HeartBeam, a cardiac technology company that has developed the first and only 3D-vector electrocardiogram (VECG) platform for heart attack detection anytime, anywhere, announced the strategic acquisition of substantially all assets from LIVMOR, a digital health solutions company providing a patient-engaging remote monitoring system of critical physiological biomarkers. The acquisition extends HeartBeam’s reach in remote monitoring and detection with full ownership of an existing cutting-edge FDA-cleared product.

Founded in 2016, LIVMOR developed the Halo+™ Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Detection System, the world’s first FDA-cleared prescription wearable for continuous cardiac rhythm monitoring. The Halo system provides continuous monitoring of pulse rhythms for the detection of AF on-demand during the day and automatically overnight. LIVMOR’s technology was commercially deployed within the VA Healthcare System in Dallas, Texas, states a press release.

In February 2022, HeartBeam partnered with LIVMOR to build a HeartBeam-branded version of LIVMOR’s FDA-cleared Halo cloud-based software platform to connect physicians and patients. Utilizing the Halo cloud-based platform allowed HeartBeam to meet its schedule for FDA submission of the HeartBeam AIMI™ software for acute care settings that provides a 3D vector electrogram (VECG) comparison of baseline and symptomatic 12-lead ECG to more accurately identify a heart attack.

Read more: New Partnership to Realize a Modern Pharmacy

Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, HeartBeam purchased LIVMOR’s intellectual property for an undisclosed amount, including 3 issued United States patents, LIVMOR technology, including the Halo AF Detection System, LIVMORs business contracts and relationships as well as all Samsung watch and tablet inventory. Additionally, HeartBeam hired LIVMOR’s key technical employees.

“We’re very pleased to complete this acquisition as it is a natural fit and extension of our successful partnership with LIVMOR and our complementary goals to dramatically improve patient outcomes and to significantly reduce healthcare system costs,” said Branislav Vajdic, Ph.D., HeartBeam CEO and Founder. “The fact that these intellectual property and product assets were developed by the technical team that is now part of HeartBeam means that we will be able to integrate the Halo cloud-based software platform with our AIMGO solution in an efficient and cost-effective manner,” concluded Vajdic.

About LIVMOR

Founded in 2016, LIVMOR is a digital health solutions company whose mission is to assist physicians and medical professionals in addressing the global chronic disease epidemic by providing a patient-engaging remote monitoring system of critical physiological biomarkers. LIVMOR’s goals are to dramatically improve patient outcomes and to significantly reduce healthcare system costs with better quality data for diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases.

About HeartBeam, Inc.

HeartBeam, Inc. is a cardiac technology company that has developed the first and only 3D-vector ECG platform for heart attack detection anytime, anywhere. By applying a suite of proprietary algorithms to simplify vector electrocardiography (VECG), the HeartBeam platform enables patients and their clinicians to determine if symptoms are due to a heart attack, quickly and easily, so care can be expedited if required. HeartBeam has two patented products in development. HeartBeam AIMI is software for acute care settings that provides a 3D comparison of baseline and symptomatic 12-lead ECG to more accurately identify a heart attack. HeartBeam AIMIGo is the first and only credit card-sized 12-lead output ECG device coupled with a smartphone app and cloud-based diagnostic software system to facilitate remote heart attack detection. HeartBeam AIMI and HeartBeam AIMIGo have not yet been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for marketing in the USA or other geographies.

UK-based digital therapy and coaching platform HelloSelf announced that it raised $20 million in Series B funding, which will help the company expand its platform. The round was led by Octopus Ventures, with participation from returning investors such as Omers, Mantaray, and Oxford Capital. Similar companies have garnered significant interest from investors, payers, and providers alike. In February, Headway secured “unicorn” status following a reported $100 million funding round.

HelloSelf aims to use the money to further grow its network of trusted therapists, members, and partners across the UK and Europe.

Read more: Alphabet’s Verily Raises $1 Billion for Funding

"There are over 1.2 billion people who are underserved globally, so with this investment and the trust of our network, we can accelerate HelloSelf's impact across the UK and beyond," said CEO Charles Wells.

Rumina Taylor, the company's chief clinical officer, said: "We are driven to improve access to personalized psychological interventions and support our members to be proactive in looking after their wellbeing using meaningful outcomes that last."

HelloSelf links users with clinical psychologists and offers AI-powered online assistance, including chat, tracking, and activities, between sessions through its app as an online therapy and psychological coaching service for people and organizations, including the NHS. “HelloSelf is about giving everyone access to the personalized psychological advice they need. We want to help make Every Self Better,” says Wells.

Before the Series B funding announcement, HelloSelf had raised $11.3 million, according to Crunchbase. In 2022, it secured a pilot program with the United Kingdom’s National Health Service.

Google showed off an array of new artificial intelligence (AI)-driven health care tools at its annual event called “The Check UP”. The tools included a souped-up chatbot that can shed light on your medical symptoms to enhanced search features that tell you if a doctor takes Medicaid.

The company revealed new collaborations during the event to advance AI-assisted ultrasounds, cancer treatments, and tuberculosis tests, but the latest iteration of its Med-PaLM medical large language model generated the most interest. Late last year, Google debuted Med-PaLM for the first time. It's intended to offer excellent replies to medical queries. The first artificial intelligence (AI) system to pass multiple-choice questions resembling those in US medical license tests, or receive a score of at least 60%, was called Med-PaLM.

According to the manufacturer, Med-PaLM 2, the technology's second iteration, regularly answered medical test questions at an "expert" level. More accurate than 85%, Med-PaLM 2 scored 18% better than its previous scores, reports CNBC.

Dr. Alan Karthikesalingam, research head at Google Health, said the business also compares Med-responses PaLM's to those of actual medical professionals. He claimed that Med-PaLM assesses the veracity, bias, and risk of injury in its responses. The demo wasn't live, so Karthikesalingam provided controlled instances of how Med-PaLM 2 could respond to queries like "What are the earliest warning indications of pneumonia?" likewise, "Can incontinence be treated?" In several instances, Med-PaLM 2's responses were just as thorough as those offered by doctors, if not more so. But, Med-PaLM 2's replies weren't always as precise.

Read more: Google Shows Off AR Glasses With Translation In Real Time

“You can see from this sort of work that we’re still learning,” Karthikesalingam said during the event. Given the sensitivity of medical data, Karthikesalingam said that it would take some time before the typical customer had access to this technology. He stressed the significance of responsible and managed innovation.

Karthikesalingam stated that Google will continue to collaborate with academics and industry professionals on Med-PaLM and that the business will provide additional updates in the future.

TytoCare, a virtual care company enabling accessible, high-quality primary care from home, announced that it received FDA clearance for its Tyto Insights for Wheeze Detection, paving the way for its rollout in the US. The wheeze detection algorithm expands the company's existing AI-powered Tyto Insights™ smart diagnostic capabilities, filling the quality gaps currently experienced with traditional telehealth and alleviating challenges imposed by the ongoing shortage of healthcare professionals.

