Fossil’s new Gen 5 Smartwatch comes with an updated spec sheet and new battery modes which promise increased autonomy. The watches are powered by Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset and runs Wear OS.

Related Fossil Launches Sport Smartwatch on Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform and Wear OS

The new smartwatch is set to integrate Cardiogram, an app that uses deep neural network technology to detect various heart conditions, preinstalled. The Cardiogram platform has been tested to detect sleep apnea, diabetes, hypertension and atrial fibrillation, reports MobiHealthNews.

“For several years, the health and wellness industry has been converging with smartwatch technology — and Fossil knew there was a tremendous opportunity to provide a connected option for the design-conscious consumer looking to bring style to their wrist,” Steve Evans, EVP of Fossil Group, said in a statement.

The Gen 5 Touchscreen Smartwatch has a 44-millimeter case size with a 1.3-inch digital display. It follows the brands' design strategy that focuses on merging new tech with classic watch design.

‍

‍

The watches come in six color variants, which range from a sleek black to rose gold.

The watches come equipped with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, both about twice the usual allotment.

The Gen 5 smartwatches also feature an extended battery life, voice calling, swim-proof speakers, increased storage and the heart rate tracking feature Cardiogram's platform will rely on. They’ve also got NFC for Google Pay, Wi-Fi, GPS, 30-meter water-proofing, and a speaker.

Related Google Agrees to Buy Fossil’s Secret Smartwatch Tech for $40 Million

This is the first time Fossil is adding a speaker to its smartwatches. The speaker will allow you to hear answers from the Google Assistant, receive sound alerts and even play music. It's paired with an onboard microphone. The speaker is swim proof up to three atmospheres, so it should be OK for a quick dip and rain.

The watches are on sale, starting at $295 from Fossil’s online store. Amazon won’t ship them until early next month, but you can pre-order now.

‍

Continuous, long-term monitoring of health is important for treatment process; it provides doctors with subtle information about the patient’s health. However, children, elderly, and people with various conditions often have difficulty wearing body-worn sensors. Scientists at Georgia Tech have developed a wireless wearable device that can be worn on the body for long-term to measure a range of physiological signals.

Related Wireless, Soft, Flexible Sensors Show Promise in Monitoring Premature Babies

The soft and conformable monitor can measure electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, respiratory rate and motion activity data as much as 15 meters to a portable recording device such as a smartphone or tablet computer. The electronics are mounted on a stretchable substrate and connected to gold, skin-like electrodes through printed connectors that can stretch with the medical film in which they are embedded, reports Georgia Tech News Center.

“This health monitor has a key advantage for young children who are always moving, since the soft conformal device can accommodate that activity with a gentle integration onto the skin,” said Woon-Hong Yeo, an assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “This is designed to meet the electronic health monitoring needs of people whose sensitive skin may be harmed by conventional monitors.”

Because the device conforms to the skin, it avoids signal issues that can be created by the motion of the typical metal-gel electrodes across the skin. The device can even obtain accurate signals from a person who is walking, running or climbing stairs.

“When you put a conventional electrode on the chest, movement from sitting up or walking creates motion artifacts that are challenging to separate from the signals you want to measure,” he said. “Because our device is soft and conformal, it moves with the skin and provides information that cannot be seen with the motion artifacts of conventional sensors.”

‍

‍

The monitor uses three gold electrodes embedded in the film that also contains the electronic processing equipment. The entire health monitor is just three inches in diameter, and a more advanced version under development will be half that size. The wireless monitor is now powered by a small rechargeable battery, but future versions may replace the battery with an external radio-frequency charging system.

“The monitor could be worn for multiple days, perhaps for as long as two weeks,” Yeo said. “The membrane is waterproof, so an adult could take a shower while wearing it. After use, the electronic components can be recycled.”

Related UC-Berkeley Researchers Develop Flexible Sensor to Map Blood-Oxygen Levels Across the Body

The researchers developed two versions of the monitor. One is based on medical tape and designed for short-term use in a hospital or other care facility, while the other uses a soft elastomer medical film approved for use in wound care. The latter can remain on the skin longer, the Georgia Tech report said.

“The devices are completely dry and do not require a gel to pick up signals from the skin,” Yeo explained. “There is nothing between the skin and the ultrathin sensor, so it is comfortable to wear.”

‍

The demand for wearable devices, including smartwatches, fitness bands and smart patches is increasing rapidly. These devices require high-performance sensors on surfaces of various shapes and types.

Now, researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology have developed a transfer-printing technology that uses hydrogel and nano ink to easily create high-performance flexible sensors of diverse shapes and structures. These sensors can be used in smartwatches, fitness trackers and medical wearables.

Read more KIST Develops 3D Soft Robots That Look Like Living Creatures

Hydrogel is a three-dimensional hydrophilic polymer network that absorbs large amounts of water.

Transfer-printing is a procedure for creating electrical gadgets through which electrodes are imprinted on a transfer mold and then transferred to a final substrate.

