The Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies (JJMDC) announced that it will collaborate with Microsoft to further enable and expand JJMDC’s secure and compliant digital surgery ecosystem. The Microsoft Cloud will help JJMDC realize its vision of driving innovation that advances skills, improves workflow, and enhances surgical decision making for a better overall customer experience and improved patient and economic outcomes.

Read more Microsoft Launches ‘AI for Health’ Program to Advance the Health of People and Communities Worldwide

JJMDC’s innovative medical technology exists across an ecosystem that includes next generation robotics, world-class instrumentation, advanced imaging and visualization, data and analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital solutions. To mobilize the potential of these assets and make a clinical difference for patients, it is imperative to establish robust connectivity with, and between, all elements of the ecosystem with a seamless, interconnected network that meets surgeons where they are in their workflow and patients where they are in their healthcare journey, according to a press release.

“Collaborating with Microsoft will help take our digital approach to the next level as we create a best-in-class, unified platform across our innovative surgical technologies,” said Larry Jones, Group CIO and Global Vice President, Medical Devices, Johnson & Johnson. “It brings together our collective expertise and is an exciting step towards creating a connected patient journey across the entire care continuum, before, during, and after a procedure.”

As part of the strategic partnership, Microsoft will serve as JJMDC’s preferred cloud provider for the company’s digital surgery solutions and help JJMDC build out its digital surgery platform and internet of things (IoT) device connectivity. By harnessing the power of the Microsoft Cloud, including Azure, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365, the companies expect to work together to deliver innovation across the following areas:

• Innovating to improve patient outcomes through artificial intelligence, machine learning and data insights.
• Increasing JJMDC device connectivity, insights and intelligence using Azure IoT and Edge Computing technologies.
• Increasing the pace of digital innovation and transformation across the JJMDC digital surgery ecosystem using Azure capabilities and services.

Read more Johnson & Johnson Collaborates with Apple to Use its App with Apple Watch in AFib Study

“At the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices companies, we’re shaping a future where medical intervention is smarter, less invasive, and more personalized,” said Peter Schulam, MD, PhD, Global Head, Medical Affairs, Clinical Affairs and Pre-Clinical Research, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, and Leader, Office of Digital Innovation. “We’re excited to collaborate with Microsoft on this important work as we continue to expand our digital surgery assets and capabilities, develop innovative and advanced instrumentation, and make a meaningful clinical difference for customers and patients.”

Health Tech Firm Audibel announced the launch of its new artificial intelligence hearing aids called the Arc AI. The sound quality is driven by an AI algorithm that automatically adjusts hearing aids to the wearer’s environment. Users can choose from multiple styles including completely-in-canal and behind-the-ear styles.

Related Lifestyles of Baby Boomers are Transforming the Way Tech Companies Upgrade Hearing Aids

“The smartest hearing aid just got smarter,” said Achin Bhowmik, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer for Audibel. “The Arc AI will redefine how hearing loss is addressed for the next decade, and we at Audibel are proud to lead the way.”

“Your hearing aid should adjust to you, not the other way around,” said Keri L. Ruf, MA, Regional Managing Director at Audibel. “Now with the Arc AI, that can be the case for millions who rely on these devices each day.”

Up to 55 million personalized adjustments are made per hour without the wearer lifting a finger. The result is 40% noise reduction, a statistic that Ruf called “game changing” for anyone who wears hearing aids, Audibel said in a press release.

“Arc AI automatically adjusts to real-life scenarios that any wearer would find themselves experiencing,” Ruf said. “If the room is noisy, Arc AI will reduce background noise; if you go out for a walk, it will pick up the sound direction. In a place like Manhattan, where you’re going from a busy street filled with honking to a very quiet office building, automatic adjustments are a must.”

Ruf noted that the new technology is available in over a dozen styles, including fully hidden completely-in-canal (CIC) designs, powerful behind-the-ear (BTE) options, and every size in between.

“Not only is the Arc AI effortless hearing, but it’s effortless selection, since it’s customizable in the look and the fit,” said Ruf, noting that the hearing aids also come in rechargeable and non-rechargeable varieties. “We have a hearing aid for literally every person in the world who needs one.”

Ruf said that Arc AI also features other key Audibel technologies, including:

• Fall detection technology: A designated caregiver receives an alert whenever an accident happens.
• TeleHear: Hearing aids can be adjusted or otherwise worked on remotely by Audibel technicians, limiting visits to a clinic.
• Thrive app: The companion app supports many additional features, including tinnitus masking tools and settings for listening to music.
• Bluetooth® connectivity: The Arc AI can connect to both iPhone and Android phones via Bluetooth, so the wearer can take phone calls, listen to audio, or watch videos with their hearing aids.
• Reminders: Whether to go to an appointment or take a medication, Arc AI supports reminder alerts directly into the hearing aid.

“We brought the best of Audibel to the Arc AI,” Ruf said.

Arc AI will be available at Audibel – Manhattan starting October 4th, 2021.

Related Hearing Aids Market to Grow Up to $14.45 Billion by 2026, According to Fortune Business Insights

About Audibel

Audibel is a brand of Starkey Hearing Technologies. Recognized across the globe as a premier provider of hearing healthcare, Starkey is the only American-owned provider of hearing technologies. Headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, owned by Bill Austin since 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Led today by President and CEO Brandon Sawalich, Starkey has more than 5,000 employees, operates 28 facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide.

Peloton announced that it is releasing a new wearable Bluetooth heart rate monitor. Unlike its existing chest strap, the Peloton Heart Rate Band is meant to be worn on a user’s forearm and features optical heart rate sensors.

The arm band, which retails for $90, uses optical sensors to detect heart rate and features five LED lights to show heart rate zone, Bluetooth connectivity status and battery charge.

Related mioPOD: Advanced Heart Rate Monitor for Elite Performance Training

If your heart rate monitor is ANT+ compatible, the metric for your heart rate will automatically appear in the top left of your touchscreen. Please note, your heart rate monitor must be on prior to starting the class. To make sure your heart rate monitor is on, ensure the sensors are lightly wet (with water or sweat) before placing the leads on your chest.

The company also offers a chest-worn heart rate monitor that’s currently selling for $34.

The armband has been rumored for some time now. Bloomberg first reported that Peloton was working on the device back in June 2021 as part of a wearables push.

