreeWavz, hopes to make earphones a little more useful by utilizing the ear’s unique anatomy to turn them into a fully-featured fitness wearable.

The earphones, also called FreeWavz, were developed by Dr. Eric Hensen, an ear, nose, and throat surgeon who is also an avid weightlifter. During a chat and product demo with Dr. Hensen, he explained to us that some of his inspiration came from the constant frustration of his earbuds coming out while lifting. He realized not only that wireless earphones would be a huge improvement, but he could design the earphone to incorporate a pulse oximeter to help monitor the intensity of his workouts. With the addition of a three-axis accelerometer, the FreeWavz became capable of monitoring heart rate, calories burned, distance traveled, duration of workout, and oxygen saturation.

The FreeWavz are also a quality listening device as well. Each earphone can be operated independently and has a separate volume control and a six frequency equalizer that can be programmed through an iOS and Android app. The same app collects and displays all the biometric data captured. The shape of the FreeWavz itself was also specially designed so it fits snuggly, but comfortably around your ear and directs sound up and into the ear canal for optimal sound quality. In situations where users may want to maintain some situational awareness, such as during cycling, the FreeWavz also have a microphone to pass a programmable amount of environmental noise through.

If an activity tracker and a pair of high-quality earphones weren’t enough, the FreeWavz can also send and receive phone calls and provide real-time audible fitness alerts about your progress. Its battery lasts 6-8 hours and FreeWavz will also release an application development kit so programmers can develop and further expand on the earphone’s functionality.

FreeWavz launches on Kickstarter for $179 and will ship in October.

UpRight Posture Sensing Wearable to Help You Help Your Back (VIDEO)

by EDITORS on Jun 30, 2014

Maintaining a proper posture is not only socially beneficent, but is good for overall health. For most of human history, since being a caveman went out of fashion, the most common way of maintaining good posture was your mother’s frequent reminders to straighten up. A new device called UpRight, being funded through a crowdsourced Indiegogo campaign, aims to continuously monitor your posture and provide quantitative data and real-time feedback to help you keep straight without the motherly nagging.

The UpRight is attached to the lower back with a hypoallergenic adhesive. It’s a flexible device that can detect how much strain is put on it and the angle it’s positioned. A vibrating motor inside can gently warn the wearer whenever it detects the person has taken on an unhealthy posture. A smartphone/tablet app is used to control the UpRight, as well as to review one’s posture data. There are even training exercises within the app that are supposedly meant to help improve posture within a few weeks.

NeuroMetrix Pain Management Technology Cleared for OTC Use by FDA

by EDITORS on Jul 9, 2014

People suffering from chronic pain in the lower legs and feet will soon have a new device available for purchase without a prescription thanks to the new regulatory clearance from the FDA. Developed by NeuroMetrix, a Waltham, Massachusetts firm, the device is a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS), the technology within which has already been prescribed in the form of the SENSUS Pain Management System for people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and others with chronic pain in the legs and feet.

The SENSUS is strapped around the leg just below the knee and pressing a button on top of the unit is all it takes to activate it. The device has a 60 minute run cycle and pain relief often continues to last long past the treatment session. For those needing constant therapy, the device can be used in “continuous ” mode so that sessions automatically kick in every other hour, allowing a full hour in between for the legs to get some rest from the stimulation. The unit can be worn during sleep and two can be used at the same time for pain management in both legs.

LifeTip No Contact ECG Activity Tracker Raising Funds on Indiegogo

by EDITORS on Jul 16, 2014

Being able to continuously monitor one’s basic ECG can be beneficial to a lot of people, particularly those prone to have atrial fibrillation, SVT, syncopal episodes, etc. Intermittent arrhythmias can be notoriously difficult to detect in a clinical setting, since they come and go without warning. Yet, ECG monitors normally require skin contact to detect the electric activity of the heart. Now a new device in development called LifeTip may provide continuous one-lead ECG data in addition to other personal tracking information. The Italian developers behind the LifeTip are now raising money on Indiegogo to commercialize the prototype into a real device.

The LifeTip is attached to the center of a bra or on a special shirt to keep the unit close to the center of the chest. Capacitive sensors within the LifeTip are able to detect the ECG and send it to a paired smartphone to review by the user and to send it over to a cardiologist. In addition to ECG, the device will be able to monitor body temperature, posture, steps taken, and maybe even call 911 if a serious arrhythmia is detected.

Sproutling, a Baby Monitor with Real Smarts (VIDEO)

by EDITORS on Aug 13, 2014 

About a year ago we wrote about Sproutling, a baby monitor that does a lot more than just transmit audio from where a child is sleeping. It was still in development then, but the company behind the product is now taking pre-orders for the just about ready to ship device.

The system works using a sensor that wraps around the baby’s leg above the ankle. The attachment then monitors the motion and position of the child, skin temperature, and even the heart rate. The device communicates wirelessly with a smartphone, raising alarms when parameters fall outside of pre-defined limits. The sensor comes with three different sized bands, allowing for continued use of the Sproutling as the child grows.

PosturePulse fpr Keeping Your Back Straight (VIDEO)

by EDITORS on Aug 13, 2014

Maintaining a healthy posture can do wonders for one’s back and can even improve how others view you. We reported previously on devices like the LUMOback and UpRight that are worn on the lower back and provide timely feedback about one’s posture via a paired smartphone. Now a new device called PosturePulse has found its way to KickStarter and the design team behind it is raising funds to help bring it to market.