The research team was led by Dr. Hyunjung Yi of the Post-Silicon Semiconductor Institute.

Transfer printing works in a way similar to that of a tattoo sticker: just as sticking the tattoo sticker onto the skin and then removing the paper section leaves the image on the skin, this process creates a structure on one surface and then transfers it onto another. The technology doesn’t melt the hydrogel, maintaining its desired characteristics.

Using the porous and hydrophilic nature of hydrogels, the KIST team inkjet-printed an aqueous solution-based nano ink onto a hydrogel layer (which was solidified onto a topographic surface).

To prove their technology in practice, the researchers transferred nanoelectrodes directly onto a glove to create a modified sensor that can immediately detect finger movements. It also created a flexible, high-performance pressure sensor that can measure the pulse in the wrist.

Read more Maxim’s Health Sensors are Ultra-Small, Use Low Power and Deliver Clinical-Grade Accuracy for Next-Gen Wearables

“The outcome of this study is a new and easy method for creating flexible, high-performance sensors on surfaces with diverse characteristics and structures. We expect that this study will be utilized in the many areas that require the application of high-performance materials onto flexible and/or non-traditional substrates, including digital healthcare, intelligent human-machine interfaces, medical engineering, and next-generation electrical materials,” said Yi.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. Symptoms include muscle rigidity, tremors, and changes in speech and gait. After diagnosis, treatments can help relieve symptoms, but there is no cure.

Related Abbott, Medtronic Driving Deep Brain Stimulation Innovation for Parkinson’s Disease

The established treatment for this condition is high-frequency brain stimulation. However, the therapy is imprecise because stimulators can only be programmed clinically and are not adaptable to the fluctuating symptoms of the disease. The key to improving the technology is biomarkers.

Now, researchers at the University of Houston have found neuro biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease that can help create the next generation of “smart” deep brain stimulators, able to respond to specific needs of Parkinson’s disease patients, reports Laurie Fickman of University of Houston.

“We can now make the closed-loop stimulator adaptive to sense a patient’s symptoms, so it can make the adjustments to the fluctuations in real time, and the patient no longer has to wait for weeks or months until the doctor can adjust the device,” said Nuri Ince, associate professor of biomedical engineering. He and doctoral student Musa Ozturk, lead author of the paper, published their findings in Movement Disorders journal.

The researchers also report a new understanding of the electrophysiology of Parkinson’s disease after examining cross frequency coupling in the subthalamic nucleus of patients with Parkinson’s disease both in the OFF state (before medication) and the ON state (after medication). Coupling, the interaction between the brain waves, has been reported in the past, but its significance and functional role have not been well understood.

Related Graphene to Protect Implantable Neurostimulators in People with Neurological Disorders

“Previous research showed coupling only existed in the basal ganglia of untreated patients and assumed to block the brain from functioning properly,” said Ozturk. “We found that strong coupling also exists in treated patients, though at different frequencies, so in effect we have ‘cleared coupling’s name’ and showed the frequencies involved in coupling impacts whether its effects are negative or positive.”

Parkinson's disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. Symptoms include muscle rigidity, tremors, and changes in speech and gait. After diagnosis, treatments can help relieve symptoms, but there is no cure.

Related Abbott, Medtronic Driving Deep Brain Stimulation Innovation for Parkinson’s Disease

The established treatment for this condition is high-frequency brain stimulation. However, the therapy is imprecise because stimulators can only be programmed clinically and are not adaptable to the fluctuating symptoms of the disease. The key to improving the technology is biomarkers.

Now, researchers at the University of Houston have found neuro biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease that can help create the next generation of “smart” deep brain stimulators, able to respond to specific needs of Parkinson’s disease patients, reports Laurie Fickman of University of Houston.

“We can now make the closed-loop stimulator adaptive to sense a patient’s symptoms, so it can make the adjustments to the fluctuations in real time, and the patient no longer has to wait for weeks or months until the doctor can adjust the device,” said Nuri Ince, associate professor of biomedical engineering. He and doctoral student Musa Ozturk, lead author of the paper, published their findings in Movement Disorders journal.

‍

‍

The researchers also report a new understanding of the electrophysiology of Parkinson’s disease after examining cross frequency coupling in the subthalamic nucleus of patients with Parkinson’s disease both in the OFF state (before medication) and the ON state (after medication). Coupling, the interaction between the brain waves, has been reported in the past, but its significance and functional role have not been well understood.

Related Graphene to Protect Implantable Neurostimulators in People with Neurological Disorders

“Previous research showed coupling only existed in the basal ganglia of untreated patients and assumed to block the brain from functioning properly,” said Ozturk. “We found that strong coupling also exists in treated patients, though at different frequencies, so in effect we have ‘cleared coupling’s name’ and showed the frequencies involved in coupling impacts whether its effects are negative or positive.”

The demand for wearable devices, including smartwatches, fitness bands and smart patches is increasing rapidly. These devices require high-performance sensors on surfaces of various shapes and types.

