Abbott has signed a partnership deal with Omada Health to integrate its FreeStyle Libre system with Omada Health's pioneering digital care program. Freestyle Libre is Abbott’s revolutionary continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology. With this partnership the companies aim to create a new paradigm for people with Type 2 diabetes. The integrated solution with Omada will provide real-time glucose data and actionable information for participants to better manage their diabetes and guide personalized recommendations from their coaches, says a press release.

Eligible users with Type 2 diabetes will have the choice to integrate data from their FreeStyle Libre, including glucose reading, trends and patterns, with Omada’s platform. Following enrollment into the program, users can access a virtual physician, who can prescribe them the CGM.

Read more Senseonics & Glooko Partner Up for Integrated Diabetes Management

More than 30 million Americans are living with diabetes. Among these individuals, roughly 95% are living with Type 2 diabetes1. Many are looking for simple ways to better manage their condition and overall health.

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“The mission of Omada Health has always been to empower meaningful, sustainable behavior change for those individuals living with Type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions,” said Omada co-founder and chief executive officer Sean Duffy. “Partnering with Abbott to give individuals access to FreeStyle Libre as part of the Omada program will deliver a unique combination of personalized human coaching and technology-enabled care to support those goals.”

Users need to use their smartphone for a one-second scan over the FreeStyle Libre sensor worn on the back of the upper arm to receive real-time glucose readings every minute, historical trends and patterns, and arrows showing where glucose levels are going.

Read more Dexcom Receives FDA Clearance for Dexcom G6 Pro Continuous Glucose Monitor

“We've seen how FreeStyle Libre transforms lives through its proven track record in improving health outcomes, and our goal is to find new ways for even more people with diabetes to benefit from this technology,” said Jared Watkin, senior vice president, Diabetes Care, Abbott. “Through this collaboration, we're creating a personalized care experience that combines Abbott's leading CGM technology with Omada Health's professional coaching and digital platform – giving people with Type 2 diabetes actionable information that leads to better health."

Omada Health will offer the integrated solution to employers and health plans.

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Sentio, a San Francisco, CA-based healthcare company developing biomarkers and digital therapeutics for mental health, raised $4.5 million in seed funding. The funding round was led by Felicis Ventures, with participation from Anthemis Exponential Ventures, and SOSV. Sentio Solutions is an IoT/WT Innovation World Cup® Semi-Finalist. The company took part in the 34th Edition of the WT | Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco and proudly won the “Top Public Award”.

Sentio combines its proprietary emotion sensing technology with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to bring a data-driven approach to the field of mental health for the very first time, while providing real-time interventions and care to those in need of emotional and mental health support. The latest investment, which brings the total raised to date to $6.3 million, will enable Sentio to expand access to its Feel program through partnerships with health plans, life insurance providers, employers, and health systems, said a press release.

"For decades, healthcare providers have been able to use objective data to measure and track all types of physical disorders, yet there has been no such solution for mental health to improve clinical effectiveness. Historically, mental healthcare is only provided at the therapist's office during periodic check-ins and has relied on patient questionnaires," said George Eleftheriou, co-founder and CEO of Sentio. "We envision a world where technology understands when someone is going through a depressive phase or panic attack, and provides support in their time of need so no one has to suffer alone ever again."

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Read more Swedish Startup Flow Launches Mental Health Chatbot to Combat Depression

Feel helps health plans and employers improve the emotional health of their members and employees, while significantly reducing the cost of medical expenses and productivity losses due to mental health. Because Feel constantly monitors a person's emotional state, it is able to detect emotional changes and deploy on-time interventions faster than any other solution available.

The Feel program includes:

• Feel Emotion Sensor — A wristband with integrated biosensors that continuously monitors a variety of physiological signals to understand the wearer's emotional state and patterns over time
• Feel App — A smartphone app that connects to the wristband to provide real-time support and evidence-based interventions (i.e. mood journaling, breathing exercises)
• Licensed Feel Therapist — Weekly, 15-minute remote data-driven sessions with a designated licensed therapist with expertise in CBT
• Online Educational Program — Online educational tools and classes that help build resilience and positive long-term emotional habits

Feel was founded in 2015 by Eleftheriou and CTO Haris Tsirmpas to eliminate suffering from mental health disorders through the use of objective data and on-time interventions. Both founders have battled with mental health issues, and built Feel based on their own experiences and shared technical expertise.