The PosturePulse is a sensor-laden belt worn around the waist, which monitors the angle of the wearer’s back and vibrates whenever the person takes on an improper posture for more than seven seconds. This is quite different from the other electronic monitors that are basically trackers for your back, pairing up with smartphones to provide users all sorts of info about their posture throughout the day. The PosturePulse has a single goal and that is to keep your back straight, so it’ll let you know when you should straighten up but it won’t tell you how you’ve been doing.

Besides wearing it around the waist, the PosturePulse can also be strapped to the back of an office chair to provide the same kind of monitoring and feedback without having to put it on. It takes only a push of a button to activate it and after putting it on the waist or chair, it’s ready to go without any other setup.

AbStat Listens to Gut Sounds So You Don't Have To

by EDITORS on Aug 14, 2014

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11605-014-2597-y

Post-operative ileus (POI) is defined as “the absence of intestinal peristalsis without mechanical obstruction”. It is a serious condition that can make recovery from surgery a challenge. Today, postoperative problems with peristalsis are diagnosed using a stethoscope by the physician, a procedure that’s frequently not performed often enough. Now a new device developed at UCLA that autonomously listens to gut sounds to evaluate how things are moving down there has been shown to be effective in helping to diagnose post-operative ileus.

The AbStat device is basically a cup with a microphone inside that’s attached to the lower torso. The audio signal from the microphone is sent to a computer that counts intestinal movements and calculates the rate of digestive activity. In a study involving 40 patients, including 8 healthy controls, 7 patients tolerating feeding, and 25 with POI, the system was able to distinguish healthy subject from those with POI with nearly perfect accuracy.

The team behind the AbStat believe the new technology opens up the possibility of having a brand new vital sign, namely the intestinal rate, that clinicians will be able to use in evaluating patients.

“We think what we’ve invented is a way to monitor a new vital sign, one to go along with heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. This new vital sign, intestinal rate, could prove to be important in diagnosing and treating patients,” said Dr. Brennan Spiegel, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, in a statement. “The role of wearable sensors in healthcare has reached mainstream consciousness and has the capacity to transform how we monitor and deliver care.”

Graphene Transforms Rubber Bands into Wearable Medical Sensors

by GAVIN CORLEY on Aug 20, 2014

The world of health & wellness sensing is undergoing major changes, enabled by the growing consumerism in healthcare, high performance smartphone platforms, and the presence of major consumer technology companies dipping their toes in the wellness waters. In particular the rise of activity monitoring devices, many of which we have reviewed here at Medgadget, are indicative of the growing appetite for a data driven life.

If wearable health tracking has blazed a trail in the world of consumer electronics, graphene has done the same in the underlying world of materials science. Since its creation in a University of Manchester lab in 2004, graphene has rapidly found applications in the fields of medical sensing, imaging, and a variety of other non-medical fields due to its versatility and unique structural and electrical characteristics. Now, thanks to researchers from Trinity College Dublin and the University of Surrey in the UK it looks like these two giant themes of technology have collided on a humble household rubber band.

Graphene exhibits exceptional strength and provides an electromechanical response to movement when deformed. The researchers used these properties to convert a cheap but highly elastic material, a rubber band, into a high performance strain sensor, called the G-band. Strain sensors have existed and been used for physiological measurement for decades. However, the G-band strain sensor is unique in that it is the most extensible strain sensor ever demonstrated. This property facilitates the monitoring of dynamic strain, which is key to the rubber bands’ use as alternative velocity or acceleration sensors. The G-band sensors also performed well at frequencies of 160Hz which is more than sufficient for common body sensing application

According to study co-author, Professor Jonathan Coleman from Trinity College, Dublin:

“This stretchy material senses motion such as breathing, pulse and joint movement and could be used to create lightweight sensor suits for vulnerable patients such as premature babies, making it possible to remotely monitor their subtle movements and alert a doctor to any worrying behaviours”

The G-band sensors are also well suited to existing rubber manufacturing processes, making them a cheap and scalable solution. The researchers published their findings in the journal ACS Nano where they discuss the sensor characteristics and provide heart rate, respiratory rate, and muscle activation data recorded using the sensor.

In the world of activity monitoring, where hard electronic technologies are struggling to adhere and conform to the often rotund human form, a flexible sensor like this opens up very interesting product design possibilities.

Medtronic SEEQ Continuous Monitoring System Helps Detect Cardiac Arrhythmias (VIDEO)

by EDITORS on Sep 19, 2014

Medtronic is launching in the U.S. the SEEQ Mobile Cardiac Telemetry (MCT) system, a wireless monitor used to detect and analyze cardiac arrhythmias. The system was originally developed by Corventis and was called NUVANT (see flashbacks below) before Medtronic purchased the company.

The SEEQ MCT is worn on the chest for up to 30 days, a much more comfortable proposition than bulky Holter monitors and their wires. It provides a continuous single lead ECG signal that is recorded by the device and then wirelessly sent via Bluetooth over to the Medtronic Monitoring Center thanks to an accompanying transmitter module. The center, where certified cardiac techs watch the incoming data 24 hours a day, will pass on interesting readings to the patient’s cardiologist.

The system automatically turns on and begins its monitoring as soon as it’s attached to the skin via a patch. It’s waterproof and can be worn while sleeping, showering, and exercising.

Wearable Artificial Kidney: A Dialysis Machine to Clean Blood While On The Go (VIDEO)

by EDITORS on Sep 26, 2014

Kidney failure typically leads to people regularly wasting a great deal of their time being tethered to a dialysis machine. Though they’re life savers, dialysis machines have not kept up with much of the rest of the medical device industry in getting smaller, more portable, and easier to use. Things may be about to change, though, as a new wearable dialysis system is about to be tested in a clinical trial in the U.S.