Now, researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology have developed a transfer-printing technology that uses hydrogel and nano ink to easily create high-performance flexible sensors of diverse shapes and structures. These sensors can be used in smartwatches, fitness trackers and medical wearables.

Read more KIST Develops 3D Soft Robots That Look Like Living Creatures

Hydrogel is a three-dimensional hydrophilic polymer network that absorbs large amounts of water.

Transfer-printing is a procedure for creating electrical gadgets through which electrodes are imprinted on a transfer mold and then transferred to a final substrate.

The research team was led by Dr. Hyunjung Yi of the Post-Silicon Semiconductor Institute.

‍

‍

Transfer printing works in a way similar to that of a tattoo sticker: just as sticking the tattoo sticker onto the skin and then removing the paper section leaves the image on the skin, this process creates a structure on one surface and then transfers it onto another. The technology doesn’t melt the hydrogel, maintaining its desired characteristics.

Using the porous and hydrophilic nature of hydrogels, the KIST team inkjet-printed an aqueous solution-based nano ink onto a hydrogel layer (which was solidified onto a topographic surface).

To prove their technology in practice, the researchers transferred nanoelectrodes directly onto a glove to create a modified sensor that can immediately detect finger movements. It also created a flexible, high-performance pressure sensor that can measure the pulse in the wrist.

Read more Maxim’s Health Sensors are Ultra-Small, Use Low Power and Deliver Clinical-Grade Accuracy for Next-Gen Wearables

“The outcome of this study is a new and easy method for creating flexible, high-performance sensors on surfaces with diverse characteristics and structures. We expect that this study will be utilized in the many areas that require the application of high-performance materials onto flexible and/or non-traditional substrates, including digital healthcare, intelligent human-machine interfaces, medical engineering, and next-generation electrical materials,” said Yi.

In the United States, more than 130 people die after overdosing on opioids every day. Devastating consequences of the opioid epidemic include increases in opioid misuse and related overdoses, as well as the rising incidence of newborns experiencing withdrawal syndrome due to opioid use and misuse during pregnancy, according to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Related Carnegie Mellon Researchers Develop Wearable Opioid Overdose Detector

A drug called Narcan is used as an antidote for opioid overdose, but it’s difficult for a patient to administer it by themselves. Researchers from Purdue University have decided to tackle this problem with a wearable system that will release the antidote automatically, reports MobiHealthNews.

“A lot of time patients who overdoes are found alone and are incapacitated to inject the life-saving drug themselves,” Hyowon “Hugh” Lee, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Purdue, said in a university video. “We are trying to come up with a closed loop solution that can automatically deliver an antidote.”

An overdose occurs when opioids adhere to brain receptors that control breathing, causing individuals to hypoventilate and die.

The wearable device can detect the point at which the respiration rate of a person decreases to a certain level – changed from electrocardiography (EKG) signals – and subsequently releases the drug. This drug blocks the opioid from adhering to brain receptors.

Just like an insulin pump, the proof of concept device is worn as an armband that fastens to a magnetic field generator, linked to a portable battery worn at the hip.

“The idea is to be able to measure the rate of respiration using some sort of wearable sensor, and then to be able to use that as some form of threshold to trigger the release of the antidote that will be implanted under the skin so you will have an antidote with you just in case you have some sort of an accident,” Lee said. “Then when the system texts that you are having respiratory failure the drug will be released automatically to give you extra time to get medical attention.”

An EKG sensor is adhered on the chest. When it detects a respiration that’s too low, it triggers the magnetic field generator to warm up a drug capsule within the body and discharges the antidote in 10 seconds.

Related DyAnsys Gets FDA Clearance For Its Wearable Device to Treat Opioid Addiction

The scientists believe the drug capsule can be pre-injected within the skin in an outpatient setting. The device therefore would be able to automatically release the drug to the patient in case of an overdose. That would give emergency services an extra hour to get the patient to the hospital, Lee said.

PhysIQ, a company known for applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) in wearable sensor data, received FDA 510(k) clearance for an algorithm facilitating cloud-based analysis of patients’ continuous ambulatory respiration rates. This regulatory clearance adds to the company’s expanding portfolio of FDA-cleared cloud-based analytics, which also include QRS detection, heart rate, heart rate variability, atrial fibrillation detection, and their personalized physiology change detection analytic.

Read more Omron and physIQ Collaborate to Improve Cardiovascular Patient Care

PhysIQ’s algorithms collect raw telemetry from the device and uploads it to the cloud where FDA-cleared analytics use the raw biosignals to produce vital signs. With this approach physIQ is able to provide vital sign analytics that benefit from the superior computing power of the cloud and fuel the higher-level analytics that further characterize dimensions of human physiology, reports Business Wire.

“In a real-world environment, respiration rate is a tough vital sign to accurately and consistently measure given high levels of motion artifact,” said Matt Pipke, co-founder and CTO of physIQ. “Given these challenges, it is ideal to be able to capitalize on the vast processing power and memory in the cloud to iron out the edge cases and outliers.”