Tyto Insights for Wheeze Detection is designed to aid in the clinical assessment of lung sound data for adults and children aged two and above, enabling clinicians to accurately diagnose respiratory conditions remotely. Fueled by TytoCare's own database of lung sounds– the largest of its kind – the AI-powered decision support software automatically analyzes lung sounds recorded by TytoCare's FDA-cleared handheld remote exam device's stethoscope to determine whether wheezing is detected. Whenever a remote lung exam is carried out with TytoCare, Tyto Insights for Wheeze Detection prompts a clinician if a specific abnormal lung sound suggestive of wheezing is suspected, states a press release.

The FDA clearance comes as TytoCare is continually strengthening its offerings to provide the best possible virtual primary care from home with its Home Smart Clinic. By expanding its clinical decision support, Tyto Insights for Wheeze Detection bolsters the Home Smart Clinic's support of acute care and long-term care for chronic conditions, many of which are respiratory in nature, and helps to alleviate challenges posed by the ongoing healthcare professional shortage. To date, TytoCare has found that respiratory diagnoses constitute over 40% of all diagnoses made using its virtual care solution, reflecting both the common nature of respiratory illnesses and conditions including asthma across patient populations, as well as TytoCare's unique ability to provide optimal virtual care for the large numbers of patients with respiratory symptoms by offering remote auscultation.

Read more: Excellent Combination For Remote Care

"Our Tyto Insight capabilities, including our wheeze detection algorithm, furthers our goal of enhancing the virtual care experience for all patients, clinicians, providers, and health plans – not just by increasing the quality of care and expanding our chronic care management capabilities, but also by further assisting clinicians and specialists to make informed and accurate diagnoses remotely," said Dedi Gilad, CEO and Co-Founder of TytoCare. "At TytoCare, we have the world's largest database of lung and heart sounds, as well as related symptoms and vital signs, and we will continue to leverage it to provide superb quality of care for families worldwide."

TytoCare's Home Smart Clinic was introduced to solve the Home Healthcare Delivery Gap™ that patients experience with traditional audio/video-only telehealth solutions. The solution combines TytoCare's FDA-cleared handheld remote examination device, the AI-backed TytoInsights™ smart diagnosis support, including the Wheeze Detection, and the TytoEngagement Labs™ configured for each specific program and cohort to provide high-quality, accessible virtual care in the home and enable health plans and providers to deliver on expected ROI and drive improved health outcomes. The Tyto Insights for Wheeze Detection already bears the CE Mark for usage by clinicians in Europe.

About TytoCare

TytoCare is a virtual care company working with leading health plans and providers to roll out the Home Smart Clinic, an offering that enables accessible, high-quality primary care from home, with no compromises. The Home Smart Clinic solutions include remote physical exams that work across primary care modalities and can be tailored to any cohort or population. Together with AI-powered guidance, provider integrations, and member journeys and engagement frameworks, the Home Smart Clinic solutions ensure more equitable access to care across the globe and enable healthcare organizations to meet their KPIs. TytoCare's solutions resolve 59% more conditions than audio and video telehealth solutions and reduce the cost of care by an average of 10%. Co-founded by Dedi Gilad and Ofer Tzadik in 2012,T ytoCare has FDA and CE clearances and partners with over 220 major health systems, health plans, and strategic partners in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Israel.

Are you unhappy with the way your smartphone camera reproduces colors? Would you like your phone or another home gadget to recognize various materials or even determine whether food is fresh? The answer lies in the newly developed field of multispectral cameras and tiny spectrometers. These inexpensive gadgets can expose information that was previously accessible through specialized equipment because they detect spectral information rather than just straightforward RGB color coordinates.

A developing tendency to detect optical information beyond what the eye can detect involves gathering spectral information with reasonably priced sensors. As machine vision technology advances, algorithms need input data that is more extensive than what can be obtained from traditional RGB sensors, reports PrintedElectronicsWorld.

IDTechEx's report, "Emerging Image Sensor Technologies 2023-2033: Applications and Markets", covers a wide range of these emerging image sensor types, including shortwave infrared (SWIR) sensors based on organic semiconductors, quantum dots or germanium, event-based vision, hyperspectral imaging, quantum imaging, and more.

Opportunities for Use

Smartphones are in demand for spectral image sensors due to the need to differentiate themselves by incorporating more functionality. Fraunhofer ENAS, a German research organization, stated in 2021 that it aimed to create infrared spectrometers for smartphone integration that weighed 1 gram and cost US$1. Compared to traditional infrared spectrometers, which may cost thousands of dollars and weigh several kilos, this is a significant improvement. The low-cost spectrometer developed by Fraunhofer will be able to examine food deterioration, assess air quality, and identify phony pharmaceuticals and medications.

Read more: New Capacitor Could Enable Energy-Efficient Microchips

The early-stage Belgian business Spectricity is a significant player in the commercialization of inexpensive spectral sensing. It unveiled its first product earlier this year, a miniature multispectral image sensor that can identify 16 color channels in the visible spectrum. As smartphones are the target market and camera quality influences many customer buying decisions, the higher spectral resolution compared to conventional sensors enables more accurate color reproduction.

Wearable health monitoring is another consumer application that spectral sensing can help with. While smartwatches now use LED light sensors to detect heart rate, oxygen levels, sleep patterns, and respiration rates, more advanced sensors would offer additional capability. One of the developing SWIR (short wave infrared) detection technologies, such as quantum dots, may spectrally resolve wavelengths above 1000 nm, allowing the identification of biomarkers that are invisible to visible and NIR light. Then, wearable technology may measure levels of glucose, lactate, hydration, and alcohol, widening its application and offering a point of distinction from the present crop of smartwatches with increasingly similar features.

Miniaturized spectrometers and multispectral cameras are anticipated to become more popular alongside consumer electronics for industrial inspection and robotics since their modest weight enables integration into current machinery. The challenges of object recognition and material distinction hold the most promise. When trying to discern between two materials that are visually identical, such as different polymers or oil and water, spectral resolution is extremely useful.

Miniaturized spectrometers and multispectral sensors promise to expand the capabilities of mobile gadgets, portable electronics, and industrial image inspection equipment due to their cost and small design. Smartwatches, smartphones, and even robotic vacuums can now use features that were previously exclusive to laboratories.

In the past, the recording of data concerning patients’ vital signs was carried out solely by medical professionals within specialist clinical facilities. It is now becoming increasingly apparent, however, that this places huge constraints on the healthcare services that can be provided. Motivated by improving such services, and benefiting from technological progression, there has been an upheaval within the medical sector. Where possible, the approach now starting to be followed is to take vital sign readings using wearable technology outside of hospitals or other medical units, and have these activities conducted at home.

The global market for vital signs monitoring is currently worth $5.3 billion, according to figures compiled by industry analysis consultancy Research and Markets. Furthermore, the company predicts that this market will witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 6.3% over the next five years - reaching an annual worth of close to $7.2 billion by 2027.