The Wearable Artificial Kidney (WAK), as it’s called, looks like a disassembled traditional dialysis machine whose parts have been slapped onto to a large belt for carrying around the torso. The device really does reproduce the components of a stationary dialysis system, but with a few modifications. For one, it’s battery powered, but more importantly the device doesn’t require an external source of pure water, instead continuously filtering the water that was used and reintroducing it back into the device. The entire package weighs about ten pounds, but the researchers believe it can be made even lighter.

The trial will involve up to 16 patients in an inpatient setting and will last 24 hours, during which blood samples will be taken. The patients will also be followed up on for a month afterwards.

Philips BlueControl Uses Light to Control Symptoms of Psoriasis

by EDITORS on Oct 1, 2014

Philips is releasing a new device to treat mild to moderate cases of psoriasis vulgaris without resorting to medication. The Philps BlueControl uses an array of LEDs to shine blue light onto the skin in order to control the high rate at which cells divide, the root cause of the disease. The patient can use the device at any time and on any part of the body where the BlueControl can be strapped to. The unit is battery powered and has only a power button to turn it on and off. Once activated, the 40 LEDs within the device project high intensity light that, for safety, doesn’t have a UV component. According to studies, the light does indeed help slow down cell division and leads to less pain thanks to reduced inflammation.

Philips and Radboudumc Unveil Health Monitoring System for COPD Patients (VIDEO)

by EDITORS on Oct 15, 2014

At the Dreamforce 2014 conference in San Francisco this week, Philips and Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc) in The Netherlands unveiled a prototype prototype system for managing and improving the lives of patients with COPD. The system relies on patients wearing a HealthPatch MD from Vital Connect (San Jose, California) that sticks to the chest and monitors one lead ECG, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature, and posture. The patients also receive a spirometer and a tablet computer. The data from the patch and spirometer is sent to the Philips HealthSuite Digital Platform and passed on to relevant clinicians via the eCareCoordinator application.

The patients can review their personal data using the provided tablet and enter any additional information using a special app. Additional health parameters from other devices will soon be able to flow into the system thanks to an API Philips is developing for the HealthSuite.

Skin Patch Detects Multiple Protein Biomarkers for Blood-Free Disease Detection

by EDITORS on Oct 30, 2014

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ac5031682

Blood draws are often the first step in diagnosing all kinds of diseases, but many people, especially kids, just can’t stand the process. Moreover, taking blood samples requires having trained staff performing the procedure, often a rare commodity, especially in underdeveloped nations. A team of Australian researchers headed by Simon R. Corrie of the University of Queensland, have developed a skin patch that may be coming to a nurse near you as a friendlier option for taking blood samples for disease diagnosis.

Previously, patches that penetrate the skin and detect a unique biomarker have been developed, but they have limited use and can’t often provide a confirmed diagnosis. The new patch is able to test for two protein biomarkers at the same time, and in lab tests with malarial mice it was able to detect recombinant P. falciparum rPfHRP2 and total IgG, both biomarkers for the disease. The microneedles within the patch penetrate into the intradermal layer of the skin and have antibodies for the target biomarkers attached to them. The biomarkers naturally adhere to the antibodies, which can be detected to confirm their presence in the intradermal fluid.

The researchers in their study conclude that “such devices can be used to capture clinically relevant, circulating protein biomarkers of infectious disease via the skin, with potential applications as a minimally invasive and lab-free biomarker detection platform.”

Google's Expansion into Medical Technology

by JOSHUA CHEN on Nov 4, 2014

When we think of Google, we think of the company that powers the widely used search engine, and we think of computer programming, engineering, and electrical design. However, recently Google has expanded and moved towards research in medical technology. Just a few months ago, the tech giant partnered with Novartis to license a glucose measuring smart contact lens. The company had also recently bought portions of Calico, an anti-aging research company, and 23andme, a company that provides personal genetic tests. Now, Google aims to develop a wearable diagnostic device to detect cancer and heart attacks through the use of nanoparticles.

The main idea is that a patient will swallow a pill with magnetic nanoparticles to detect various conditions. Dr. Andrew Conrad of the Google X research division is spearheading this project. These nanoparticles could potentially attach themselves to cancer cells, change color when potassium passes through them to measure the amount of it in the blood, or attach to fat build ups that could lead to heart attacks. Nanoparticles that aren’t attached to anything would behave differently than those that are, and software can ultimately be used to diagnose the patient based off the movements of the particles in a magnetic field. The results would then be readily displayed on a wearable device.

Problems have already been raised including misdiagnosis or false positives which could lead to unnecessary treatment or higher levels of anxiety. Nonetheless, Google has said that if this concept is feasible, this technology could reach the public in about five years.

Automatic Ingestion Monitor, a Food Tracker for Your Diet

by EDITORS on Nov 6, 2014

Many people looking to lose weight these days use wearable fitness trackers to automatically monitor calories burned during exercise. Caloric intake, on the other hand, requires manual input by the user that leads people to either skip it altogether or provide estimates that are often not very accurate. A team of researchers headed by Dr. Edward Sazonov of University of Alabama have been working on a system to more automatically quantify what you eat.

The Automatic Ingestion Monitor resembles a wearable Bluetooth headset that wraps around the ear. It has a camera on the front to photograph the food that is brought up to the mouth, and within the device there’s a sensor that can detect the motion of the jaw. Special software can distinguish between different jaw motions so that conversations are not mistaken for meals. The system will hopefully be able to identify the food a person is eating and accurately estimate how much of it is consumed. The technology is already at a stage to have just received a $1.8 million grant from the NIH to begin testing the system in a study to evaluate its practical applications.