Wearable sensors have enormous potential to transform how we understand and manage human health. However, these on-body sensors are collecting data in a noisy environment and, without sophisticated methods to manage signal noise, the resulting output is compromised.

Read more Netherlands-Based Haga Teaching Hospital Partners with physIQ and VitalConnect for Continuous Monitoring of Cancer Patients

“Accurate and precise vital signs are an essential component of a clinical grade remote intelligence solution but, ultimately, these vital signs are an input into the higher-level AI-based analytics for which physIQ is known,” said Gary Conkright, chairman and CEO of physIQ. “We are encouraged by the successful clearance of respiration as a core dimension of human cardiopulmonary physiology which will accelerate our development of further AI analytics.”

PhysIQ, a company known for applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) in wearable sensor data, received FDA 510(k) clearance for an algorithm facilitating cloud-based analysis of patients’ continuous ambulatory respiration rates. This regulatory clearance adds to the company’s expanding portfolio of FDA-cleared cloud-based analytics, which also include QRS detection, heart rate, heart rate variability, atrial fibrillation detection, and their personalized physiology change detection analytic.

Read more Omron and physIQ Collaborate to Improve Cardiovascular Patient Care

PhysIQ’s algorithms collect raw telemetry from the device and uploads it to the cloud where FDA-cleared analytics use the raw biosignals to produce vital signs. With this approach physIQ is able to provide vital sign analytics that benefit from the superior computing power of the cloud and fuel the higher-level analytics that further characterize dimensions of human physiology, reports Business Wire.

“In a real-world environment, respiration rate is a tough vital sign to accurately and consistently measure given high levels of motion artifact,” said Matt Pipke, co-founder and CTO of physIQ. “Given these challenges, it is ideal to be able to capitalize on the vast processing power and memory in the cloud to iron out the edge cases and outliers.”

‍

‍

Wearable sensors have enormous potential to transform how we understand and manage human health. However, these on-body sensors are collecting data in a noisy environment and, without sophisticated methods to manage signal noise, the resulting output is compromised.

Read more Netherlands-Based Haga Teaching Hospital Partners with physIQ and VitalConnect for Continuous Monitoring of Cancer Patients

“Accurate and precise vital signs are an essential component of a clinical grade remote intelligence solution but, ultimately, these vital signs are an input into the higher-level AI-based analytics for which physIQ is known,” said Gary Conkright, chairman and CEO of physIQ. “We are encouraged by the successful clearance of respiration as a core dimension of human cardiopulmonary physiology which will accelerate our development of further AI analytics.”

‍

In the United States, more than 130 people die after overdosing on opioids every day. Devastating consequences of the opioid epidemic include increases in opioid misuse and related overdoses, as well as the rising incidence of newborns experiencing withdrawal syndrome due to opioid use and misuse during pregnancy, according to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Related Carnegie Mellon Researchers Develop Wearable Opioid Overdose Detector

A drug called Narcan is used as an antidote for opioid overdose, but it’s difficult for a patient to administer it by themselves. Researchers from Purdue University have decided to tackle this problem with a wearable system that will release the antidote automatically, reports MobiHealthNews.

“A lot of time patients who overdoes are found alone and are incapacitated to inject the life-saving drug themselves,” Hyowon “Hugh” Lee, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Purdue, said in a university video. “We are trying to come up with a closed loop solution that can automatically deliver an antidote.”

An overdose occurs when opioids adhere to brain receptors that control breathing, causing individuals to hypoventilate and die.

The wearable device can detect the point at which the respiration rate of a person decreases to a certain level – changed from electrocardiography (EKG) signals – and subsequently releases the drug. This drug blocks the opioid from adhering to brain receptors.

‍

‍

Just like an insulin pump, the proof of concept device is worn as an armband that fastens to a magnetic field generator, linked to a portable battery worn at the hip.

“The idea is to be able to measure the rate of respiration using some sort of wearable sensor, and then to be able to use that as some form of threshold to trigger the release of the antidote that will be implanted under the skin so you will have an antidote with you just in case you have some sort of an accident," Lee said. "Then when the system texts that you are having respiratory failure the drug will be released automatically to give you extra time to get medical attention.”

An EKG sensor is adhered on the chest. When it detects a respiration that’s too low, it triggers the magnetic field generator to warm up a drug capsule within the body and discharges the antidote in 10 seconds.

Related DyAnsys Gets FDA Clearance For Its Wearable Device to Treat Opioid Addiction

The scientists believe the drug capsule can be pre-injected within the skin in an outpatient setting. The device therefore would be able to automatically release the drug to the patient in case of an overdose. That would give emergency services an extra hour to get the patient to the hospital, Lee said.

‍

Energous Corporation, a leader in next generation of wireless charging better known for its wireless charging solution WattUp®, received Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification of a GaN-based WattUp Near Field wireless charging transmitter. The advanced transmitter is designed to deliver higher power with improved efficiency, enabling fast charging for hearables, wearables, medical sensors and more. To be deemed fully compliant with all regulatory requirements including RF, EMC and RF safety, the NF330 had to undergo rigorous testing by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), says a press release.