Unlike Peloton’s chest strap, the Heart Rate Band doesn’t support ANT+, meaning it may not work with some non-Peloton equipment. If you plan to use it exclusively with Peloton’s machines, that won’t be an issue, but if you want to pair it with other devices, make sure they support Bluetooth.

The peloton heart rate monitor exchange data using the ANT+ and BLE technology, which is a low-energy wireless protocol meant to collect and transfer data with other sensors. Then, the peloton bike and tread collect, analyze and interpret this data on the computer.

Battery life

According to the company, the band offers up to 10 hours of battery life on a charge, which should be enough for several workouts. However, it doesn’t last quite as long as some competitors—the Wahoo Tickr Fit promises 35 hours of battery life on a charge, while the Polar Verity Sense offers up to 30 hours.

Related Polar Adds ANT+ and Better Swim Tracking to New OH1 Heart Rate Strap

How To Use the Peloton Heart Rate Band

To set up the Peloton Heart Rate Band, plug the charger in and place the pod on top to wake it; the LED lights on the display will show its battery level. When fully charged, all five LEDs on the band will shine blue. If the band is asleep, firmly press the LEDs to see the battery level and put the device into pairing mode. Once charged, snap the pod into the armband, reports PC Mag.

Before you start your work out, just fasten the band around your forearm, three to four finger widths from your elbow crease. Make sure, it’s snug enough to stay put, but not so tight that it hurts or cuts off your circulation. Finally, log into your Peloton machine and the Heart Rate Band should pair automatically.

Glooko, a leading provider of remote patient monitoring and digital health solutions for diabetes and other chronic conditions announced it has acquired xbird, a Berlin-based health AI company developing JITAI (Just In Time Adaptive Intervention) technologies to support patients and their providers in predicting behavior and managing diabetes.

Related Abbott Announces New Biosensors Based on Diabetes Monitoring Tech at the CES

Using the latest AI and machine learning, xbird’s technology has the capability of identifying health risks for people with diabetes by interpreting medical and behavioral data in a targeted manner and providing customized recommendations and behavioral nudges. Sensors via smartphones and wearables record a user’s movements and analyze the data to create individualized behavioral profiles and personalized nudges to change patient behavior and lifestyle decisions. The addition of xbird expands Glooko’s advanced analytics capabilities and tools, further broadening Glooko’s platform offerings, says a press release.

“We are thrilled to welcome the xbird team to the Glooko family. Our investment in xbird represents Glooko’s strategic commitment to machine learning and customized digital coaching for patients with chronic conditions,” said Russ Johannesson, Glooko’s Chief Executive Officer. “Among the many JITAI companies in the digital health landscape, xbird clearly has a superior solution, and has built successful partnerships throughout diabetes device manufacturers and clinical institutions. The combination of Glooko’s established global footprint and xbird’s exciting JITAI capabilities will allow us to improve patient outcomes.”

Sebastian Sujka, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of xbird stated, “xbird and Glooko are a great fit. We share a commitment to providing solutions that address multiple chronic conditions, delivering measurable outcomes, and we have a common mission to broadly serve all patients in need. Our goal is to continue the design of digital health solutions for those living with these conditions and to make our capabilities accessible to as many patients as possible.” Mr. Sujka will join Glooko as the Managing Director of Glooko GmbH, along with all of the xbird staff.

Glooko will integrate the xbird JITAI digital coaching software with its established platform which is used daily by more than 7500 clinics globally and over 1M users. Glooko plans to enable users of their platform globally to utilize these solutions to better manage their diabetes and related chronic conditions.

The Prevalence of Chronic Disease

Approximately 537 million adults are living with diabetes worldwide, with 9.5 million in Germany (15.3% of the population) and the numbers continue to rise. It is ranked in the top 10 global countries with the fastest growth in diabetes. Additionally, almost one in two people in Germany over 15 years report living with two or more chronic conditions (versus approximately one third of people worldwide). According to the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, one in six adults are considered to be obese in Germany.

About Glooko

Glooko is transforming digital health by connecting people with diabetes and other chronic conditions with their healthcare teams. The company’s software platforms collect and analyze data from multiple devices in one highly secure place, allowing for easy remote upload via app or in-clinic, and producing easy-to-read analytics through actionable charts and graphs. The platform is compatible with over 95% of global diabetes and health monitoring devices, giving patients and their providers flexibility in how to manage their conditions. More than 3 million users have already benefited from Glooko’s solutions in 29 countries across 22 languages.

Related People With Diabetes Who Use Dexcom G6 CGM Can Now View Their Data on Garmin Smartwatch Or Cycling Computer

About xbird

xbird is a medical AI company developing ways to predict health risks and support diabetes management. The company captures data streams from built-in sensors on smartphones, wearables, and medical devices to develop algorithms and machine learning models which process these streams into real-time just in time adaptive interventions (JITAI). Founded in 2015 by Sebastian Sujka and Matteo Carli, xbird has collaborated with major European and US pharma and medical device companies to customize patient interaction and engagement with artificial intelligence.

A team led by scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara, announced Friday that it has designed a system that uses a smartphone’s camera to perform Covid19 tests, with accuracy that could match lab-based PCR tests.

Related Stanford University Study Shows Wearable Devices Could Detect COVID-19 Earlier

“As new COVID variants emerge globally, testing and detection remain essential to pandemic control efforts,” said lead author Michael Mahan. “Nearly half the world’s population has a smartphone, and we believe that this holds exciting potential to provide fair and equal access to precision diagnostic medicine.”

The researchers said the kits could deliver test results in 25 minutes and were devised to be more reliable than many of the at-home tests currently on the market, reports NBC.

The process, termed smaRT-LAMP, is simple and straightforward. A small volume of the patient’s saliva is collected and analyzed by the smartphone app using the phone’s camera and the diagnostic kit. No additional specialty materials are required.

LAMP is more sensitive than RT-PCR (Real-time polymerase chain reaction), which requires expensive equipment and takes hours to run.

The collaboration was launched to develop rapid, low-cost diagnostics that can be used by healthcare providers anywhere in the world to diagnose COVID-19. The lab kit can be produced for less than $100, and it requires little more than a smartphone, a hot plate and LED lights. The screening tests can be run for less than $7 each versus $10 to $20 per rapid antigen test and $100 to $150 per PCR test.

The simple lab test can detect and differentiate COVID-19 and the flu, which show very similar respiratory disease symptoms and can lead to misdiagnosis.