Flexible Pulse Oximeter Based on Organic Electronics

by EDITORS on Dec 12, 2014

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/141210/ncomms6745/full/ncomms6745.html

Pulse oximetry (SpO2) has been around for decades, helping clinicians to monitor the oxygenation of patients without resorting to invasive methods. Lately, with the rise of personal fitness trackers, pulse oximetry is being looked upon as a promising new metric for sports enthusiasts to analyze their workouts. The limitation to making this happen practically has been the fact that existing pulse oximeters are rigid, somewhat bulky devices that have to be worn around the finger or kept attached to an earlobe. Now researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a flexible pulse oximeter that can wrap around a finger and provide continuous SpO2 and pulse rate readings.

Instead of relying on boring old silicon, the researchers used organic, carbon-based components layered onto a plastic substrate, so the device was made flexible and quite thin. Unlike conventional pulse oximeters that use red and infrared light, the device relies on red and green organic LEDs (OLEDs) to measure oxygen in the blood below the skin. Additionally, small changes in the blood flow are indicative of the heart beat, allowing the device to also measure the pulse rate. The researchers tested the device in the laboratory, comparing it to commercial pulse oximetry, showing that the device is about as accurate as what you will find on the fingers of your patients recovering in the ICU.

QardioArm Smart Blood Pressure Monitor

by MICHAEL BATISTA on Dec 22, 2014

https://www.getqardio.com/qardioarm-blood-pressure-monitor-iphone-android/

Hardware

Blood pressure monitors typically have two main hardware components: the rigid sensor housing and the cuff which wraps around the upper arm. While varying in their specific shapes, most rigid sensor housings are roughly the same size and weight. What varies more widely is the design of the cuff. Some products opt for a rigid cuff to make sliding the device around the arm easy, while others opt for a soft material to make the device collapsible. The QardioArm falls into the latter category, but differentiates itself with a cuff that completely wraps around the rigid housing making the collapsed product incredibly compact. The QardioArm is the most portable blood pressure monitor I have seen, its small size making the device ready for travel inside everything from a backpack to a purse.

Marco mentioned his team strove to differentiate their product by creating a tool that didn’t necessarily look like a medical device, and I think that was achieved. To be clear, QardioArm doesn’t sacrifice quality for looks. The device is easy to manipulate and put on with Velcro and magnetic fasteners, while small aspects of regular use like changing the battery and knowing when the device is on are all intuitive. The hardware is as robust as any blood pressure monitor I’ve used, with the added benefits of a great design that recognizes the needs of an active, mobile user.

App Software

Compared to other mobile health apps where users are expected to navigate a sea of features, the QardioArm clearly breaks down functions into Measurement, History, and Reminders. Measurement captures a recording and lets you turn on Visitor Mode so that when you hand your QardioArm to a friend to let them try it out, they won’t accidentally record their blood pressure as part of your history. As with most mobile health apps, History lets you see a graph of blood pressure and heart rate data trended over time and recall detailed information from individual recordings. Within the History, a calendar shows which days you did or did not take a reading. A location feature, turned on in Settings, presents a map indicating where you were geographically located when you captured different recordings. Both of these features I found simple yet compelling, especially the ability to see if my blood pressure was consistently higher in certain locations like at work versus at home. Reminders allow you to send yourself a notification if you want to take a recording at a certain time. Marco spoke about the value of connecting doctors, family, and friends to your data. The app makes it easy to create and organize these people into Followers, individuals approved to see your data, and Following, individuals whose data you have access to. I did not find a specific area to connect my doctor to my data, though Qardio’s website refers to a doctor dashboard which I did not have access to during my trial. Finally, basic graphics throughout the app clarify any lingering confusion about how to use the hardware correctly or troubleshoot hardware issues. The QardioArm’s app stands out in it’s overall simplicity and ease of use captured through a clean, intuitive design.

Use

Use of the QardioArm product was incredibly easy. Physically, the device is easy to open and put on. Like most smart mobile blood pressure monitors, it incorporates one touch recording in the app to inflate the cuff and capture blood pressure and heart rate. Marco mentioned the use of calming images presented to the user while the device captures the recording as a differentiator. I was surprised to find I did enjoy having something relaxing to look at during the recording rather than just waiting for the device to finish. It was easy to link the app with my photo albums to watch a slideshow of images I have taken interspersed with images of landscapes and tranquil settings. What stood out most when using the QardioArm is the ease with which I was able to use the product’s features collectively. I liked the fact that I never found myself spending a significant amount of time in the app because I did not need much time to get exactly what I wanted out of it. I could capture a recording, make a note if necessary, check how it compared to my historical data, set a reminder for the next recording, and continue on with daily life.

Biocompatible Adhesive Gel Patch for Sensing and Monitoring EP Signals in Biological Tissues

by IRIS KULBATSKI on Dec 30, 2014

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/141219/ncomms6898/abs/ncomms6898.html

The market for wearable electronic devices has exploded in recent years, with a concomitant increase in their sophistication due to the integration of complex electronic circuits. However, devices that are worn on the body are rigid and do not respond well to the body’s movement. A team of biomedical engineers based in Japan has devised a biocompatible, flexible, adhesive gel patch that senses internal or external electrophysiological biological signals. The adhesive gel fixes a delicate grid of detectors in place, even while in contact with a surface that is not static, such as a joint or an internal organ. The precision with which the detector acquires readings depends on an array of sensors printed 4 mm apart on a thin sheet of plastic. The result is a flexible patch that fits in the palm of your hand and can house as many as 144 sensors.