“The FCC certification of the NF330 transmitter is another step forward in the roll-out of Wireless Charging 2.0,” said Stephen R. Rizzone, president and CEO of Energous Corporation. “This GaN-based transmitter delivers five times more charging power, while almost doubling system efficiency compared to our CMOS-based transmitter solution, expanding charging options for consumers and manufacturers.”

Read more Batfree Power Strap Provides Longer Battery Life and Wireless Charging for Apple Watches

WattUp is the only technology that supports both contact-based and at-a-distance wireless charging, as well as the ability to charge multiple devices simultaneously. WattUp is a scalable, RF-based wireless charging technology that offers substantial improvements in contact-based charging efficiency, foreign object detection, orientation freedom and thermal performance compared to older, coil-based charging technologies. Similar to Wi-Fi, the WattUp ecosystem ensures interoperability between receivers and transmitters, regardless of manufacturer, making the entire ecosystem flexible and accessible for consumers and manufacturers.

Read more PlusUs Introduces First-Ever Flexible Wireless Charging Pad Made of Eco-Friendly Materials

About Energous

Energous Corporation is leading the next generation of wireless charging – Wireless Charging 2.0 – with its award-winning WattUp® technology, which supports fast, efficient contact-based charging, as well as charging over-the-air. The technology can be designed into many different sized electronic devices for the home and office, as well as the medical, industrial, retail and automotive industries, and it ensures interoperability across products. As a systems solutions company, Energous develops silicon-based wireless power transfer (WPT) technologies and customizable reference designs. These include innovative silicon chips, antennas and software, for a large variety of applications, such as smartphones, fitness trackers, hearables, medical sensors and more.

It seems like Microsoft is trying to get back in the health wearable space after abandoning the Microsoft Band in 2016. Neowin reports on a new patent filing by Microsoft, which says the tech giant has filed a patent for a multidimensional optical sensor which could detect heart rate, pulse wave velocity, blood and tissue oxygenation, and even blood pressure.

Read more Microsoft Files Patent for Eyeglasses That Measure Blood Pressure

“A rather interesting new wearables-related technology has been patented by the Redmond firm – a device containing a multi-dimensional optical sensor to generate and output data regarding hemodynamics of users. Notably, the device is stated to be incorporable with wearables,” Neowin said in the report.

According to Neowin, Microsoft believes that one-dimensional optical sensors found in currently available wearable devices may not accurately measure health data and are quite limiting. For example, the sensor may report inaccurate data while the person is walking. Moreover, these sensors fail to deliver accurate data on other fitness-related matters which are essential to the wearer’s health, the report said.

For the reasons, the advanced sensor proposed by Microsoft aims to not only address the inaccuracies in measurement, but also measure new hemodynamics – the dynamics of blood flow. The sensor will be able to detect and then display include arterial heart rate, arterial blood oxygenation, pulse waveform, tissue pulse, arterial stiffness, rate, tissue oxygenation, and many more.

Read more Trimble Announces New Hard Hat Compatible Mixed Reality Device with Microsoft HoloLens 2

The design is reportedly more accurate than existing optical sensors found in wearables, and also less invasive than clinical measuring tools.

The sensor could be incorporated into various wearable devices including devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers or devices worn on arm and leg. One of the patent images shows a sensor built into a pair of glasses, over the wearer’s temple, reports MobiHealthNews.

It seems like Microsoft is trying to get back in the health wearable space after abandoning the Microsoft Band in 2016. Neowin reports on a new patent filing by Microsoft, which says the tech giant has filed a patent for a multidimensional optical sensor which could detect heart rate, pulse wave velocity, blood and tissue oxygenation, and even blood pressure.

Read more Microsoft Files Patent for Eyeglasses That Measure Blood Pressure

“A rather interesting new wearables-related technology has been patented by the Redmond firm - a device containing a multi-dimensional optical sensor to generate and output data regarding hemodynamics of users. Notably, the device is stated to be incorporable with wearables,” Neowin said in the report.

According to Neowin, Microsoft believes that one-dimensional optical sensors found in currently available wearable devices may not accurately measure health data and are quite limiting. For example, the sensor may report inaccurate data while the person is walking. Moreover, these sensors fail to deliver accurate data on other fitness-related matters which are essential to the wearer’s health, the report said.

‍

‍

For the reasons, the advanced sensor proposed by Microsoft aims to not only address the inaccuracies in measurement, but also measure new hemodynamics – the dynamics of blood flow. The sensor will be able to detect and then display include arterial heart rate, arterial blood oxygenation, pulse waveform, tissue pulse, arterial stiffness, rate, tissue oxygenation, and many more.

Read more Trimble Announces New Hard Hat Compatible Mixed Reality Device with Microsoft HoloLens 2

The design is reportedly more accurate than existing optical sensors found in wearables, and also less invasive than clinical measuring tools.