“SmaRT-LAMP can detect COVID-19 and can be readily modified to detect novel CoV-2 variants and other pathogens with pandemic potential, including influenza,” said Charles Samuel of UC Santa Barbara.

Related This App Combines AI and Biosensors to Detect COVID-19 in Two Minutes, Even in Asymptomatic Patients

The free, custom-built app was developed for the Android operating system and can be downloaded and installed from the Google Play Store. Upon opening the app, the user is presented with an option for a step-by-step tutorial prior to running test samples.

“Such early detection and quarantine can also reduce the risk of future global outbreaks,” added Dr. Fried, a critical care physician.

Fifth Eye, a provider of intuitive real-time clinical analytics, today announced the FDA provided clearance to market its second generation clinical decision support software, the AHI System, to hospitals in the United States. The second generation medical device software leverages predictive analytics to identify patients at increased risk of future episodes of hemodynamic instability with an ECG signal alone.

Read more SmartTools Presents Blood Flow Restriction Cuffs for Athletes at CES 2020

AHI (pronounced ‘AH-hee’) stands for Analytic for Hemodynamic Instability. Hemodynamic instability is a condition in which blood flow to vital organs is insufficient. Hemodynamic instability can occur suddenly. When left unnoticed or untreated, it is a known cause of significant morbidity and mortality in critically ill or injured patients. AHI, Fifth Eye’s first analytic, can detect hemodynamic instability in real-time from information embedded in an ECG signal alone.

The release of the AHI System brings a wealth of enhancements including a new analytic, the AHI Predictive Index (AHI-PI). AHI-PI can automatically and continuously predict the likelihood of future episodes of hemodynamic instability earlier than is possible with vital signs. Early awareness of emerging problems provides clinicians with precious time that may facilitate early intervention to mitigate or avoid a crisis, says a press release.

The AHI System provides at-a-glance awareness of patient risk with “traffic-light simplicity” by displaying a red, yellow or green indicator on a multi-patient screen. Clinicians can access AHI through any browser-enabled device, including a mobile phone or tablet. And since data is automatically collected and updated every two minutes, AHI reduces the surveillance burden on the nursing staff while providing access to new and valuable information to help them confidently prioritize their time.

“Hospitals and their staff are being stretched to their limits with over-crowded emergency rooms and ICUs,” said Jen Baird, CEO, Fifth Eye. “The AHI System provides physicians and nurses current, clinically validated insights regarding which patients may require additional vigilance to avoid an impending crisis. Conversely, AHI can bring the confidence of objective information to support the timely discharge or transfer of patients to lower acute settings, freeing up precious resources for additional patients.”

In the FDA-reviewed clinical study, AHI-PI significantly differentiated critical care patients’ likelihood of developing hemodynamic instability. Patients with red high-risk indicators were 51x more likely than those with green low-risk indicators to have an episode of hemodynamic instability in the next hour. Additionally, AHI-PI high-risk indicators predicted 89% of first episodes of hemodynamic instability with a median lead-time of 48 minutes ahead of continuous arterial line blood pressure and heart rate vital signs.

Read more This “Smart Stent” Can Monitor Blood Flow and Detect Narrowing of Artery

AHI System software is intended for use by healthcare professionals managing in-hospital patients 18 years or older who are receiving continuous physiological monitoring with ECG. AHI surveillance may be initiated on patients monitored with bedside, telemetry or wearable patch ECG and standard electrodes.

About Fifth Eye

Fifth Eye Inc. is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company that develops intuitive, real-time clinical analytics based on physiologic waveforms to improve outcomes and reduce costs. Fifth Eye’s machine-learning technology is licensed from the University of Michigan. The AHI System™ is FDA cleared, clinical decision support software that monitors hospital patients and continuously predicts the risk of hemodynamic instability earlier than is possible with vital signs.

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) developed flexible thermoelectric devices with high power generation performance by maximizing flexibility and heat transfer efficiency. The research team also presented a mass-production plan through an automated process including a printing process.

Read more: Energy Harvesting Nanogenerators Offer New Option For Monitoring Health

The collaborative research team was led by Dr. Seungjun Chung from the Soft Hybrid Materials Research Center and Professor Yongtaek Hong from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University.

A thermoelectric device converts energy by utilizing the voltage generated by the temperature difference between both ends of a material; it is capable of converting heat energy, such as waste heat from industrial sites, into electricity that can be used in daily life. Existing thermoelectric devices are rigid because they are composed of hard metal-based electrodes and semiconductors, hindering the full absorption of heat sources from uneven surfaces. Therefore, recent studies were actively conducted on the development of flexible thermoelectric devices capable of generating energy in close contact with various heat sources such as human skins and hot water pipes.

“This research showed that it is possible to operate actual wearables such as high-temperature sensor gloves using external heat sources. Going forward, we will develop a flexible thermoelectric platform that can operate wearables with only body temperature,” said Dr. Seungjun Chung.

“Our research findings are significant in that the functional composite material, thermoelectric device platform, and high-yield automated process developed in this study will be able to contribute to the commercialization of battery-free wearables in the future,” Dr. Chung added.

Concerning existing substrates used for research on flexible thermoelectric devices, their heat energy transfer efficiency is low as a result of very low thermal conductivity. Their heat absorption efficiency is also low due to a lack of flexibility, forming a heat shield layer, e.g., air, when in contact with a heat source. To address this issue, organic-material-based thermoelectric devices with high flexibility have been under development, but their application on wearables is not easy because of their significantly lower performance compared to existing inorganic-material-based rigid thermoelectric devices.

The research team improved the flexibility while lowering the resistance of the thermoelectric device by connecting an inorganic-material-based high-performance thermoelectric device to a stretchable substrate composed of silver nanowires. The new device showed excellent flexibility, thereby allowing stable operation even when it is bent or stretched. In addition, metal particles with high thermal conductivity were inserted inside the stretchable substrate to increase the heat transfer capacity by 800% (1.4 W/mK) and power generation by a factor higher than three.

Read more: UMass Researchers Develop Inexpensive Method of Using Body Heat to Power Wearables

The device can be used as a high-temperature sensor in industrial sites or as a battery-free distance detection sensor for autonomous driving by using the temperature difference inside and outside of a car. Consequently, the device is expected to be able to solve the power-source issue for a battery-based sensor system, which has a risk of explosion in high-temperature environments.

Augmented reality contact lens developer Mojo Vision announced $45 million in new funding and said it has partnered with Adidas and several other fitness brands such as, Trailforks, Wearable X, Slopes and 18Birdies, to bring its data-tracking eye lens into the consumer market. The new funding brings the company’s total investment to $205 million.