While still in its preclinical testing phase, this technology shows promise as a sophisticated, comfortable, long-term biometric measurement device that can be applied internally or externally. The researchers have shown proof of principle with the device attached to the surface of a rat’s heart. They demonstrated that the device adheres to the wet, dynamic surface of heart muscle for more than 3 hours, facilitating the reliable measurement of biological signals. The multielectrode array was shown to be sensitive and flexible, conforming to the dynamic characteristics of complex tissue.

2015

Quell Smartphone Controlled Pain-Relieving Neurostimulator

by EDITORS on Jan 2, 2015

NeuroMetrix, a Waltham, Ma firm that makes neurostimulators for pain management, will be unveiling at the CES in Las Vegas next week its new Quell pain relief device. It’s an externally worn device that can be used during the day or night, and the FDA does not require a prescription to obtain one.

The stimulator is intended to help reduce chronic pain associated with bad knees, diabetes, sciatica, fibromyalgia, and other conditions. It can be controlled using a smartphone, allowing users to define therapy regimens and to track the use of the device.

TempTraq Thermometer Patch Tracks Kids’ Fevers for 24 Hours

by BEN OUYANG on Jan 5, 2015

https://www.temptraq.com/

If you’ve ever tried to take a sick baby’s temperature with a thermometer through their ear, you’ll understand how quickly it escalates into a difficult wrestling match, complete with screaming, kicking, and lots of “shhh, it’s alright”. Blue Spark Technologies, a Westlake, Ohio company that makes flexible batteries, is unveiling a solution at CES this year, called TempTraq, and it aims to usher in a new standard of taking temperatures.

TempTraq is a Bluetooth-enabled wireless adhesive patch thermometer that can be applied underneath the arms of babies. The device is designed for 24 hour continuous monitoring of temperatures, allowing trend visualization to see if a fever is going up or down. The single-use device records temperatures between 86.0ºF and 108.3ºF, and syncs the data to an iOS or Android device, up to 40 feet (12 meters) away. Readings are color-coded to give parents a quick glimpse into how high the temperature actually is, and can send notifications whenever the child’s temperature rises past a user-specified red zone. The app also has note-taking abilities to record when the child eats, drinks, or takes medication. The data can be sent via email to family members or the family doctor.

TempTraq is currently pending FDA 510(k) review, with availability and pricing expected later this year.

Medgadget @ CES 2015: Thync Mood Stimulating Wearable

by SCOTT JUNG on Jan 15, 2015

http://www.thync.com/

It goes without saying that with so many exhibitors we wanted to visit and so little time to cover everything, our trip to Las Vegas for CES last week was stressful at times. Our visit to Thync came at the perfect time, as their new wearable device claims to calm you down (or give you energy) with as little as a 15-minute session.

According to the company, the device works through a process called neurosignaling: tiny, specially-tuned electrical waveforms are transmitted to your brain and alter your neural pathways, eventually gently bringing on a feeling of calmness or a burst of energy. Thync’s co-founder and chief science officer Dr. Jamie Tyler described the effect for some users as similar to how chamomile tea or 5-Hour Energy can affect your mood, meaning it won’t give you superhuman powers.

Our demo began when the device was placed on our heads. We weren’t able to take a photo of the actual device, but it basically consists of two patches connected by a cable. One patch sticks to your temple, and the other attaches to the back of your neck. You control Thync with an iOS app, which allows you to choose the type of session (“calm” or “energy” were our choices) as well as to increase or decrease the intensity of the electric pulses.

During our 15-minute “calm” session, the electric pulses themselves felt like a very mild tingling underneath the patches. It wasn’t painful, but the rep repeatedly explained that the intensity should be dialed back if it ever became uncomfortable or distracting.

But more importantly, did we walk away from Thync’s demo suite in the end feeling like a million bucks? It’s hard to say exactly. We certainly felt more relaxed; however, we had also broken a sweat walking briskly through the hotel to get to the suite, so simply being able to sit on a comfy sofa for 15 minutes and knock back a Diet Coke might have helped significantly.

But the science behind Thync’s technology is certainly there, the company has raised more than $13 million in funding, and we think it’s much more fun to use the device than utilizing breathing and medication techniques, so we’ll acknowledge Thync with cautious optimism. We just would like to try it a few more times when our body isn’t also in need of a slowdown.

Samsung’s Simband Will Help Companies Build Better Health Wearables

by SCOTT JUNG on Jan 16, 2015

Over the past few years, we’ve seen Samsung slowly entering the digital health space with ultrasound devices, medical grade TV monitors, and more recently, its line of Gear and Gear Fit trackers. This past week at the Health 2.0 WinterTech conference in San Francisco, Samsung showed off a little more about their plans for using their technology to improve our health. We were able to capture some photos of the stage screen with a phone camera to give you an idea of what we saw.

On stage, Dr. Tejash Shah, Samsung’s Director of Strategy & Business Development, showed off the Simband, a wearable that is based on Samsung’s Gear watch design and contains various sensors to measure a user’s biometric data.

Sounds like just another wearable fitness band, right?

However, the Simband isn’t meant for consumers. In fact, it won’t be commercialized at all. Simband is meant to be a platform that will allow wearables companies to improve on their devices and data processing algorithms. Developers can use the Simband’s sensors to ensure that they are accurately collecting data, and then in turn use that data to make better apps and devices, somewhat like a “wearables development kit”. The benefit of this is that wearables companies can be confident that they are developing on Samsung’s comprehensive, more universal platform, and they are collecting data using Samsung’s highly accurate and robust sensors.