The sensor could be incorporated into various wearable devices including devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers or devices worn on arm and leg. One of the patent images shows a sensor built into a pair of glasses, over the wearer’s temple, reports MobiHealthNews.

‍

Energous Corporation, a leader in next generation of wireless charging better known for its wireless charging solution WattUp®, received Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification of a GaN-based WattUp Near Field wireless charging transmitter. The advanced transmitter is designed to deliver higher power with improved efficiency, enabling fast charging for hearables, wearables, medical sensors and more. To be deemed fully compliant with all regulatory requirements including RF, EMC and RF safety, the NF330 had to undergo rigorous testing by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), says a press release.

“The FCC certification of the NF330 transmitter is another step forward in the roll-out of Wireless Charging 2.0,” said Stephen R. Rizzone, president and CEO of Energous Corporation. “This GaN-based transmitter delivers five times more charging power, while almost doubling system efficiency compared to our CMOS-based transmitter solution, expanding charging options for consumers and manufacturers.”

Read more Batfree Power Strap Provides Longer Battery Life and Wireless Charging for Apple Watches

‍

‍

WattUp is the only technology that supports both contact-based and at-a-distance wireless charging, as well as the ability to charge multiple devices simultaneously. WattUp is a scalable, RF-based wireless charging technology that offers substantial improvements in contact-based charging efficiency, foreign object detection, orientation freedom and thermal performance compared to older, coil-based charging technologies. Similar to Wi-Fi, the WattUp ecosystem ensures interoperability between receivers and transmitters, regardless of manufacturer, making the entire ecosystem flexible and accessible for consumers and manufacturers.

Read more PlusUs Introduces First-Ever Flexible Wireless Charging Pad Made of Eco-Friendly Materials

About Energous

Energous Corporation is leading the next generation of wireless charging - Wireless Charging 2.0 - with its award-winning WattUp® technology, which supports fast, efficient contact-based charging, as well as charging over-the-air. The technology can be designed into many different sized electronic devices for the home and office, as well as the medical, industrial, retail and automotive industries, and it ensures interoperability across products. As a systems solutions company, Energous develops silicon-based wireless power transfer (WPT) technologies and customizable reference designs. These include innovative silicon chips, antennas and software, for a large variety of applications, such as smartphones, fitness trackers, hearables, medical sensors and more.

‍

Using smartphones, fitness bracelets and a custom app, researchers in the U.S. have created a mobile-sensing system that tracks employee performance. The system works by monitoring physical, emotional and behavioral well-being of workers.

Read more Werum Announces Strategic Partnership with Nymi to Authenticate Pharmaceutical Employees

This new system opens up possibilities for wearable technology to help workers optimize their performance while at the same time allow companies to evaluate how employees are doing in their jobs. The approach can be both a complement and alternative to traditional performance tools like interviews and self-evaluations.

The research team includes Dartmouth University computer science professor Andrew Campbell, whose earlier work on a student monitoring app provided the underlying technology for this system. He believes this is a positive gateway to improving worker productivity, reports TechCrunch.

“This is a radically new approach to evaluating workplace performance using passive sensing data from phones and wearables,” said Campbell. “Mobile sensing and machine learning might be the key to unlocking the best from every employee.”

This is how the system works

• A smartphone monitors physical activity, location, phone usage and ambient light
• A wearable fitness tracker monitors heart functions, sleep, stress, and body measurements like weight and calorie consumption
• Location beacons are placed in the home and office provide information on time at work and breaks from the desk
• Cloud-based machine learning algorithms are then used to classify workers by performance level

According to the researchers, when compared to interviews and self-evaluations, which can be subjective, the system can measure workers’ performances more objectively, and the results are more reliable.

The study found that great performers typically did not use their phone too often, had longer periods of deep sleep and were more physically active.

Read more How Some Companies are Using Virtual Health for its Employees

Using this technology to monitor workers has been of great concern to not only privacy experts but also labor advocates. However, their concern has not made companies stop incentivizing their workers to put on fitness track in return for benefits like savings for insurance. Besides, Startups have popped up to offer even more ways to track employees.

Meanwhile, the researchers suggest that while their system of continuous monitoring via wearables and other devices is not yet available, it could be coming in the next few years.

The proliferation of wearables such as Fitbit to FDA approved medical devices shows that wearable tech is poised to disrupt the healthcare industry.

Estimated worldwide turnover of wearable devices in 2019 was approximately 18 billion euros ($19.9 billion), according to the German statistics portal Statista.

Related Maxim’s Health Sensors are Ultra-Small, Use Low Power and Deliver Clinical-Grade Accuracy for Next-Gen Wearables

By the end of this year, more than 300 million users will use one or more wearables to monitor their heart rate, blood pressure or calorie intake. According to estimates by the consulting company Roland Berger, health wearables market will grow by an average rate of 21% per year, at least for the next two years, writes Torsten Maschke, CEO of Datwyler Sealing Solutions.