Read more Apple Could Release Augmented Reality Glasses and Contact Lenses Within a Decade

The Mojo Lens, a smart contact lens, is a microLED display that you could place in your eye to correct your vision and overlay information onto the physical world. For example, the gadget can show you trails on a ski slope, the pace you are running at, or notes for a presentation.

Mojo is envisioning a world where data can be served up without a bulky wearable or forcing the athlete to look down at their device. The partnerships indicate that the company is going after sports as an early market for its technology, in addition to other applications, like assistance for the visually impaired.

“We are making important progress in developing our smart contact lens technology, and we continue to research and identify new market potential for this groundbreaking platform. Our partnerships with these leading brands will give us valuable insights into user behavior in the sports and fitness market. The goal is for these collaborations to deliver athletes an entirely new form factor with performance data that is more accessible and useful at the moment,” said Steve Sinclair, SVP, product and marketing, Mojo Vision.

Read more Smart Contact Lens Mimics Human Iris to Combat Vision Disorders

Mojo Vision said recent research from the International Data Corporation (IDC) shows global wearables shipments grew 32.3 percent year-over-year from 2020/21. This growth in the wearable tech market is led by companies that continue to refine and release fitness trackers, smartwatches, smartphone apps, and other wearable devices, mainly to better the user experience for sports and fitness enthusiasts, reports SGB Media.

“Today’s wearable devices can be helpful to athletes, but they can also distract them from the focus of the activity; we think there’s a better way to deliver athletic performance data,” said David Hobbs, senior director of product management at Mojo Vision.

Binah.ai, the leading provider of general health and wellness video-based monitoring solutions powered by artificial intelligence (AI), announced today the availability of Blood Pressure measurements added to its robust Health Data Platform, already commercially available to businesses. Through the use of virtually any smartphone or laptop, blood pressure measurement can be extracted within just one minute, simply by looking at the device’s camera.

Binah.ai enables the extraction of blood pressure measurements and other vitals without the need for a watch, finger clip, cuff or any other additional dedicated hardware.

Read more Aktiia, The World’s First Automated 24/7 Blood Pressure Monitor Comes to the USA

Why is this major?

“This is a huge milestone for healthcare and wellness in general as well as for Binah.ai; and we look forward to witnessing its positive impact on people’s lives. Blood pressure measurement is an essential element in evaluating the general health of a person, helping also diagnose and determine treatment options for serious conditions, including hypertension, obesity or diabetes. When left unmonitored, it can quietly damage the body for years before symptoms develop,” said David Maman, Co-founder and CEO of Binah.ai. “Using a device people already possess, individuals, care providers and payers can now have easy, frequent, access, from the palm of their hands or remotely, to real-time health data to better care for themselves and provide better, more timely care for others, anywhere at any time, faster and at lower costs.” continued Maman.

How is it done?

Blood pressure is extracted using the optical technique of photoplethysmography (PPG), which analyzes the reflection of light that returns to the camera from a bare skin region on a human face; using advanced AI and deep learning algorithms, including computer vision technology and signal processing. Binah.ai has run several tests for the development and validation of the blood pressure measurement, both in-house and in clinical settings. Already compliant with low accuracy medical devices standards (for home users) with STD, these measurements were also compared with the Connex Spot Monitor and the Withings BPM Connect devices, according to a press release.

Not only Blood Pressure

In addition to blood pressure, Binah.ai’s award-winning technology also provides measurements including heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) R-R interval (RRi), parasympathetic activity, pulse-respiration quotient (PRQ), oxygen saturation, respiration rate, and sympathetic stress. Binah.ai’s solution removes the need for wearables and extracts health parameters regardless of gender and skin color.

How is it delivered?

As a B2B company, Binah.ai delivers its technology to organizations as a Software Development Kit (SDK) that can be easily integrated into their apps that support iOS, Android devices, Windows laptops or web applications on Safari and Google Chrome browsers.

Who should use this?

Various industries in need of end-user provided health data, including healthcare, pharma, insurance, wellness and many more can highly gain from using Binah.ai’s technology in use cases such as telehealth, remote patient monitoring, chronic disease management, elderly care, home care, preventive care, personalized care, virtual trials, medication adherence, insurance, corporate and personal wellness, epidemics spread mitigation and many more.

Read more Biobeat Launches Wearable Continuous Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Device

Binah.ai received the CES Innovation Award in 2022 for its blood pressure monitoring new feature, as well as the CES Innovation Award in 2020, the NTT Data Grand Champion at the 10th Open Innovation International Contest 2020 and was recognized as a Cool Vendor in Gartner’s AI Core Technologies 2019 report – for its technology.

The solution is not a medical device and should be considered as a self-assessment tool only.

Kiddo, formally known as Good Parents Inc., announced it has closed a $16 million Series A growth investment led by Clearlake Capital-backed Vive Collective. As part of the investment, Vive’s Founder and CEO Cheryl Cheng will join the company’s board of directors. The funding and partnership will enable Kiddo to double the size of its US and Asia teams, expand its partnerships with health systems and benefits providers, and obtain FDA device certification.

Read more OMRON launches WheezeScan, the World’s First Wheeze Detection Device for Children with Asthma

Kiddo is a connected care system for pediatrics that integrates remote patient monitoring (RPM) for children, a coaching app for parents, on-demand telehealth services, and clinical decision support for medical providers and care teams. Kiddo serves at-risk children who require proactive and continuous care due to such chronic conditions as asthma, heart disease, autism, and diabetes. Kiddo has already partnered with more than seven health systems, benefits providers and foundations including UHC/Optum, PC Health, as well as several children’s hospitals across the United States and Canada. The platform is HIPAA, HL7 and FHIR compliant, HSA/FSA eligible, and FCC, CE and IEC certified, according to a press release.

“Approximately 19 million US children suffer from chronic and acute conditions that need proactive care. This round of funding, along with Vive’s industry expertise, will help us reach more of these children,” said CJ Swamy, CEO and Co-Founder of Kiddo. “Costly in-person visits to primary care doctors and urgent care clinics can be avoided as long as the doctor or nurse practitioner providing telehealth services has the right context and data from an RPM system like Kiddo. Although people were eager to avoid expensive in-person visits to urgent care before the pandemic, Covid-19 has really propelled the need to efficiently and cost-effectively guide parents and pediatric patients to the optimal care pathway.”