A tactical adjustment

The validity of moving vital signs monitoring out of the clinical environment and making it more reliant on wearable devices is beyond doubt. By doing so it will be possible for several major difficulties that the healthcare sector has been facing for many years to be overcome. These include:

• Alleviating pressure on medical staff/resources - With the healthcare systems in many countries having to deal with staffing shortages and budget cuts, the prospect of offloading certain time-consuming activities will be very appealing.
• Addressing the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and an aging population - Factors like air pollution and poor diet are leading to a larger proportion of people suffering from chronic health complaints. Two examples of this that are worth noting are the rise in the cases of type 2 diabetes (which have tripled in the last two decades) and asthma (which has almost doubled in that period). On top of this, there is a shift in the global population’s age demographics, with a much greater percentage being above 60 years old than there was previously.
• Improving patient safety and avoiding unnecessary stress - The disruptive effects that having to visit a hospital causes, especially on particularly frail patients, can be severe. They may have to travel considerable distances, and also being in such environments could expose them to viruses (such as COVID) or other forms of infection. Being able to monitor a patient’s condition while they remain at home will be much more convenient and far less traumatic for them.
• Enabling better quality of life - For the elderly or those with debilitating infirmities, vital signs monitoring can be pivotal in helping them to continue living independently. Not only does this mean they can have a more enjoyable time, but it also places less strain on overcrowded care homes.
• Implementing a predictive strategy - If medical conditions can be caught earlier on, the cost associated with subsequent care will be curbed dramatically. By having continuous streams of data on an individual’s vital signs, medical practitioners will be able to identify the initial indicators of certain health issues. This will mean that preventative measures can be taken to combat these issues (such as advice being given on lifestyle changes, etc.) or direct actions (such as surgery) can be undertaken on acute problems before they get worse.
• Making individuals more responsible for their health - Aligning vital signs monitoring with wearable technology is not just advantageous from a professional healthcare standpoint. There is a huge demand emerging within the consumer electronics sector for such functionality, as an ever larger proportion of people want to have a better grasp on their fitness levels and overall well-being. Smartwatches with built-in fitness tracking capabilities, smart rings, and even hearables will be just some of the conduits through which data is captured and compiled accordingly. It should be noted that, by giving insurance companies access to this data, individuals will be able to secure lower-cost life insurance.

Ways of ascertaining vital signs data

There are a multitude of different sensing techniques that can be employed in vital signs monitoring. Here is a brief overview of the most prominent of these:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG) - This relies on electrodes detecting differences in electrical potential generated by the heart. Through it, cardiomyopathy (a weakening of the heart muscle), arrhythmia (an irregularity in heartbeat), and other heart-related peculiarities can be investigated. It is also possible to determine pulse transit time (PTT) using ECG signals. This is the period that it takes a pulse to pass from one point within an artery to another. It gives an accurate evaluation of blood pressure without requiring the use of an inflatable cuff. This makes it much more convenient than conventional blood pressure measurement methods. Though ECG machines were previously large and costly, meaning this technique could only be used in a clinical setting, there are growing opportunities for wearable devices into which ECG functionality has been integrated.
• Photo-plethysmography (PPG) - Here applying modulated light emissions to body tissues enables the measurement of pulse rate. Though the rest of the area subjected to the light emissions remains unchanged, the contraction/expansion of blood vessels causes alterations in light intensity to be picked up by photodiodes. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and heart rate variance (HRV) can all be determined via this methodology. Peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2), which shows how much oxygen is in arterial blood (and can result in sleep apnea if too low), may also be calculated using it. Like ECG, provided that effective algorithms are employed, PPG can give blood pressure measurements too. What has held back PPG’s adoption in wearable devices has been the fact that body movements negatively impact its accuracy. Through the introduction of superior optoelectronic components (such as high lumen output LEDs and sensor devices with better sensing resolution), in conjunction with more complex algorithms and accelerometer inputs (that compensate for movement), higher precision data can now be retrieved. PPG capabilities are thus becoming more commonplace in wearable designs.
• Temperature monitoring - Having an accurate non-contact temperature measurement mechanism is going to be another important aspect of wearable vital signs monitoring. By taking surface skin temperature measurements then extrapolating these, a person’s body temperature can be estimated to a high degree of accuracy, thereby eliminating the need for invasive measurements. The quality of the sensed data will be best at places where the skin temperature is closer to the body temperature. This is why OEM development of smart rings (worn on fingers) and earbuds (located within the ear) is now underway.
• Fibre Bragg Gratings (FPGs) - There is the prospect that this optical technology could be utilised in a vital signs monitoring context. FPGs can be created by laterally exposing single-mode fibre cores to periodic patterns of intense laser light and then measuring the incremental differences in light levels. By incorporating FPGs into smart textiles, they could act as micro-level strain sensors that react to fluctuations on the skin’s surface caused by the movement of blood through vessels. Consequently, HR, RR, and blood pressure might all be calculated. Though research in this area is still in its early stages, there are high expectations for this technique.    

Key product innovations

As a valued distribution partner for the world’s leading semiconductor vendors, EBV Elektronik continues to provide the market with a trusted and reliable source of the latest technology for both medical and fitness-oriented monitoring. Here are a few examples of the products stocked for this purpose.  

Via EBV, ams OSRAM’s SFH 7072 offers a compact but function packed solution for vital signs monitoring. Thanks to its small size (with 7.5mm x 3.9mm x 0.9mm dimensions), it can be applied to fitness trackers and smartwatches for capturing medical data. This multi-chip module is comprised of two photodiodes, two green emitters, one red emitter, and one NIR emitter. Light barriers are incorporated to prevent optical crosstalk from occurring. Through the optical engineering advances it leverages, this solution achieves elevated levels of sensitivity. It is able to take accurate PPG measurements for HRM and pulse oximetry monitoring.

The AS7057 bio-signal sensor AFE developed by ams OSRAM features three photodiode inputs and three LED drivers. As two of the photodiode inputs are able to operate independently of one another, with automatic photodiode offset control, higher-quality results can be achieved. Supplied in a chip-scale package, this unit has an ultra–small form factor that makes it optimised for deployment within space-constrained applications, such as in-ear medical monitoring activities or earbud-based fitness trackers. Not only can this unit detect PPG and PTT signals for HRM and HRV measurement, it can also measure SpO2 and blood pressure. Built-in proximity detection means that the device can go into power-saving mode when not in use, allowing battery charge to thus be retained.  

The Smart Oximeter reference design that Renesas has constructed presents OEMs with the foundation they need to rapidly incorporate vital signs measurement functions into their hardware - whether it is for consumer or medical usage. The reference design showcases various items from the company’s technology portfolio. These include the OB1203 multi-channel light sensor module, the DA14531 SmartBond TINY BLE module, and the ISL9122A ultra-low quiescent current non-inverting buck-boost switching voltage regulator. There is also an accompanying mobile app available. Leveraging the OB1203 module, HR, pulse oximetry, and SpO2 figures can be obtained. 3200Sps sample rates are supported and up to 18-bit data resolution. The board (which has 4.2mm x2mm x 1.2mm dimensions) can easily be installed into smartphone handsets, body-worn monitoring patches, and even gym equipment.  