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Medtronic has filed a pre-market approval (PMA) supplement with the FDA for approval of its InterStim Micro neurostimulator and the accompanying InterStim SureScan MRI leads. The device is used to treat overactive bladder, fecal incontinence, unobstructed urinary retention, and urinary urge incontinence. Along with the InterStim Micro, the new leads allow patients with the implanted system to safely receive MRI scans, given certain precautions, reports Medtronic.

“The FDA submission for InterStim Micro and SureScan MRI leads is a significant milestone for Medtronic and a leap forward in our 20-year history of leadership in sacral neuromodulation,” said Brooke Story, vice president and general manager of the Pelvic Health & Gastric Therapies business, which is part of the Restorative Therapies Group at Medtronic. “Our ultimate goal is to provide safe and effective treatments to patients affected by bladder and bowel dysfunction, and ensure they have a choice in selecting the most appropriate therapy for their unique situation.”

Read more Medtronic to Launch Deep Brain Simulation for Medically-Refractory Epilepsy in the U.S.

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The rechargeable InterStim Micro device works by sending electrical impulses to the sacral nerves, normalizing the connections between the brain, bladder and bowel. It is 80% smaller than the current recharge-free InterStim II neurostimulator and could reduce the need for battery replacement surgeries due to its life of 15 years. Additionally, the SureScan full-body conditional MRI leads will enable patients to undergo imaging procedures that were not previously indicated under the current FDA approval for the InterStim II system.

If everything goes well, Medtronic would receive approval for the InterStim Micro system and SureScan MRI leads in the spring of 2020, following a standard 180-day review process. The InterStim Micro system and SureScan MRI leads are not yet available for sale in the United States.

Read more INNOVO: Non-Invasive Wearable to Treat Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women

Dublin, Ireland-based Medtronic is one of the world’s largest medical technology, services and solutions companies. The company employs more than 90,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in more than 150 countries. Medtronic is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together.

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Children affected by autism can become unruly and aggressive, often without any warnings. For normal people, it’s very natural to sweat when they become stressed. Now, University of Missouri (MU) researchers are looking to monitor how much autistic teens sweat in order to better understand when behavioral issues, such as aggression, are likely to occur, reports Mizzou News.

Bradley Ferguson, an assistant research professor in the departments of health psychology, radiology and the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders at MU, and colleagues used wrist and ankle monitors to analyze the stress levels of eight adolescents who are severely affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study was conducted at the Center for Discovery, a residential facility in New York that provides advanced care and research for individuals with complex conditions.

Read more Cognoa Licenses Google Glass-based AI Technology for Children with Autism

They found that the kids’ increased electrodermal activity, which is indicative of rising sweat levels, was present 60% of the time before bad cases of behavior.

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“A spike in electrodermal activity is telling us that the individual’s body is reacting physiologically to something that is stressful, which could be their internal state, something in the environment, or a combination of the two,” said Ferguson, assistant research professor in the departments of health psychology, radiology and the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. “If parents or caregivers are notified ahead of time that their child’s stress levels are rising, they might have a chance to intervene and de-escalate the situation before problem behaviors occur.”

Read more Wearable Device Can Identify Anxiety and Depression in Children

If the parents or the caregivers know beforehand about the child’s electrodermal activity, it can allow them to intervene before the child engages in a problematic behavior, explained Ferguson. “Individuals who are severely affected by autism spectrum disorder are often unable to verbally communicate their discomfort when they become stressed,” he said. “However, their body still responds to stressors just like anyone else. Therefore, being alerted of increases in electrodermal activity can allow parents and caregivers to intervene prior to engagement in problem behavior with the goal of ensuring the health and safety of those involved.”

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Today, we’re surrounded by all manners of technology. While technology helps us in many ways, it has some negative effects on our health and the environment as well. The most notable is the blanket of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation. Mounting evidence suggest that prolonged exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation can have serious effect on our health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 30% of the population in industrial economies, approximately 300 million people, suffer from hypersensitivity due to electromagnetic frequencies. This hypersensitivity can cause stress, anxiety, low energy, poor sleep, dizziness, and hormone imbalance. Now, Timex Group Luxury Division has launched TESLAR Watch, which is supposed to resist the harmful effects of electromagnetic pollution coming from today's technology such as cell phones, computers, tablets, Wi-Fi, etc., TESLAR said in a press release.

“Timex Group is proud to be at the forefront of wearable wellness with the launch of TESLAR Watch, combining Swiss precision with TESLAR technology.” says Paolo Marai President & CEO of Timex Group Luxury Division.