Kiddo Chief Medical Officer Rishi Madhok, MD, explained the importance of remote patient monitoring in providing care for children with chronic or acute health conditions. “Adoption of telehealth services accelerated during the pandemic, but physicians and parents supporting children with chronic conditions still need real-time data to make decisions, such as how to adjust medications, whether the advised treatment is working, or if a patient needs to be seen immediately,” said Kiddo Chief Medical Officer Rishi Madhok, MD. “You can’t capture this data through an online visit alone, which is why the Kiddo RPM platform is an indispensable tool in managing pediatric chronic health conditions.”

Read more Abbott’s Freestyle Libre 2 iCGM Receives FDA Clearance For Adults And Children With Diabetes In The U.S.

Vive Collective founder Cheryl Cheng sees Kiddo, Inc. as the perfect example of the kind of company with whom Vive would like to partner. “Kiddo leverages technology to improve both access to and quality of care in pediatric health, an area that typically sees very little investment. This is exactly the kind of opportunity in which we are eager to invest,” said Cheng. “We also were drawn to the founding team’s commitment and passion. CJ understands the stress, pressure, and costs of managing a child’s chronic health condition and has made Kiddo his life’s work. We look forward to partnering with Kiddo to help accelerate its growth.”

About Kiddo

Founded in 2016, Kiddo (Good Parents Inc.) is a San Francisco-headquartered healthcare company focused on remote patient monitoring (“RPM”) and digital health services. Its core solution, Kiddo, is an RPM platform for pediatric patients with acute and chronic conditions such as asthma, autism, diabetes, and congenital heart disorders.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), smart contact lens maker Mojo announced partnerships with various sports brands like Adidas, Trailforks, Wearable X, Slopes and 18Birdies. The company claims its smart contact lens could play in the lives of professional athletes.

Read more Apple Could Release Augmented Reality Glasses and Contact Lenses Within a Decade

“Today’s wearable devices can be helpful to athletes, but they can also distract them from the focus of the activity; we think there’s a better way to deliver athletic performance data,” Mojo Senior Director of Product Management David Hobbs said in a release. “Wearable innovation in existing form factors is starting to reach its limits. At Mojo, we’re interested in better understanding what’s still missing and how we can make that information accessible without disrupting someone’s focus and flow during training — when it matters most.”

Many augmented reality (AR) solutions can clutter reality. Mojo Lens is different. It quietly provides you with crucial data while you’re engaged in events that demand your attention. You can see trails on a ski slope, your pace for your last mile of a run, or talking points for a presentation, all without holding a device or looking down at a screen. With its invisible, wearable display, Mojo Lens helps you keep your concentration by providing information heads-up and hands-free.

Health tracking

Mojo is planning an early application of its product to help people struggling with vision impairment by using enhanced image overlays. The company is also working with the FDA through its Breakthrough Devices Program, a voluntary program designed to provide safe and timely access to medical devices that can help treat irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions, reports VentureBeat.

Information without distraction

During important moments, we all need crucial information, whether it’s the next curve on the bike trails, the address of the next appointment, or the latest sales projections. Mojo Lens helps you remember what matters most so you can concentrate on your priorities without burying your face in a screen or getting distracted by a mobile device.

Read more South Korean Researchers Develop Smart Contact Lens for Diagnosis And Treatment Of Diabetes

An invisible breakthrough

When you’re engaged in a demanding activity— setting pace for the group on a bicycle ride or a walking towards your airport rideshare while traveling—most devices give you information beforehand or afterwards. Mojo Lens gives you critical info during the activity without breaking your focus or flow. As the world’s first Invisible Computing device, Mojo Lens gives you information only when needed. It never gets in the way. And it lets you look like yourself wherever the day takes you.

Abbott, known for its continuous glucose monitor (CGM) devices, is moving into making general purpose consumer biosensing wearables. In a healthtech keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Abbott’s chairman and CEO, Robert B Ford, announced it’s developing a new line of consumer biowearables — called Lingo — intended for more general fitness and wellness purposes.

Related Abbott Receives FDA Approval for Gallant Heart Rhythm Implants Featuring Continuous Remote Monitoring

“Technology gives us the power to digitize, decentralize and democratize healthcare, create a shared language between you and your doctor – and put more control of your health in your hands,” Mr. Ford said. “We’re creating a future that will bring you and your loved ones care that’s more personal and precise. It’s happening right now. And its potential is no less than incredible.”

Lingo – Speaking Your Body’s Unique Language

The Lingo biowearables are being designed to translate your body’s unique language into actionable data to help you track and measure your general health and wellness. The sensor technology is being designed to track key signals in the body such as glucose, ketones and lactate, and could also be used one day to track alcohol levels, says a press release.

“This will be like having a window into your body,” Mr. Ford said. “It’s science that you will be able to access any time so you can understand what your body is telling you and what it needs. Our vision is that Lingo will go far beyond today’s wearables for consumers to help you proactively manage your health, nutrition and athletic performance.”

Lingo extends the Abbott sensing technology platform that Abbott pioneered in 2014 for people with diabetes, allowing people to continuously monitor their glucose levels with a small sensor on the back of the upper arm. Actress and comedian Sherri Shepherd shared live on the CES stage how FreeStyle Libre 2 changed her life, giving her glucose readings, right on her smartphone, unique to her body so she can make healthier decisions.

Abbott then built this technology platform to develop a product designed for athletes with the 2020 launch of Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biowearable in Europe. Elite athletes, like marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, use this biowearable to optimize how they fuel their bodies for rigorous training. Lingo aims to expand glucose monitoring to people looking to manage their weight, sleep better, improve energy and think clearer.

Related Abbott-Insulet Collaboration to Combine Abbott’s CGM with Insulet’s Omnipod Horizon Automated Insulin Delivery System

Abbott is designing Lingo to measure other biomarkers beyond glucose in the future. A ketone biowearable is being developed to track ketones continuously, see how fast you are getting into ketosis, and understand exactly what keeps you there by providing insights on dieting and weight loss. A lactate biowearable is in development to track continuous lactate build up during exercise, which can be used as an indicator of athletic performance.

Aktiia, the global leader in continuous blood pressure monitoring, today announced that it is bringing its 24/7 Blood Pressure Monitor to the United States, delivering the next generation of clinical wearables specifically designed to meet the needs of both patients and physicians.