Conclusion

Availability of data on the various different vital signs parameters discussed in this article will be of huge benefit to society. It will mean that medical practitioners will have greater insight into their patients’ state of health, allowing them to respond more quickly to situations. At the same time, by having access to such data, the public at large will be much more aware of their health and may proactively attempt to make improvements.

With a strong prior track record, the application engineering team at EBV Elektronik is able to offer in-depth technical support to designers working on wearable devices for health monitoring purposes. Advice can be given with regard to which optoelectronic components, wireless modules, analogue ICs, and power discretes should be specified. You can engage with them by clicking here.

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About EBV Elektronik

EBV Elektronik, an Avnet (NASDAQ:AVT) company, was founded in 1969 and is the leading specialist in European semiconductor distribution. EBV maintains its successful strategy of personal commitment to customers and excellent services. 240 Technical Sales Specialists provide a strong focus on a selected group of long-term manufacturing partners. 120 continuously trained Application Specialists offer extensive application know-how and design expertise. With the EBVchips Program, EBV, together with its customers, defines and develops new semiconductor products. Targeted customers in selected growth markets will be supported by the Vertical Sales Segments. Warehouse operations, complete logistics solutions, and value-added services such as programming, taping & reeling, and laser marking are fulfilled by Avnet Logistics, EBV’s logistical backbone and Europe’s largest service centre. EBV operates from 65 offices in 29 countries throughout EMEA (Europe – Middle East – Africa). For more information about EBV Elektronik, please visit www.ebv.com.

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EBV Innovation Hero

The EBV Innovation Hero special prize of the 15th Innovation World Cup® is EBV Elektronik‘s initiative to support techpreneurs all over Europe! Take a look here and become the 7th EBV Innovation Hero!

On Tuesday, Google launched fall detection capabilities for its Pixel Watch, as per a blog post. The wearable device will utilize its motion sensors to identify if the wearer has experienced a hard fall. If there is no movement sensed for approximately 30 seconds, the watch will vibrate, set off an alarm, and exhibit an on-screen notification. The user can indicate if they need help or if they are okay. If there is no response after roughly a minute, the device will try to contact emergency services and play an automated message. Users can also speak with a 911 operator on their own. To activate fall detection features, users can access the updates page on the Watch Companion app or the Personal Safety app on the Pixel Watch.

Wearables have been incorporating fall-detection features for some time. Apple introduced the capability to its watch series in 2018, and Samsung has similar functionality on its Galaxy Watch range. Other digital health and tech companies have also entered the fall detection space, particularly in senior care. Amazon recently announced that it is partnering with third-party firms to include fall detection in its AlexaTogether remote monitoring service. Vayyar, SkyAngelCare, and AltumView currently list compatible devices. SafelyYou, a different company, raised two funding rounds in 2021.

Read more: Apple Introduces Apple Watch Series 8

Google unveiled its Pixel Watch last year. While the company owns Fitbit, the Pixel Watch is the first watch under the Google brand. Google noted in its announcement that the device can differentiate between a genuine fall and intense activity that may trigger false alarms, a concern for rival Apple Watches. According to the New York Times, last month, iPhone and Apple Watch fall detection and car crash detection were frequently inundating 911 dispatchers in skiing towns with inaccurate alerts.

"We trained this process using a broad variety of human and simulated fall data and other motion patterns to accurately detect real falls and minimize potential false alarms," Paras Unadkat, product manager for Pixel Watch, and Edward Shi, product manager forPixel Safety, wrote in Google's blog post. "We also tested this feature against high-energy activities that involved impact, sudden drop or excessive arm movements — think activities like burpees, jumping or swimming — to avoid those types of activities from triggering a false notification."

Amazon and 1Life Healthcare announced that Amazon completed its acquisition of One Medical. One Medical’s seamless in-office and 24/7 virtual care services, on-site labs, and programs for preventive care, chronic care management, common illnesses, and mental health concerns have been delighting people for the past 15 years. Together, Amazon and One Medical look to deliver exceptional healthcare to more people to achieve better health outcomes, better care experiences, and more value, within a better care team environment. For a limited time, One Medical is offering annual memberships at the discounted price of $144 for the first year(regularly $199/year), the equivalent of $12 per month, to new customers. Redeem the One Medical membership promotion and learn more about what’s included, reports One Medical.

“We're on a mission to make it dramatically easier for people to find, choose, afford, and engage with the services, products, and professionals they need to get and stay healthy, and coming together with One Medical is a big step on that journey,” said Neil Lindsay, senior vice president of Amazon Health Services. “One Medical has set the bar for what a quality, convenient, and affordable primary care experience should be like. We’re inspired by their human-centered, technology-forward approach and excited to help them continue to grow and serve more patients.”

“One Medical has been on a mission to help transform healthcare through its human-centered and technology-powered model to delight people with better health, better care, and better value, within a better team environment,” said Amir Dan Rubin, CEO of One Medical. “We now set our sights on delivering even further positive impacts for consumers, employers, care teams, and health networks, as we join Amazon with its long-term orientation, history of invention, and passion for reimagining a better future.”

“If you fast forward 10 years from now, people are not going to believe how primary care was administered. For decades, you called your doctor, made an appointment three or four weeks out, drove15-20 minutes to the doctor, parked your car, signed in, and waited several minutes in reception, eventually were placed in an exam room, where you waited another 10-15 minutes before the doctor came in, saw you for five to ten minutes and prescribed medicine, and then you drove 20 minutes to the pharmacy to pick it up—and that’s if you didn’t have to then go see a specialist for additional evaluation, where the process repeated and could take even longer for an appointment,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. “Customers want and deserve better, and that’s what One Medical has been working and innovating on for more than a decade. Together, we believe we can make the health care experience easier, faster, more personal, and more convenient for everyone.”