Some of the sensors available on the Simband include an accelerometer, gyroscope, ECG, galvanic skin response sensor, multiple optical sensors to measure pulse/heart rate, and a skin surface thermometer. All the data can be transferred wirelessly via Bluetooth 4.0.

While most of us will never see Simband, it’ll start shipping next month for our readers who hope to develop the next great wearable.

New Dry Electrodes Allow Long-Term ECG/EMG Monitoring Even While in Motion

by EDITORS on Jan 22, 2015

http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2015/ra/c4ra15101a#!divAbstract

Holter monitors have been used for decades for long term monitoring of patients’ ECGs. They can be uncomfortable due to all the wires, but the wet electrodes that are usually used to have a consistent electrical connection with the skin can be particularly aggravating. Researchers at North Carolina State University have unveiled a new dry sensor that can monitor ECG and EMG all day long with excellent accuracy even in situations when wet sensors are ineffective.

The device relies on elastic conductors made from silver nanowires embedded within a pliable polymer. There is no need for gel to be used to improve the contact, yet the sensor is more accurate than traditional Holter monitors and electrodes when the person being studied is moving. While dry electrodes have been developed by other research teams, Dr. Yong Zhu, the lead behind this project, believes that the new sensor “has better signal quality than most – if not all – of the existing dry electrodes.” Moreover, because the design of the device places the nanowires flush with the polymer, it’s more structurally sound and should work for long periods while being flexed and stretched.

The electrodes are compatible with existing ECG and EMG devices, don’t require any exotic materials, and are pretty cheap to manufacture. The researchers who developed them believe that the sensors have essentially proven themselves and are pretty much ready for production.

Qardio Announces QardioBase Smart Scale, QardioCore EKG, and More Colorful QardioArms (VIDEO)

by SCOTT JUNG on Jan 22, 2015

Qardio (San Francisco, CA) was on hand at CES earlier this month to show off a few of its newest products. We previously reviewed their QardioArm, which is a compact, smart blood pressure monitor. We gave it praise for its ease of use and attractive design, however, if iPod Arctic White isn’t your style, QardioArm can now be found in seven different colors.

Rosario Ianella, one of Qardio’s co-founders, gave us a tour of Qardio’s two new products, QardioBase and QardioCore. QardioBase is a wireless smart scale that can measure your CMI, body fat, muscle, hydration, and bone composition. However, instead of throwing numbers at you, QardioBase can offer information and feedback about your weight trends with a non-threatening smiley face. QardioCore is a medical grade 3-lead wearable ECG monitor that is specially shaped for proper placement every time without the need for conductive gels or patches.

Samsung Unveils Prototype Stroke Detecting Headset

by EDITORS on Jan 23, 2015

While brain monitoring using EEG is not a new technique, advancements in technology may allow it to be used for detecting a variety of conditions that are currently hard to diagnose. Samsung is continuing to show evidence that it’s serious about getting a major foothold in the medical field with the announcement that it’s been working on a wearable EEG headset that can be used by patients themselves to detect signs of stroke as well as for regular monitoring to gauge stress levels, analyze sleep, and other brain health parameters that are often not measured quantitatively.

The Early Detection Sensor & Algorithm Package (EDSAP) will pair up with a user’s smartphone or tablet to display the results of the ECG tests, which can be done within about a minute. The company says that its sensors are able to pickup a much higher quality signal than current EEG headsets thanks to newly developed dry electrodes made of a novel material discovered by the group. The material is rubbery in feel, is highly conductive, and doesn’t require a gel or saline solution to be applied to make a good electrical connection with the scalp.

On the software side, Samsung’s team developed an algorithm that compares a particular EEG scan against a previous analysis of a bunch of stroke patient EEG scans. Using signal processing and artificial intelligence methods, the algorithm aims to spot telltale signs of stroke. In addition to this technology finding its way into ambulances and emergency rooms, the company believes that it can be used by patients themselves that suspect having had a minor stroke. Moreover, the dry electrodes may allow other form factors to help monitor EEG over longer periods by embedding the electrodes into the tips of glasses or into headphones to grab brainwaves through the temples.

While the technology is currently being explored for EEG, the researchers believe that it can be translated to monitor the heart via ECG.

JINS MEME Smart Eyewear Monitor Eye Movement, Blinking, Body Motion

by SCOTT JUNG on Jan 26, 2015

We previously mentioned that wearables were huge at the 2015 International CES a couple weeks ago, but with so many companies coming out with their own versions of fitness bands, we got excited when we would come across a wearable that was located on the body someplace other than your wrist.

JINS, a popular Japanese eyewear designer, has developed a smart pair of spectacles called the JINS MEME, that unlike Google’s attempt at intelligent eyewear, is something we wouldn’t feel ashamed to wear on a date.

JINS MEME has a few interesting sensors built into their stylish frames: a gyroscope and accelerometer can sense movement and body position. Most interesting are three-point electrooculography (EOG) sensors which measure voltage potentials between the front and back of the eye and are used to record eye movement and aid in the diagnosis of various ophthalmological diseases.

At the moment, JINS MEME is a research and development platform with a number of possible applications. The motion sensors could naturally work as a more accurate fitness tracker that isn’t affected by arm movements, and the gyroscope could help monitor and correct body posture. The EOG sensors can be used to help detect if drivers are getting fatigued by analyzing blinking rate and eye movement. It could also be used to help monitor the onset of vision problems and eye diseases and even neurological diseases that can affect the eyes.

eSight, Digital Eyewear to Allow the Legally Blind to See (VIDEO)

by JOSHUA CHEN on Jan 29, 2015

A video posted about a week ago showing a legally blind woman seeing her child for the first time recently went viral. This touching story is due to a new device called the eSight. The eSight is essentially an electronic system that is comprised of a headset, custom prescribed lenses, and a controller. An HD camera on the headset takes in live video from the environment and sends the data to the controller which then processes the images and displays them on small organic-LED displays. Furthermore, the device offers many features including contrast adjustment, zooming, reverse color display, etc., which allows users to have more control over what they are seeing.