Aktiia’s Optical Blood Pressure Monitoring (OBPM®) algorithms leverage optical sensors worn on the wrist and provide blood pressure values using Photoplethysmography (PPG) to analyze the changing diameter of the arteries occurring at each heartbeat. This optical measurement is done automatically, so users are not aware and stressed, and do not have to interrupt their day or their sleep to take a measurement.

Related Biobeat Launches Wearable Continuous Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Device

Aktiia’s 24/7 blood pressure monitor automatically gathers over 100x the data and has over 10x the engagement of other blood pressure monitors.  The wearable’s wrist-based optical sensor measures around the clock, providing data that can be instantly viewed in a mobile app and easily shared with a physician or family member.

In the United States, nearly 50% of adults, about 116 million people, have high blood pressure. Of these, up to 75% do not have their blood pressure under control. This ongoing hypertension epidemic is the number one cause of major cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke, and leads to more than half a million unnecessary deaths every year in the US alone, according to a press release.

Recent large-scale studies have demonstrated that the more consistently a patient stay in their target blood pressure range, the lower their risk of heart attack and strokes.

Aktiia’s solution improves patient engagement, with current users checking their blood pressure on average 15 to 20 times per week, versus 1 to 2 times with traditional blood pressure cuffs.

Aktiia’s co-founders spent 17 years developing its game-changing technology, which has since been validated in multiple clinical studies. In addition to endorsement by leading experts in hypertension management, Aktiia is now also an official partner of the International Society of Hypertension and the World Heart Foundation.

Aktiia is coming to the United States via a landmark study with Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a top 10 hospital for cardiology with one of the world’s most innovative hypertension clinics. Aktiia is sponsoring the COOL-BP (Continual vs. Occasional Long-Term BP) study within the Remote Hypertension Program, to be conducted by Dr. Naomi Fisher, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of BWH’s Hypertension Service, and a consultant and advisor to Aktiia.

Dr. Fisher states: “Hypertension affects nearly half of Americans, every hour of every day.  Yet current measurement devices only capture a brief snapshot of overall blood pressure, and they are burdensome to use.  The COOL-BP study will test an optical cuffless technology in BWH’s remote hypertension management program.  An innovation that automatically provides blood pressure readings continually through days and nights holds tremendous promise in our efforts to control hypertension, both for individuals and for global health.”

CES Availability

In addition to the study at BWH, Aktiia also will be available for introduction and demonstration at CES 2022 at ShowStoppers January 5 from 6 – 10 pm in Las Vegas.

Related Apple Reportedly Looking to Add Blood Pressure Monitoring and Fertility Tracking In Smartwatch

About Aktiia

Aktiia was founded in Switzerland in May 2018. The startup has some of the world’s leading scientific and technical experts in optical blood pressure monitoring. The core technology was first developed over decades of research at the prestigious Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), under a team lead by Aktiia co-founders, Dr. Mattia Bertschi and Dr. Josep Sola. In late 2021, Aktiia raised a $17.5M Series A round of funding, led by UK-based venture capital firm Molten Ventures (formerly Draper Esprit).

Our Gadget of the Month empowers you to live your life to the full: The CART manufactured by Skylabs!

Field of Application

CART is a ring-type medical device that continuously monitors your heart health using photoplethysmography and electrocardiogram signals.

Unique features of CART include:

• Continuous heart monitoring
• Atrial Fibrillation detection with 99.6% Accuracy
• Real-time measurements and analysis
• Remote data access from your doctor
• Simplicity and ease of use

The heart rate is measured continuously and the ECG measurement can be triggered at will.

Technological Background

An irregular pulse wave is measured automatically by monitoring the blood flow in the finger through the optical sensor. Monitored data is sent to the cloud to detect and analyze atrial fibrillation using Artificial Intelligence. The results are sent to the companion user app and physician platform. The CART system combines photoplethysmography (PPG) to measure heart rate (HR) and detect atrial fibrillation. The electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements which are triggered at will provide the doctor with additional information.

This unique combination of sensor technologies packed into the small form factor of a ring makes the CART our Innovation of the Month! If you would like to learn more about CART, you are lucky: Skylabs is partnering with WT | Wearable Technologies again at the WT | Show at MEDICA 2022! Come and visit us and get introduced to Skylabs!

Want to learn more about Skylabs directly? Visit their Website: https://skylabs.io/

Penn State researchers have developed a wearable glucose monitor that can non-invasively measure glucose levels within sweat in real time.

Noninvasive glucose monitoring devices are not currently commercially available in the United States, so people with diabetes must collect blood samples or use sensors embedded under the skin to measure their blood sugar levels. Now, with a new wearable device created by Penn State researchers, less intrusive glucose monitoring could become the norm.

Read more Know Labs Introduces KnowU, A Portable Medical-Grade Glucose Monitoring Device That Utilizes Bio-RFID

Led by Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in Penn State’s Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, the researchers published the details of the noninvasive, low-cost sensor that can detect glucose in sweat in Biosensors and Bioelectronics. The paper, available online, will publish in the journal’s December print issue.

The researchers constructed the device first with laser-induced graphene (LIG), a material consisting of atom-thick carbon layers in various shapes. With high electrical conductivity and a convenient fabrication time of just seconds, LIG appeared to be an ideal framework for the sensing device — but there was a significant caveat, writes Gabrielle Stewart at PSU website.

“The challenge here is that LIG is not sensitive to glucose at all,” Cheng said. “So, we needed to deposit a glucose-sensitive material onto the LIG.”

The team chose nickel because of its robust glucose sensitivity, according to Cheng, and combined it with gold to lower potential risks of an allergic reaction.

The nickel-gold alloy’s sensitivity allowed Cheng’s team to exclude enzymes, which are often used to measure glucose in more invasive, commercially available devices or in noninvasive monitors proposed by other researchers. These enzymes, however, can degrade quickly with time and changing temperatures.

“An enzymatic sensor has to be kept at a certain temperature and pH, and the enzyme can’t be stored in the long term,” Cheng said. “A nonenzymatic glucose sensor, on the other hand, is advantageous in terms of stable performance and glucose sensitivity regardless of these changes.”

Nonenzymatic sensors require alkaline solution, which can damage the skin and typically limits device wearability. To curb this issue, Cheng and his team attached a microfluidic chamber to the LIG alloy.

With a smaller alkaline solution chamber, the entire device is roughly the size of a quarter and is flexible enough to maintain a secure attachment to the human body, Cheng said.