Medical wearables with artificial intelligence and big data are providing an added value to healthcare with a focus on diagnosis, treatment, patient monitoring and prevention. Wearables can monitor chronic medical conditions, track sleep and fitness routines, and even remind patients to take their medicine, do their exercise, or eat regularly. Wearables help to increase efficiency and reduce time gathering health data, and more.

In 2017, the FDA approved the first pill with a sensor that can track if the patient has swallowed it. The tiny pill has a drug and an ingestible sensor. The sensor gets activated when it comes into contact with stomach fluid to detect when the pill has been taken. The data is then transmitted to a wearable patch that eventually conveys the information to a paired smartphone app. Doctors and caregivers, with the patient’s consent, can then access the data via a web portal. This technology can be very useful for treating mental health disorders and chronic diseases like diabetes since medication adherence is a challenge for these populations.

Related Do We Really Need More Fitbits, Apple Watches and Other Health Wearables?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is exploring the development of digital health applications and wearables. In 2017, the agency selected nine companies to take part in the first-of-its-kind pilot program that will help transform digital health law and allow these firms to create new digital health software.

The health wearables market is still in its infancy, but we are likely to see this market grow at a lightning speed in the coming years.

The proliferation of wearables such as Fitbit to FDA approved medical devices shows that wearable tech is poised to disrupt the healthcare industry.

Estimated worldwide turnover of wearable devices in 2019 was approximately 18 billion euros ($19.9 billion), according to the German statistics portal Statista.

Related Maxim’s Health Sensors are Ultra-Small, Use Low Power and Deliver Clinical-Grade Accuracy for Next-Gen Wearables

By the end of this year, more than 300 million users will use one or more wearables to monitor their heart rate, blood pressure or calorie intake. According to estimates by the consulting company Roland Berger, health wearables market will grow by an average rate of 21% per year, at least for the next two years, writes Torsten Maschke, CEO of Datwyler Sealing Solutions.

Medical wearables with artificial intelligence and big data are providing an added value to healthcare with a focus on diagnosis, treatment, patient monitoring and prevention. Wearables can monitor chronic medical conditions, track sleep and fitness routines, and even remind patients to take their medicine, do their exercise, or eat regularly. Wearables help to increase efficiency and reduce time gathering health data, and more.

‍

‍

In 2017, the FDA approved the first pill with a sensor that can track if the patient has swallowed it. The tiny pill has a drug and an ingestible sensor. The sensor gets activated when it comes into contact with stomach fluid to detect when the pill has been taken. The data is then transmitted to a wearable patch that eventually conveys the information to a paired smartphone app. Doctors and caregivers, with the patient’s consent, can then access the data via a web portal. This technology can be very useful for treating mental health disorders and chronic diseases like diabetes since medication adherence is a challenge for these populations.

Related Do We Really Need More Fitbits, Apple Watches and Other Health Wearables?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is exploring the development of digital health applications and wearables. In 2017, the agency selected nine companies to take part in the first-of-its-kind pilot program that will help transform digital health law and allow these firms to create new digital health software.

The health wearables market is still in its infancy, but we are likely to see this market grow at a lightning speed in the coming years.

‍

Using smartphones, fitness bracelets and a custom app, researchers in the U.S. have created a mobile-sensing system that tracks employee performance. The system works by monitoring physical, emotional and behavioral well-being of workers.

Read more Werum Announces Strategic Partnership with Nymi to Authenticate Pharmaceutical Employees

This new system opens up possibilities for wearable technology to help workers optimize their performance while at the same time allow companies to evaluate how employees are doing in their jobs. The approach can be both a complement and alternative to traditional performance tools like interviews and self-evaluations.

The research team includes Dartmouth University computer science professor Andrew Campbell, whose earlier work on a student monitoring app provided the underlying technology for this system. He believes this is a positive gateway to improving worker productivity, reports TechCrunch.

“This is a radically new approach to evaluating workplace performance using passive sensing data from phones and wearables,” said Campbell. “Mobile sensing and machine learning might be the key to unlocking the best from every employee.”

‍

‍

This is how the system works

• A smartphone monitors physical activity, location, phone usage and ambient light
• A wearable fitness tracker monitors heart functions, sleep, stress, and body measurements like weight and calorie consumption
• Location beacons are placed in the home and office provide information on time at work and breaks from the desk
• Cloud-based machine learning algorithms are then used to classify workers by performance level

According to the researchers, when compared to interviews and self-evaluations, which can be subjective, the system can measure workers’ performances more objectively, and the results are more reliable.

The study found that great performers typically did not use their phone too often, had longer periods of deep sleep and were more physically active.

Read more How Some Companies are Using Virtual Health for its Employees

Using this technology to monitor workers has been of great concern to not only privacy experts but also labor advocates. However, their concern has not made companies stop incentivizing their workers to put on fitness track in return for benefits like savings for insurance. Besides, Startups have popped up to offer even more ways to track employees.

Meanwhile, the researchers suggest that while their system of continuous monitoring via wearables and other devices is not yet available, it could be coming in the next few years.