One Medical sets a high bar for human-centered primary care experiences

Access to primary care where, when, and how people prefer, with:

• Around-the-clock access through the One Medical app, giving people more control of how they seek care and the ability to do so from home or on-the-go
• On-demand virtual care services, like 24/7 video chats and easy in-app messaging, which are included in membership at no extra cost; for other services, such as in-office appointments, One Medical accepts most major insurance health plans
• Same and next-day in-office or remote visits, so people can quickly get the care they need
• Thoughtfully designed and welcoming One Medical offices, offering care close to where people work, live, and shop
• Walk-in availability for on-site laboratory services, making it easy to get lab work done where and when it’s most convenient

A comprehensive approach to make healthcare easier to navigate by offering:

• A healthcare home base with primary care providers that help manage a person’s full health picture; from preventive and acute care needs to chronic disease, and mental health concerns
• Pediatricians and family care providers available in a growing number of locations, serving children and families
• Providers trained to address both physical and mental health needs, which may include lifestyle recommendations, medications, or referrals to appropriate specialists
• Clinical and digital integrations with leading hospital networks across the U.S. for more seamless access and coordinated care across primary and specialty care services
• Easy access to vaccine and medical records, prescription renewals, specialty referrals, and lab results in the One Medical app
• Outstanding care for seniors in a growing number of locations, with teams specialized in serving people on Medicare

A more human health care experience enabled by:

• Highly engaged clinicians focused on meeting the whole needs of people, thinking about healthcare comprehensively, and taking time to treat people as people and not solely as diagnoses
• More time in appointments to engage with providers for more personalized and comprehensive healthcare
• Proactive app reminders for follow-up care and referral needs facilitating better prevention and coordination of care so the dots are better connected for people to get and stay healthier
• A human-centered and technology-powered approach, offering an easy-to-use app and innovative clinician tools to simplify the experience for both the patient and the provider

About One Medical

One Medical is a U.S. national human-centered and technology-powered primary care organization with seamless digital health and inviting in-office care, convenient to where people work, shop, and live. One Medical’s vision is to delight millions of members with better health and better care while reducing costs, within a better team environment. One Medical’s mission is to transform healthcare for all through a human-centered, technology-powered model. Headquartered in San Francisco, 1Life Healthcare, Inc. is the administrative and managerial services company for the affiliated One Medical physician-owned professional corporations that deliver medical services in-office and virtually. 1Life and the One Medical entities do business under the “One Medical” brand.

Varjo, a Finnish manufacturer of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality headsets, is partnering with Swiss medical device company machineMD to develop Neos, a diagnostic tool that aims to assist in the early diagnosis of brain disorders such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, and brain tumors using built-in VR-based eye-tracking technology.

Varjo offers extended reality hardware and software with integrated eye-tracking capabilities, while machineMD develops tools for the early detection of brain disorders, reports MobiHealthNews.

Neos will combine Varjo's Aero headset with VR-based eye-tracking technology and machineMD's device that examines eye and pupil movements.

“These types of examinations of the eyes and pupils – how the eyes move, the gaze direction, the reaction of the pupils, how they're delayed – that's done all manually,” Dominic Senn, cofounder and CEO of machineMD, told MobiHealthNews. “And there are a couple of studies showing that at least with ophthalmologists and neurologists […] there are many misdiagnoses based on these type of examinations simply because they can't do the measurements right.”

Dr. Mathias Abegg, medical director at machineMD, told MobiHealthNews that the company's initial device for eye examinations was not done with headsets but with desktops, eye trackers, or big machinery, and only measured one eye. The company then discovered Varjo's eye-tracking tool which he said has the quality of measure they need.

Read more: Study Finds VR Therapeutic Reduces Pain Intensity

The Varjo video-based eye tracking system captures images of a patient's eyes at 200 Hertz while measuring pupil position, pupil dilation, interpupillary distance, focus, and eye-movement patterns. It does this by using two integrated high-speed cameras and infrared illumination.

"We can basically, through our APIs, connect that to machineMD that then can analyze it. That enables machineMD to quantify, analyze and build up a database that is basically repeatable to diagnose these conditions," Seppo Aaltonen, Chief Commercial Officer at Varjo, told MobiHealthnews. Senn added that Neos will be a tool that enables physicians' assistants to administer the test, reducing the length of time patients must wait to see a specialist and the time restrictions that come with a shrinking workforce for providers.

"With our device, they should be able to examine most patients themselves, and if there are any doubts, they can send the examination report and then a specialist can look at the report" Senn said.

Neos is currently in development. The companies aim to receive regulatory approval for market release in the U.S. or Europe and begin selling the first devices by the end of 2023.

Apple has reached the proof-of-concept stage for sensor technology that could ultimately allow Apple Watch wearers with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar levels, according to a Bloomberg report. A few unnamed insiders who were familiar with the incredibly covert project - referred to within the firm as E5 - were quoted in Bloomberg's report. The sources claimed that after more than a decade of development, E5 has lately achieved "important milestones" that have given Apple hope for the viability of the technology in the marketplace.

Apple declined to reply to requests for comment from Fierce Medtech and declined to comment on the Bloomberg report. According to the article, Apple is now developing an iPhone-sized prototype that may be attached to a person's bicep. If Apple were to include it in a future Apple Watch, it would need to be substantially smaller.

The source claims that TSMC has been charged with developing the core chip for the sensor, which will be used in Apple's glucose tracker.

Read more: DarioHealth to Integrate Dexcom CGM Data

“Apple is taking a different approach, using a chip technology known as silicon photonics and a measurement process called optical absorption spectroscopy. The system uses lasers to emit specific wavelengths of light into an area below the skin where there is interstitial fluid - substances that leak out of capillaries - that can be absorbed by glucose. The light is then reflected back to the sensor in a way that indicates the concentration of glucose. An algorithm then determines a person’s blood glucose level.”

Diabetics would be better able to identify the meals that are elevating their blood sugar levels if glucose levels were continuously and non-invasively monitored. Using that information, they might change their diet to maintain a steady blood sugar level.

The news weighed on shares of diabetes technology companies on Wednesday, with both Dexcom and Abbott falling more than 3% before recovering. Apple gained 0.3% to $148.91 by the close in New York, the Bloomberg report said.

MyndVR, the award-winning provider of VR-based, digital therapeutic experiences designed for the aging population, has announced that its VR therapeutic technology will be covered by insurance for the first time ever. To achieve this, MyndVR has partnered with AgeWell New York, a specialty managed care organization serving Medicare and Medicaid populations in New York, according to a press release.

"Our members are enthusiastic about their ability to use MyndVR," said Agewell New York Lead Senior Benefits Advisor, Constance Harris-Fields. "We see this program helping with isolation, anxiety, and depression, while stimulating memories, conversation, and socialization, which is especially important in the wake of the pandemic." AgeWell New York's CareWell Plan members can use MyndVR headsets to enjoy virtual travel, special adventures, entertainment, and more. They can also share their real-time experience with family members nearby. "We've seen first-hand how visiting a special place can brighten the outlook of our skilled nursing facility members. The MyndVR benefit enhances our personalized approach to health care."

Read more: World’s First Immersive Gastronomy Experience

"It is monumental to our mission to bring on board our first health insurance provider, to help broaden access to the impactful results of MyndVR to CareWell members," said MyndVR CEO and Founder, Chris Brickler. "As we continue spreading awareness of the importance of therapeutics in VR being covered by insurance, this is an exciting step in the right direction – only further proving why the Access to Prescriptive Digital Therapeutics Act has a growing need to be passed by Congress."

The partnership marks a major milestone for MyndVR as the company looks to expand coverage of its groundbreaking technology amongst Medicare Advantage plans and Managed Medicaid plans. The company also recently announced its DitigalTherapyNow.org coalition in support of the Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act, which would formally recognize digital therapeutics at a federal level. The coalition provides information, updates, resources, and a growing petition to support the successful passing of the bill.