In a proof-of-concept test, the researchers used a skin-safe adhesive to attach the reusable device to a person’s arm one hour and three hours after a meal. The subject performed a brief workout — just enough to produce sweat — right before each measurement time. A few minutes after collecting the sweat, the researchers found that the detected glucose concentration dropped from the first measurement to the next. The glucose measurements from the device were verified by measurements made with a commercially available glucose monitor.

Cheng and the team plan to improve upon their prototype for future applications, including addressing how patients or clinicians may use the sensor for incremental glucose measurements or continuous monitoring to determine treatment actions, such as administering insulin. They also intend to refine and expand this platform for more comfortable monitoring of other biomarkers that can be found in the sweat or interstitial fluids that fill the space between cells in the body.

Read more New Trend In Medical Wearables Is Continuous Glucose Monitoring

“We want to work with physicians and other health care providers to see how we can apply this technology for daily monitoring of a patient,” Cheng said. “This glucose sensor serves as a foundational example to show that we can improve the detection of biomarkers in sweat at extremely low concentrations.”

The healthcare industry is currently experiencing seismic shifts with much of the focus being placed on COVID-19 clinical, operational, and financial efforts. In 2021, E-Commerce giant Amazon expanded its healthcare aspirations with Alexa, Amazon Care, COVID-19 tests and more.

Amazon Care

Amazon first introduced its healthcare clinics to its employees in early 2019 after providing them with virtual care services. Its virtual care app, Amazon Care, lets people connect with physicians online through messages and video, with an option for an in-person visit from a nurse for exams, tests, and vaccines.

Related Amazon’s Halo Fitness Tracker Will Soon Be Able To Judge Your Movement Health By Using Your Smartphone Camera

Currently, Amazon in 2022 will add 16 additional cities including Atlanta; Denver; Detroit; Houston; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; Nashville, Tennessee; New York; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; San Francisco; San Jose, California; and St. Louis.

The healthcare industry is currently experiencing seismic shifts with much of the focus being placed on COVID-19 clinical, operational, and financial efforts. However, even in the setting of the pandemic, the healthcare industry is still faced with addressing a growing aging population, a widening workforce gap, and a proliferating volume of healthcare data.

Alexa Together

Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant is now making moves into health systems and elder care. In September, the company announced Alexa Together, a subscription service that allows caregivers to remotely monitor and assist aging family members in their homes. They receive alerts if their loved one hasn’t used Alexa by a certain time. Caregivers can also remotely set reminders or help their family members manage settings on their devices, reports MobiHealthNews.

AWS Healthcare Accelerator

In a blog post, Sandy Carter, Vice President at AWS, announced the launch of the “Amazon Web Services (AWS) Healthcare Accelerator program,” which is “ a four-week technical, business, and mentorship accelerator opportunity open to U.S.-based healthcare startups or international healthcare startups that have existing U.S. operations.”

“The goal of the AWS Healthcare Accelerator is to cultivate and promote innovative startup solutions that achieve the Quadruple Aim of improved patient experience, improved clinician experience, better health outcomes, and lower cost of care. In seeking out compliant data-driven healthcare solutions, AWS will support public sector healthcare enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation,” said Carter.

Related Vayyar Partners With Amazon To Provide Touchless Fall Detection Solution

COVID-19 Test

In July, 2021, Amazon announced its at-home COVID-19 test kit is now available to U.S. customers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted an Emergency Use Authorization to the Amazon COVID-19 Test Collection Kit DTC earlier last year, paving the way for its broader use.

“Even as COVID-19 vaccinations continue, widespread access to reliable and affordable COVID-19 testing remains a critical tool in the fight against the spread of the virus,” said Amazon Vice President Cem Sibay in a statement.

Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a thin and flexible paper battery that could one day become an environmentally sustainable option for powering flexible and wearable electronic systems.

The NTU Singapore-developed zinc batteries are made up of electrodes (through which the electrical current leaves or enters the battery) screen-printed onto both sides of a piece of cellulose paper that has been reinforced with hydrogel.

Read more: UBC Researchers Develop Stretchy, Washable Batteries for Medical Wearables

Once the battery has been expended, it can be buried in soil, where it breaks down completely within a month.

In a proof-of-concept experiment described in the scientific journal Advanced Science, the NTU team demonstrated how a 4cm x 4cm square printed paper battery could power a small electric fan for at least 45 minutes. Bending or twisting the battery did not interrupt the power supply.

In another experiment using a 4cm x 4cm battery to power an LED, the scientists showed that despite cutting away parts of the paper battery, the LED remained lit, indicating that cutting does not affect the functionality of the battery.

The scientists think their printed battery could be integrated into flexible electronics such as foldable smartphones that are already on the market, or biomedical sensors for health monitoring.

Professor Fan Hongjin from the NTU School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and the study’s co-lead author, said: “Traditional batteries come in a variety of models and sizes, and choosing the right type for your device could be a cumbersome process. Through our study, we showed a simpler, cheaper way of manufacturing batteries, by developing a single large piece of battery that can be cut to desired shapes and sizes without loss of efficiency. These features make our paper batteries ideal for integration in the sorts of flexible electronics that are gradually being developed.”

Assistant Professor Lee Seok Woo from the NTU School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the study’s co-lead author, said: “We believe the paper battery we have developed could potentially help with the electronic waste problem, given that our printed paper battery is non-toxic and does not require aluminum or plastic casings to encapsulate the battery components. Avoiding the packaging layers also enables our battery to store a higher amount of energy, and thus power, within a smaller system.”

An eco-friendly alternative

With hydrogel and cellulose are naturally broken down by bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, the battery can simply be buried in soil at the end of its life span where it breaks down in a matter of weeks, making it a fully biodegradable product.

Read more: Stretchable System Can Power Wearables By Harvesting Energy From Wearer’s Breathing and Motion

To demonstrate the paper battery’s biodegradability, the NTU scientists buried it in the soil of a rooftop garden on the NTU campus. The hydrogel-reinforced cellulose paper started fracturing after two weeks and degraded completely within a month.

Prof Fan said: “When decomposition happens, the electrode materials are released into the environment. The nickel or manganese used in the cathodes will remain in their oxide or hydroxide forms, which are close to the form of natural minerals. The zinc found in the anode will be naturally oxidized to form a non-toxic hydroxide. This points to the battery’s potential as a more sustainable alternative to current batteries.”