Although this technology is still very expensive with a price tag of $15,000, the company works hard to raise funds for those that cannot afford this technology. Also, the company is still developing this technology to try and lower the cost and improve the aesthetics of this wearable device.

Network of Motion Sensors Monitors Progression of Parkinson’s

by EDITORS on Jan 30, 2015

http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/14/9/17235

While there is no cure for Parkinson’s, certain drugs and neurostimulators can help manage the symptoms of the disease. Since symptoms guide the choice of therapies, researchers at Technical University of Madrid in Spain have tinkered together a body area network of sensors and special smartphone apps to objectively assess Parkinson’s patients from the comfort of their home.

The PERFORM system uses a number of accelerometers worn by the person being studied. The data is passed via the smartphone to a hospital where a compiled daily report is reviewed by clinicians. Unusual changes in a person’s symptoms from day to day are automatically flagged so that physicians give the data a keener look. The researchers behind the PERFORM system have been testing the device with actual patients and report that people are pretty comfortable with the sensor network and the data may help monitor such folks over extended periods.

Flexible Wrist Worn Fever Alarm Shows Off Possibilities of Organic Electronics

by EDITORS on Feb 23, 2015

Engineers at the University of Tokyo have developed a flexible wearable temperature sensor based on an organic (carbon-based) electronic circuit and organic components. While this seems to be more an exercise in making novel electronics rather than a practical proof-of-concept device, the technology shows that a whole new wave of healthcare applications is ahead for organic electronics.

The “fever band” is totally autonomous, having flexible solar cells on its exterior to provide power and an organic audio speaker that can warn of rising temperatures.

“Our fever alarm armband demonstrates that it is possible to produce flexible, disposable devices that can greatly enhance the amount of information available to carers in healthcare settings,” said Professor Takao Someya from the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering. “We have demonstrated the technology with a temperature sensor and fever alarm, but the system could also be adapted to provide audible feedback on body temperature, or combined with other sensors to register wetness, pressure or heart rate.”

A Wearable for Bowel Movements? (VIDEO)

by EDITORS on Mar 5, 2015

Triple W, a Japanese company operating out of California is, believe it or not, developing a product that can predict bowel movements. The wild idea is to use a stick-on sensor to detect the expansion of the tummy and compare that to when the person went to the bathroom earlier. The device would connect to an app that keeps a historical record to of bathroom breaks to improve its predictive abilities.

Draw-On Wearable Sensors Enabled by Enzymatic Inks (VIDEO)

by GAVIN CORLEY on Mar 11, 2015

Researchers from the Department of NanoEngineering at the University of California, San Diego have developed a series of enzyme-based inks which can be used to create a variety of low-cost, wearable sensors for medical and environmental applications. The inks can be easily applied using a simple ball point pen.

The researchers sought to create a sensor that could be safe, reproducible, easy to apply, and accurate in a variety of settings. To do so they used a mixture of the biocompatible binder polyethylene glycol, conductive graphite powder, chitosan to enhance surface adhesion, and the sugar substitute xylitol as a stabilizing agent. The resulting enzymatic ink has thus been optimized for ensuring good biocatalytic activity, electrical conductivity, biocompati­bility, reproducible writing, and surface adherence. The inks offer rapid fabrication of high-quality, flexible and inexpensive bio-sensors which can be easily applied to a wide variety of surfaces and textures with minimal user training.

The team, led by Prof. Joseph Wang, have been working on enzyme-based sensors for lactate and glucose sensing for several years, and their current delivery system seems to be an evolution of the non-invasive wearable tattoo glucose sensor we covered early last year. The researchers have showcased two applications of their enzymatic ink-based roller pens in the latest issue of the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials: epidermal blood–glucose sensing and detection of carbolic acid on a leaf as shown in the video below.

The team estimates that a single pen of ink can be used to draw the equivalent of 500 glucometer test strips. With the proliferation of wearable technologies, solutions like this which can produce conformable, low cost, robust sensors for on-skin monitoring may have huge implications for how diseases are monitored and managed in the future.

Electronic Vest Lets Deaf People Hear With Their Torsos (VIDEO)

by EDITORS on Apr 9, 2015

Neuroplasticity allows our brains to process new kinds of information that we normally can’t. Blind people who use echolocation to navigate are a perfect example of this. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, TX, with the help of a team of Rice University undergrads, are hoping that the same can work for deaf people by substituting the tactile sense instead of hearing. The researchers created an electronic wearable VEST (Versatile Extra-Sensory Transducer) that has an array of 24 vibration motors throughout its surface. Microphones on the vest pick up the sound around the person, which is then processed and translated into vibrations.

At first the researchers are focusing on human speech, hoping that perhaps it can be “heard” through vibrations on the torso. Their algorithms filter incoming audio so that only speech is translated into vibrations, In very early testing of the system with deaf people, some from birth, they showed that the volunteers were able to learn some words by recognizing patters of vibration.

Energy Generating Leg Brace to Power Artificial Hearts (VIDEO)

by EDITORS on May 1, 2015

Artificial hearts are finally reaching a point when patients can actually go home and be ambulatory post implantation. A major problem is keeping these energy hungry devices fed by a power source that’s always accessible. At Rice University teams of students have been working with Cameron International, an engineering firm that partnered with the Texas Heart Institute to develop artificial heart technology, to create a device that harnesses electricity from everyday walking.