About MyndVR

MyndVR is the leading provider of Virtual Reality solutions for senior living communities, home care agencies, Veteran homes, and individual adults aging in their own homes across the US, Canada, and Australia. The company is also a proud Allied Partner with We Honor Veterans. MyndVR is building the most advanced portfolio of original and licensed therapeutic VR content.

About AgeWell New York

AgeWell New York offers high-quality and affordable Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans for individuals with Medicare, Medicare, and Medicaid, and a Medicaid Advantage Plus (MAP) Plan for those who need community-based long-term care services and supports in the home. AgeWell New York launched in 2012 to help seniors and vulnerable adults live well, feel well, and age well in New York by delivering value in healthcare coverage and care management services.

Krikey.ai, a provider of developer tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI), has announced an AI animation partnership with Stability AI, a provider of open-source AI tools, to launch an AI animation tool that enables users to generate interactive 3D characters and animated avatars.

Users can submit a text phrase as a prompt to make avatar animations using Krikey's AI-powered "Text to Animation" tool in just a few minutes. A video file or fbx file can then be exported by users to their preferred 3D gaming engine, video editing program, or social networking site. Moreover, users can generate an AI animation for their 3D avatar using Krikey's tool. Krikey launched the AI Animation tool on its website this week and stated that more avatar customization features will be launching this quarter, reports Sam Sprigg at Auganix.

According to the company, creating these kinds of animations often requires more than five business days, but with Krikey's AI tool, creating an avatar animation just takes a few minutes. Animations are immediately useable in augmented reality (AR) experiences and are mobile-optimized. By democratizing the content creation process, Krikey believes that its AI-to-AR pipeline will empower creators and developers. The AI platform is not able to endow characters with emotions though, therefore the function of artists and animators stays the same in the production process, according to the company. Krikey's approach assists in streamlining these positions' procedures as opposed to replacing them.

“Stability is always seeking out AI innovators and the Krikey team has put together one of the best tools to democratize creative expression. Now anyone can animate a 3D character with a few words in a text box,” said Emad Mostaque, CEO of Stability AI. “We are excited to support the Krikey AI team and work together to empower the next generation of AI creators and developers.”

Krikey’s AI tools allow users to explore and try out a set of basic motion prompts, including variations on “walk,” “run,” “jump,” “wave,” “climb” and more. However, more complex prompts like“moonwalk,” “zombie march” and “tai chi” can also lead to engaging results. The company has also created a prompt guide to help instruct users on how best to enter and experiment in the world of AI Animation.

The platform's animation tool enables users to alter the camera angle, add or remove shadows, backdrops, change the animation speed, and edit their Avatar before exporting to share with others once an animation has been made based on a prompt. Animations that have been generated can be viewed in a user's account's dashboard.

“This is the beginning of a revolution in how 3D content will be created,” said Ketaki Shriram, Co-founder and CTO at Krikey.ai. “Generative AI Animations have applications in numerous industries including film, gaming, Metaverse avatars, social media, and cloud computing. AIAnimation could be the foundation of the next creator economy.”

Finnish medical device company Sooma Medical has received Breakthrough Device designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its portable, patient-administered neuromodulation device to treat depression.

This revolutionary treatment utilizes a mild electrical current to stimulate targeted brain areas, significantly improving depressive symptoms. The FDA's breakthrough designation is reserved for novel therapies that show significant potential to provide a substantial improvement over existing options for severe or life-threatening conditions, according to a press release.

"We are thrilled to receive this breakthrough designation from the FDA," said Tuomas Neuvonen, CEO of Sooma. "This is a huge step forward for our company and, more importantly, for the millions of people suffering from depression. We are committed to making this innovative treatment accessible to patients in the U.S. as quickly as possible."

Depression is a serious mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Current treatment options, such as antidepressants and psychotherapy, can be effective but also have limitations. Sooma Depression Therapy offers a new, non-invasive alternative that has the potential to significantly improve the lives of those suffering from depression.

Read more: DyAnsys Neurostimulation Device Receives FDA Clearance

Sooma Medical is dedicated to developing innovative and accessible solutions to improve the lives of people affected by mental health conditions. The company continues to work closely with the FDA to bring this treatment to the market and to make it available to more patients as soon as possible.

About Sooma Depression Therapy

Sooma Depression Therapy, already approved in the EU, is an effective first-hand treatment option for depression used by hundreds of patients annually in more than 30 countries. The therapy, which is painless and involves no medication, is always prescribed by a medical professional. The treatment consists of daily 30-minute sessions for a minimum of three weeks. It can also be used as a stand-alone treatment or as an add-on therapy along with other types of treatment, such as pharmaceuticals, without the risk of dangerous drug interactions.

Most patients can feel relief from their depressive symptoms around the third week of treatment. According to Sooma's post-market data, more than half of patients achieve a complete clinical response, meaning a 50% or greater improvement in their depressive symptoms after the treatment.

About Sooma

Sooma Medical is a Finnish medical device company established in 2013, which works closely with leading experts in psychiatry and clinical neurophysiology to develop effective treatment solutions for health conditions in these areas. Sooma medical devices are engineered and manufactured in Finland following the international ISO 13485 quality management system for medical devices. Devices developed by Sooma have received approvals from international health authorities such as Health Canada, MDA, HSA, TGA, and COFEPRIS. To date, more than 10,000 patients have found relief with these treatments. Sooma Depression Therapy is available in more than 30 countries worldwide.

Ultrahigh-resolution displays are an essential element for developing next-generation electronic products such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and smartwatches, and can be applied not only to head-mounted displays but also to smart glasses and smart lenses. The technology developed through this research is expected to be used to make such next-generation ultrahigh-resolution displays and other various sub-micro optoelectronic devices.

KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 22nd that Professor Yong-Hoon Cho's research team of KAIST Department of Physics developed the core technology for an ultrahigh resolution light-emitting diode (LED) display that can realize 0.5 micron-scale pixels smaller than 1/100 of the average hair thickness (about 100 microns) using focused ion beams, reports KAIST.

Commonly, pixelation of ultrahigh-resolution LED displays usually relies on the etching method that physically cuts the area around the pixel, but as the pixel becomes smaller due to the occurrence of various defects around it, leading to side-effects of having leakage of current increased and light-emission efficiency decreased. In addition, various complex processes such as patterning for pixelation and post-processing for prevention of leakage current are required.

Professor Yong-Hoon Cho's research team developed a technology that can create pixels down to the size of a microscale without the complicated pre- and post-processing using a focused ion beam. This method has the advantage of being able to freely set the shape of the emitting pixel without causing any structural deformation on the material surface by controlling the intensity of the focused ion beam.