‍

‍

Good sleep is necessary for optimal health and can affect hormone levels, mood and weight. More than half of American adults do not get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night.

Sleep masks are one of the best tools that can be used to overcome sleep problems and obtain restful relaxing sleep. These lightweight barriers block unwanted light and help your body produce melatonin, a hormone produced to help your body fall asleep naturally. Here are the 3 best sleep masks in the market that are lightweight, effective and won’t put a dent in your budget.

Read more The 5 Best Wearables for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Dreamlight Zen

Dreamlight sleep mask comes in handy when you meditate. Dreamlight uses 3 proven effective methods to make people relax and fall asleep faster: 1) Internal orange pulsing lights to promote mindfulness via deep breathing practice; 2) Embedded premium speakers to deliver the relaxing surround-sound effect and 3) Vocal hypnosis therapy, where a professional instructor guides you to relax your body and mind. The 3D facial mapping technology provides a perfect mask that fits on different face shapes with no light leakage. With pre-programmed internal orange lighting, and meditative music playing, you can have your meditation session anywhere anytime you want. “It’s thinner, more streamlined and, for those concerned about such things, just better looking,” writes Brian Heater of TechCrunch.

SILENTMODE PowerMask

The SILENTMODE PowerMask with music by Breathonics is the fastest way to reduce your heart rate and boost your mindset. SILENTMODE eliminates visual distractions and makes it easier to get some shut-eye whenever you need to. Developed in collaboration with the world’s leading Breathwork and Sleep Science Coaches, the PowerMask helps you completely tune out the world, both visually and aurally by providing 100% blackout. When you put on the mask, select the ‘nap mode’ you want to achieve from the app. The Silentmode will help you sleep using the proprietary nap training audio called Breathonics (a breath training course). When your desired nap length has lapsed, the mask will slowly wake you up, making you feel refreshed.

Lumos Smart Sleep Mask

Jet lag is a temporary disorder that causes fatigue, headache, insomnia, and other symptoms when you travel rapidly across time zones. It is considered a circadian rhythm disorder, which results from a disruption in the body’s circadian rhythms. There is currently no treatment for jet lag. A San Francisco, CA-based startup called LumosTech has developed a smart mask based on research from Stanford University that could be the closest thing yet to a fast cure for jet lag. The Lumos smart sleep mask uses light therapy while you sleep to help you adjust to a new time zone faster. There are special light-sensitive cells inside the retina of our eyes; these cells stimulate circadian rhythm in our brain causing us to be awake when there’s light around and feel sleepy when it’s dark. Controlling light exposure in our eyes can regulate our circadian rhythm and ease conditions like jet lag. The design of Lumos Mask is based on research led by Jamie Zeitzer, associate professor at the center for sleep sciences at Stanford University. Zeitzer discovered that when people are asleep, delivering short pulses of light into their eyes could change their circadian rhythm.

Read more Itamar Medical’s WatchPAT 300 is a Simple and Reliable Home Sleep Apnea Detection System

Glo To Sleep Sleep Mask

DELUXE Glo to Sleep mask provides precise lighting control so you can choose the exact brightness level and dimming time that’s right for you! By looking at its Points of Glo, your DELUXE Glo to Sleep therapy mask switches off all of the thoughts and worries that can keep you awake, so you can relax and get the sleep you deserve. By using your DELUXE Glo to Sleep mask, you will soon lose any anxiety you feel about trying to go to sleep, the company says.

The ultimate objective of virtual reality (VR) is an immersive experience that fully simulates our perception of life. Out of all the perceptions only vision and sound are on the necessary level, whereas the third most important sense – touch, is still underdeveloped.

Related Toyota’s Virtual Reality Simulation Lets You Experience What It’s Like to Play Football with Visual Impairment

Valkyrie Industries is developing a universal technology of touch (haptics) for virtual simulations. Its proprietary wearable tool allows developers to create more impactful virtual simulations to allow richer content creation such as training, touch before you buy and applied engineering applications.

The startup off-handedly refers to the current iteration of its VR suit as “Iron Man v. 1.”

Many VR suits are designed to provide immersive gaming experiences to customers; however, Valkyrie takes a different approach. Its VR suits are for professional use, which would work towards boosting efficiency.

The system utilizes electrical impulses to stimulate muscles, approximating resistance and touch. With the product still very much in the early stages, reports TechCrunch.

The suit could be utilized in industrial applications such as training for dangerous or highly complex jobs, allowing companies to train their workforce with far less risk.

Related Virtual Reality App for Live Operating Room Experiences for Surgical Education on Oculus Headsets

About Valkyrie

Valkyrie is an early stage start-up that is building the world’s first universal platform that delivers a natural perception of touch by using machine learning to understand each individual’s muscle movements and sensory thresholds. The company was formed over a year ago with two premises in mind: that 1. current human computer interfaces require advanced haptics and that 2. advanced haptics will expand applications for virtual simulations. The London-based three-person company is currently seed funded.