An earlier student team came up with a wearable shoe that generates about 400 milliwatts of electricity, certainly not enough to energize a powerful motor. The new iteration of the project has led to a leg brace that produces 4 watts, though still rather insufficient, but an impressive order of magnitude improvement.

The device is used to charge a lithium-ion battery and has gone through basic initial testing to see whether it can be worn for long periods of time. The team is already looking forward to integrating wireless power transmission into the system to be able to power implanted medical devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators.

Medgadget Reviews Sleepace’s RestOn Smart Sleep Monitor

by SCOTT JUNG on May 26, 2015

Design and Hardware

RestOn consists of a thin, gray, flexible sensor strip nearly three feet in length that is spread across your mattress. On one end is a hard plastic base in your choice of white or black that houses the battery, on/off plate, and circuitry.

The base hangs off the top edge of your mattress and is secured to your bedsheet by a magnetic plate that sandwiches it. The magnet plate is an ingenious design as it also acts as the power switch of the device; simply rotate the plate 180° to turn RestOn on or off. There’s a green LED ring on the face of the base that shines through a small translucent window on the plate to help you know when the device is on. We found, however, that the LED was barely visible through our navy-colored sheets and so we went a few nights with RestOn inadvertently turned off.

Clocking in around the thickness of 18 sheets of paper, the sensor band was flexible and unobtrusive. We found it to be a little too narrow, however. As it’s important that the sensor be at chest level for accurate sensing, we felt it limited how far up and down on the bed we could lay. And, if you sleep alone on anything larger than a twin-size mattress, you’re further limited to sleeping on one side of the bed. Anyone developing sleep tracking sheets?

We love the fact that RestOn contains a 1500 mAh battery which Sleepace claims to last up to 30 days on a charge and recharges with a standard USB cable. However, charging RestOn may require you to remove it completely from your bed. We think that a better design choice would have been to integrate the battery in the magnetic plate so that it can simply be removed for charging, and the sensor band can remain on the bed.

Use

Using RestOn is a two-step process. First, you need to power on the device by rotating the magnetic plate so the green LED light is visible. Next, you’ll fire up the Sleepace app (available for both iOS and Andorid) and hit the Start Sleep button to connect to the RestOn device. Finally, you lay back, relax, and hope that RestOn tracks a good night’s sleep.

Our experience went smoothly like this for most nights. RestOn was able to tell when we were in or out of bed, when we actually fell asleep, and when we started to wake up [NOTE: Since we first wrote this review, Sleepace released a firmware update for the RestOn which seems to always make it think we are not laying on top of it. We’re looking forward to a fix]. Our biggest complaint is that the battery did not last close to the promised 30 days. Our RestOn unit lasted only about a week before it needed to be recharged. We were also disappointed that one of the nights in which we had a pleasantly long and productive sleep, the RestOn ran out of battery and did not save any data. Implementing some sort of buffer would have been nice so we could at least view some of our sleep data from the previous night before the RestOn went dead.

Data

RestOn connects to your iOS or Android device using Bluetooth 4.0.. Aside from a couple of interesting word and grammar choices that we sometimes see on apps developed in China, the Sleepace app is well-designed. The twilight color theme is attractive and strangely calming. We like the layout of the Sleep Analysis screen; your sleep duration is displayed in corresponding sections of a round clock with four colors denoting deep, mid, and light sleep and awake periods. A calculated sleep score is displayed in the middle of the clock with sleep duration and a sleep quality percentage breakdown at the bottom.

A second “Tips” tab lets you know about certain important highlights of that particular night, such as if sleep apnea was detected or if it took you too long to fall asleep. Tapping on these highlights gives you additional information about what occurred, what is normal/abnormal, how it could affect your overall health, and tips for improvement.

A third tab, “Details,” displays your sleep as a time graph so you can see how your sleep went up and down throughout the night. This tab can also display (way too small) graphs of your heart rate and respiratory rate over time. It makes it interesting to see how your heart rate and respiration change as you move in and out of deep sleep. Perhaps we did dream that we were Floyd Mayweather one night…

The final tab allows you to add comments and a self-evaluation to that particular entry.

The real-time sleep monitoring page is interesting, although not entirely useful. It is here that you press “Start sleep” right before you crawl into bed. The page will display real-time heart rate and respiration rate as well as respiration and (fake) ECG tracing graphics. You shouldn’t be focusing on this page much anyway if you’re trying to fall asleep.

We found the sharing feature to be lacking and useless. There are icons for Facebook and Twitter, but neither one seemed to work. There are also icons for popular Asian services WeChat and QQ, but most non-Asia readers probably won’t have accounts.

Wearable Pregnancy Monitor Keeps Eye on Baby’s Health 24/7

by EDITORS on Jun 2, 2015

Israeli firm Nuvo Group has unveiled a wearable pregnancy monitor designed to let expecting parents and their physicians keep an eye on how the baby is developing. The PregSense is a sort of a belt that wraps around the mom’s tummy and that has sensors that detect the baby’s heartbeat, kicks, and even position within the womb.

Unlike many other pregnancy monitors, the device does not use ultrasound, instead relying on passive electric sensors. The belt interfaces with a smartphone where the data can be viewed and via which it can be passed on to a physician for professional review. While the PregSense was designed for clinical use, a consumer version of the device, called Ritmo Beats, will be available for around $250 sometime later this year. The clinical PregSense device will hopefully be released next year.