Read more: Partnership to Develop Premier Metaverse Experiences

The focused ion beam technology has been widely used for ultrahigh-magnification imaging and nanostructure fabrication in fields such as materials engineering and biology. However, when a focused ion beam is used on a light-emitting body such as an LED, light emission of a portion hit by the beam and a surrounding area rapidly decreases, which has been a barrier to fabricating a nano-scale light-emitting structure. Upon facing this issue, Professor Cho's research team began the research on the idea that if they turned things around to use these problematic phenomena, they can be used in the ultra-fine pixelation method on a sub-micron scale.

The research team used a focused ion beam whose intensity was softened to the extent that the surface was not shaved, and found that not only the light emission rapidly decreased in the area hit by the focused ion beam, but also the local resistance greatly increased. As a result, while the surface of the LED is kept flat, the portion hit by the focused ion beam is optically and electrically isolated, enabling pixelation for independent operation.

Professor Yong-Hoon Cho, who led the research, said, “We have newly developed a technology that can create sub-micron-scale pixels without complicated processes using a focused ion beam, which will be a base technology that can be applied to next-generation ultrahigh-resolution displays and nano-photoelectronic devices.”

This research in which the Master's student Ji-Hwan Moon and the Ph.D. student Baul Kim of KAIST Department of Physics participated as co-first authors, was carried out with the support of the National Research Foundation of Korea's Support Program for Mid-Career Researchers and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation. It was published online in 'Advanced Materials' and was also selected as the internal cover of the next offline edition.

ZEISS has acquired the shares of the joint venture tooz technologies, which was founded together with Deutsche Telekom in 2018. ZEISS is thereby responding to the large, growing market potential in the fields of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) glasses.

Until now, each partner held 50% of the shares in the start-up, which develops high-tech optics in the area of augmented reality. ZEISS and Deutsche Telekom thereby pooled their expertise in the fields of optics, optoelectronics and connectivity – three critical factors for realizing market-ready smart glasses. This has proved a success, as evidenced by the development of seamlessly integrated complete solutions for smart glasses over the past years.

"In a challenging and exploratory technological environment, we have achieved all the goals and milestones that we set together with ZEISS and Deutsche Telekom," says Dr. Kai Ströder, CEO of tooz. "Now is the right time to focus on the unique selling points: serial production and visual correction in imaging systems. We will also retain our start-up organization as part of the ZEISS Group to remain agile in this complex and dynamic technological race."

As the ZEISS Group's AR/VR competence center, tooz will further drive the development and integration of optics for augmented reality products completely independently. In the future, tooz will also equip optical systems from other manufacturers of AR/VR optics with prescription lenses to place products with an integrated prescription on the global markets.

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ZEISS and tooz: complementary know-how in a complex field of business

"tooz covers specific competencies and technologies for design, engineering and manufacturing processes, which complement the existing capabilities at ZEISS quite well. tooz will benefit in particular from production and process know-how and the significant experience in the approval of medical optics, and will be better positioned on the international market in the future," says Gerrit Schulte, Head of ZEISS Ventures.

Smart glasses, AR, mixed reality and VR will become part of daily life, for commercial applications but also especially for private use. Due to an increased demand internationally for personalized visual correction, an AR optic with a prescription is an essential customer requirement. The integration of tooz in the ZEISS Group addresses this market need and puts tooz in a stronger starting position.

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About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling 8.8 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets (status: 30 September 2022).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 13 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.

With over 38,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 30 production sites, 60 sales and service companies and 27 research and development facilities (status: 30 September 2022). Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Precision Neuroscience Corporation, the only brain-computer interface (BCI) company developing implants that are designed to be high-resolution, minimally invasive, and reversible, announced a $41 million Series B funding round led by Forepont Capital Partners. Mubadala Capital, Draper Associates, Alumni Ventures, and re.Mind Capital also participated in the round, alongside existing investors Steadview Capital and B Capital Group. The new financing enables Precision to continue hiring top talent while powering further product development and paving the road to FDA regulatory review, expected in the coming months. The latest investment brings the company’s total funding to $53 million in under two years.

“We imagine a world where devastating neurological conditions – stroke, traumatic brain injury, dementia – are finally treatable,” Michael Mager, CEO of Precision Neuroscience, said. “To reach this world, brain-computer interface technology needs to progress out of the lab and into the clinic. Precision is excited to take on that challenge.”

Read more: Neuralink’s Brain Chip Gets A Wide-Ranging Update

According to the American Neurological Association, nearly 100 million people in the U.S. alone suffer from neurological conditions ranging from migraines to Parkinson’s disease. Precision develops life-changing implants designed to restore neurological function for these individuals. Precision’s implant, the Layer 7 Cortical Interface, is a strip of flexible, thin film material – similar to a piece of Scotch tape, but with a thickness that is 1/5th that of a human hair. It is configured to conform to the surface of the brain without damaging tissue and can be implanted using a proprietary, minimally invasive cranial micro-slit technique. Precision’s device is the only BCI implant that is engineered to be safely removable. Unlike other minimally invasive approaches, it can process large amounts of data; each microelectrode array comprises 1,024 electrodes, with electrode density 600 times greater than standard cortical arrays. The company holds more than 25 patents and pending patents on its innovative technology, states a press release.

The brain-computer interface industry is undergoing a period of active growth and development, touched off by crucial advances in microfabrication, machine learning, and microelectronics. Co-founded in 2021 by neurosurgeon Ben Rapoport, Precision has assembled some of the top talents in the field. Within two years of the company’s founding, the team has already validated its high-resolution brain-computer interface system and is advancing toward clinical trials in 2023.

“Forepont is proud to lead Precision Neuroscience’s Series B raise to support the advancement of Precision’s cutting-edge technology,” Eric Attias, founder and managing partner of Forepont Capital Partners, said. “Precision is pioneering a BCI product that we believe will achieve patient outcomes that were previously thought to be impossible.”

About Precision Neuroscience

Precision Neuroscience’s goal is to provide breakthrough treatments for the one billion people worldwide suffering from neurological illnesses. They are building the only brain-computer interface that is designed to be minimally invasive, safely removable, and capable of processing large amounts of data.

Our Innovation of the Month is coming from Implandata Ophthalmic Products GmbH (IOP) which is a digital health company, based in Hannover (Germany). IOP is addressing a vastly underserved area in the care of glaucoma patients via innovative technologies and products.

Their eyemate® system consists of a permanent implantable and biocompatible microsensor, responsible for intraocular pressure measurements. The microsensor is powered and read out by an external hand-held device. The operation of this patient hand-held device is simple and reliable. The data will then be transmitted via a wireless data connection to a secure internet-based database. Thus, the eye doctor can monitor the therapeutic response and adjust therapy early on, in case of elevated intraocular pressure, avoiding further loss of vision. The eyemate® smartphone app will provide helpful information about the disease status and the therapy success to the patient and a medication schedule can be established, which reminds the patient automatically when he/she has to apply his/her glaucoma medication.

Implandata Ophthalmic Products GmbH has a team of very experienced and highly motivated experts in their field and is supported by seasoned investors and renowned clinical and scientific advisors. They collaborate with prestigious institutes in order to present the most advanced and utile products to patients and the medical community.