The NTU team hopes to demonstrate the complete integration of the printed paper battery into other printed electronics, electronic skins, as well as energy storage systems deployed in the environment.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have created a flexible waterproof battery that is durable enough to undergo multiple wash cycles. The battery is so pliant that it works even when twisted or stretched to twice its normal length, or after being tossed in the laundry.

Read more: Swiss Researchers Develop Stretchable Batteries for Wearable and Foldable Devices

“Wearable electronics are a big market and stretchable batteries are essential to their development,” says Dr. Ngoc Tan Nguyen, a postdoctoral fellow at UBC’s faculty of applied science. “However, up until now, stretchable batteries have not been washable. This is a critical addition if they are to withstand the demands of everyday use.”

The battery developed by Dr. Nguyen and his colleagues offers a number of engineering advances. In normal batteries, the internal layers are hard materials encased in a rigid exterior. The UBC team made the key compounds—in this case, zinc and manganese dioxide—stretchable by grinding them into small pieces and then embedding them in rubbery plastic, or polymer. The battery comprises several ultra-thin layers of these polymers wrapped inside a casing of the same polymer. This construction creates an airtight, waterproof seal that ensures the integrity of the battery through repeated use.

It was team member Bahar Iranpour, a Ph.D. student, who suggested throwing the battery in the wash to test its seal. So far, the battery has withstood 39 wash cycles and the team expects to further improve its durability as they continue to develop the technology, reports UBC.

“We put our prototypes through an actual laundry cycle in both home and commercial-grade washing machines. They came out intact and functional and that’s how we know this battery is truly resilient,” says Iranpour.

The choice of zinc and manganese dioxide chemistry also confers another important advantage. “We went with zinc-manganese because for devices worn next to the skin, it’s a safer chemistry than lithium-ion batteries, which can produce toxic compounds when they break,” says Nguyen.

An affordable option

Work is underway to increase the battery’s power output and cycle life, but already the innovation has attracted commercial interest. The researchers believe that when the new battery is ready for consumers, it could cost the same as an ordinary rechargeable battery.

“The materials used are incredibly low-cost, so if this is made in large numbers, it will be cheap,” says electrical and computer engineering professor Dr. John Madden, director of UBC’s Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Lab who supervised the work. In addition to watches and patches for measuring vital signs, the battery might also be integrated with clothing that can actively change color or temperature.

Read more: Thin-Film, Flexible and Printed Batteries Market Will Grow To $500 Million in 2030, Says IDTechEx

“Wearable devices need power. By creating a cell that is soft, stretchable, and washable, we are making wearable power comfortable and convenient.” The battery is described in a new paper published recently in Advanced Energy Materials.

Chinese tech giant Huawei is reportedly planning to release its first true smart glasses 'Huawei Smart Glass' on December 23 in China. Alongside this, the company will also debut the Huawei P50 Pocket folding phone, Blood Pressure Watch D, and more products.

Read more: Not Getting A Good Night’s Sleep? Huawei Wearables Will Help You Understand Your Sleep Cycle

This announcement comes in piping hot right after Oppo announced its first Oppo Air Glass at its Oppo INNO Day 2021 event on 14 December 2021. The glass features futuristic styling with a single-lens design and weighs less than 30 grams. The Air Glass is also designed to snap onto custom frames offered by OPPO using magnetic components housed inside the Air Glass frame.

Huawei has released the first introduction video of upcoming smart glasses that support lens replacement and the side of the frame equipped with a sound system. In addition, it supports the HarmonyOS system.

Earlier, Huawei released two glasses under its name, however, both were in collaboration with spectacles maker Gentle Monster. The upcoming Huawei Smart Glass does not feature any collaboration branding. According to the official warm-up video, Huawei smart glasses support lens replacement, and the left and right glasses frames are equipped with sound units. Huawei named the new product “Huawei Smart Glasses”, and there is no glasses brand logo, and it may be a brand new product series.

Read more: Huawei Launching Two New Wearables In Austria Will Open Experience Store In Vienna

The curved earpiece angle on the new smart glass has been increased from the first generation, from 12 degrees to 20 degrees, to achieve a better fit. It supports updated smart gesture control. For pairing, users only need to gently pinch on the left temple, reports HuaweiCentral.

In addition, it offers a wider soundstage range for a more immersive sound experience, perfect for listening to music, playing games, or watching TV, and much more.

The Metaverse has been a hot topic of conversation recently, with Facebook and Microsoft both staking claims. But what is the Metaverse? And when will it get here?

The Metaverse is a hypothesized iteration of the Internet, supporting persistent online 3-D virtual environments through conventional personal computing, as well as virtual and augmented reality headsets. Aspects of the Metaverse have already been implemented in virtual world platforms such as Second Life. Some iterations of the Metaverse involve integration between virtual and physical spaces and virtual economies.

Read more: MetaEstate Officially Promulgated Integrated Planning of Satoshi Island in Cryptovoxels Metaverse

Current Metaverse development is centered on addressing the technological limitations of virtual and augmented reality devices. However, without wearable technology to bridge between the material and virtual worlds, the Metaverse will be little more than a pipedream, reports T_HQ.

Qualcomm’s CEO Cristiano Amon says "smart glasses could eventually be as widespread as smartphones."

“For all of the devices that are being commercially deployed, you have one thing in all of them — which is Snapdragon XR,” Amon told Yahoo Finance Live, referencing Qualcomm’s extended reality version of its main Snapdragon platform. “So we’re very excited about that opportunity, and it could be as big as phones if you have companion glasses that you carry together with your smartphone.”

The VR experience is not complete without Metaverse. For example, in the movie Ready Player One, the focus was on players completing quests in the Oasis. Players had to wear sensor suits in order to enjoy the complete experience in the Oasis. These suits reflect the virtual surroundings of the Metaverse.

Niantic is the company behind Pokémon Go and other augmented reality apps. The company is currently developing AR glasses.

Read more: Facebook’s New Wrist-Based Wearable Lets You Interact With Augmented Reality

Niantic’s CEO John Hanke said, "Think about a wearable device, with you all day long, on your head. It probably knows where you are looking most of the time. Maybe it knows other things, like your heart rate. If you see an advertisement, did your heart rate go up? When you see a person [it identifies], what did your heart rate do? Did your pupils dilate? What about your emotions? Are you happy, sad, anxious?"

"This is not science fiction," he continued. "Tech can do what I described. Whether we allow that to evolve into the dystopia that we all know it could be, or take steps to turn it into something else, is a collective job for all of us."