Want to learn more about Implandata Ophthalmic Products GmbH? They are with us at the WT Wearable Technologies Conference EUROPE 2023 in Munich on April 24-25^th!

Know Labs, an emerging developer of non-invasive medical diagnostic technology, today announced that Ron Erickson, Founder and Chairman, has been unanimously named Chief Executive Officer by the Company’s Board of Directors while continuing as Chairman of the Board. Former CEO Phil Bosua has stepped down as an executive officer of the Company and Board Member and will become a technology advisor and consultant to Know Labs, effective immediately.

Ron Erickson is the Founder of Know Labs and has been with the company and its predecessors for nearly 20 years. He brings 30 years of board, business development, financial, and executive leadership experience from industries including therapeutics, mobile technologies, and software.

“Thanks to Phil’s genius for invention, Know Labs’ intellectual property portfolio is second to none in the emerging field of non-invasive medical diagnostics,” Erickson said. “By evolving into a technology advisory and consulting role, Phil will have the freedom and flexibility to pursue his passion for new discoveries in science, software, and artificial intelligence, while participating in the value our team continues to create for shareholders.”

As part of his technology advisory and consulting role, Bosua will provide ad hoc technical guidance to the Know Labs product development team. Concurrently, Know Labs will transfer certain assets of its subsidiary AI Mind, Inc. to Bosua, who will focus on innovation and advancements in artificial intelligence, says a press release.

“Having established our Bio-RFID™ platform technology as a new standard for accuracy in glucose monitoring, as evidenced by our latest patent, our focus now is accelerating product development and testing while working toward the FDA clearance process for medical devices,” Erickson continued. “We anticipate our work toward this goal will accelerate in 2023, as a result of the progress made by our team, with support from our investors. We have recently expanded our team in product and clinical development functions, which are critical for our 2023 activities. I’m confident we have the right team to achieve our goals and believe Bio-RFID will transform the medical diagnostics industry and significantly improve the lives of millions of people worldwide.”

“When Ron and I met, back in 2018, I was intrigued by the opportunity to pursue the holy grail of the medical industry, a non-invasive blood glucose monitoring medical device,” Bosua said. “We have accomplished so much since then, and it has been an honor to lead such a great and capable team alongside Ron. The Know Labs’ foundational technology that I invented is unique and will change people’s lives, and I’m proud of that. My passion is to seek unique and challenging opportunities as I have done throughout my career. I trust that the Know Labs team has the capability to take the technology from here and deliver the first non-invasive blood glucose monitor into the market.”

Know Labs Board of Directors is fully supportive of this transition and remains confident in the company’s ability to move ahead. Bill Owens, Know Labs Board Member, stated, “We are enthusiastic about the path forward. It is aggressive and results-oriented, which comforts us and the shareholders we represent. I’m looking forward to the future and what they can accomplish as a team.”

Know Labs will continue to provide updates on progress toward clinical trials and FDA clearance of its non-invasive glucose monitoring devices. The company continues to test and refine Bio-RFID’s hardware and algorithms in preparation for the FDA clearance process.

About Know Labs

Know Labs, Inc. is a public company whose shares trade on the NYSE American Exchange under the stock symbol “KNW.” The company’s technology uses spectroscopy to direct electromagnetic energy through a substance or material to capture a unique molecular signature. Know Labs refers to its technology as Bio-RFID™. The Bio-RFID technology can be integrated into a variety of wearable, mobile, or bench-top form factors. This product will require U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance prior to its introduction to the market.

3M has unveiled its new medical adhesive that can stick to the skin for up to 28 days and is intended for use with a wide array of health monitors, sensors, and long-term medical wearables. Prior to 2022, the standard wear time for extended medical adhesives was up to 14 days. 3M now doubles that standard to help deliver a more patient-centric model of care.

"Our 3M scientists created a technology and then pushed that tech to its boundaries without compromising skin health," said Chad Reed, director of global business for 3M Medical Materials and Technologies. "Medical wearables are a cornerstone for the future of health care, and we're committed to unlocking its potential with our world-class materials science."

The polyester fabric tape was created with the manufacturers of medical wearables in mind, such as sensors, monitors, and other devices that are supposed to measure a wearer's health over an extended length of time.

Read more: Market Launch for Automated Insulin Delivery System

For instance, sticky sensors are currently replaced every 10 to 14 days in continuous glucose monitoring devices like Abbott's FreeStyle Libre 3 and Dexcom's recently cleared G7. The vital sign monitors from BioIntelliSense, on the other hand, are designed to monitor health for up to three months, but the adhesive needs to be changed every week.

The use of a longer-wearing substance, such as 3M's 4578 tape, on those devices, might therefore both ease the remote monitoring process for patients and make it less hands-on while also ensuring fewer interruptions during the tracking period. Additionally, by reducing the number of moving parts, it might lower the cost of operating those devices.

The new adhesive, 3M™ Medical Tape 4578, also adds the feature of liner-free stability, which can be stored for up to one year, giving device makers more flexibility in the design process, 3M said in a press release.

3M touts more than 55 years of skin adhesion science and 3M Medical Tape 4578 adds to the extensive breadth of the company's medical adhesive offerings. Medtech manufacturers can utilize 3M's online "Find My Adhesive" tool to match their products with the best backing materials based on the functions and intended end users of the devices.

If you were able to watch the Samsung Unpacked 2023 event earlier, you are likely aware that the firm recently unveiled a new effort in the area of Extended Reality, or X as it is more commonly called. The specifics of any tangible product were not revealed at the announcement, and this is where a new leak is now appearing.

A battery that just gained regulatory certification in South Korea fits up with a specific model number that the rumor mill previously connected to an impending Samsung handset, as noticed by GalaxyClub. It was assumed that the SM-I120 model of the object was an AR/VR wearable. It appears plausible that this hardware product will be released in the near future when considering the announcement made at Samsung Unpacked and the appearance of this battery module.

Intriguingly, according to a report by The Washington Post, the South Korean conglomerate's extended reality project will also involve service collaborations with Meta and Microsoft. This effectively unites large tech for the same goal. According to the article, Google and Qualcomm have acknowledged their collaboration with Samsung on the XR headgear.

According to the newspaper, TM Roh, president and head of Samsung's mobile experience division, says the company will join the mixed reality market cautiously because it doesn't want to make the same mistakes as other competitors that appear to have jumped on the bus too quickly. "There have been many attempts by other companies so far, but not as successful as had been hoped because perhaps the ecosystem was not as ready as it should have been,” the report quotes Roh.

Since 2018, Samsung had stopped producing virtual reality headsets, with its updated 107 Odyssey headset designed for Windows PCs being the final one, reports Gadgets 360.

Apple is apparently getting ready to introduce the Reality Pro, its first XR headset, this year. Rich features including hand and eye movement tracking, immersive graphics, and sophisticated AR/VR videoconferencing capabilities are anticipated to be included with the Reality Pro.