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Read more This UV Sensor Can Optimize Phototherapy and Reduce Skin Cancer Risk

Each TESLAR timepiece features proprietary TESLAR Technology – a Turbo Chip that works in synchronization with the battery of the watch to mimic Earth's natural frequency. The technology utilizes the measurable electric field in the watch's battery along with the magnetic field of the coil in order to create a zero-point waveform with a scalar pulse of 7 to 9 times per second (7-9Hz). This frequency is transmitted into the body's energy system through the chip on the back of the timepiece, strengthening the body's natural bio-field to better defend itself from electromagnetic exposure.

Studies conducted in laboratories showed that the watch may reduce negative effects of stress, help the body resist effects of Electromagnetic force (EMFs), and boost immune response in the presence of EMFs.

Read more How Wearable Sensors Can Provide Comfort and Improve Health

Timex is launching the TESLAR Watch in 29 distinct styles across three core collections: Re-Balance T-1, Re-Balance T-2, Re-Balance T-3. The watches are available for both men and women and can be ordered via Teslar website.

Prices range from $595-$1,195.

Tap Systems, a Los Angeles, CA-based startup made headlines when it introduced futuristic wearable keyboards last year. Now, the company has released Tap Strap 2, a new wearable device with AirMouse feature that enables users to control devices such as iPads and smart TVs using hand gestures. Anybody wanting to try out this innovative device can order it via Amazon or TapWithUs.com for $199.

Read more Kenyan Invents Smart Gloves that Turn Sign Language Gestures into Audio Speech

“Tap Strap 2 completes our vision for interacting with our devices entirely through gestures, without needing to touch screens or dedicated surfaces,” said Dovid Schick, Tap Co-founder and CEO. “For the first time, this futuristic way of controlling technology is available on the mobile, laptop and desktop devices that we use every day.”

The Tap Strap 2 AirMouse is a standard Bluetooth device, and does not require any software drivers or calibration. As an AirMouse, it has three user-selected modes of operation:

• Mouse Mode: Allows users to control a cursor, click and scroll just like they would with a standard mouse.
• Multimedia Mode: Where users can play, pause, adjust volume and move to the next or previous track.
• Smart TV mode: Users can navigate menus, select items and search for content. All of this is accomplished with simple, natural hand gestures.

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The device uses onboard intelligence to automatically know what interaction the user intends. When a user's hand is horizontal, Tap Strap 2 becomes a keyboard. When the thumb rests on a surface, it seamlessly switches to optical mouse mode. And when the user's hand is rotated vertically, Tap Strap 2 will switch gears yet again into AirMouse mode, Tap said in a press release.

Tap Strap 2 also has several design improvements from the original Tap Strap wearable keyboard, including a new thumb ring glider, 10 hours of battery life, and improved mouse optics designed for up to 1,000 dpi sensitivity.

Read more Google Files Patent for a Gesture-Based Smartwatch That Could Be Used for Video Conferencing

The company said it will extend this capability in the future to support other gesture-based operations such as, gaming and controlling AR and VR devices. Tap is also designed to work with blind and disabled people.

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Dexcom, a maker of continuous glucose monitoring systems for diabetes management, received FDA clearance of its Dexcom G6 Pro Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System for healthcare professionals to use with their patients, ages two years and up.

Read more Senseonics Gets FDA Approval for Eversense Implantable CGM System

“Dexcom G6 Pro will enable healthcare providers to set up their patients with CGM in minutes,” said Davida Kruger, MSN, APN-BC, BC-ADM, diabetes specialist, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Bone and Mineral Disorders at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. “This new professional system will serve as a simple way to obtain data from CGM naïve patients who need glucose insight, but don’t need or want to be monitored around the clock. It will give all my patients a chance to try the Dexcom G6 Pro under a healthcare provider’s supervision before they commit to a personal system.”

Dexcom G6 Pro can gather real-time glucose data over a period of 10 days and has the ability to be switched to blinded mode or unblinded mode. In blinded mode, real-time glucose data is hidden from the patient and reviewed retrospectively with their healthcare professional at the end of the session. In unblinded mode, patients can see their glucose data throughout the 10-day sensor wear to gain insights and make treatment decisions in real time, reports Business Wire.

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Regardless of mode, glucose data gathered by the Dexcom G6 Pro enables providers to adjust a patient’s diabetes therapy plan with precision and customization. Providers can also use the data to help patients modify their daily behavior after seeing the effects that variables such as food, exercise, stress and medication have on glucose levels.

The system includes a single-use, disposable sensor; auto-start transmitter, continuous glucose readings, alerts and alarms, and the Dexcom Clarity platform, which gives reports and patterns about glucose. There is no need of fingersticks for calibration or diabetes treatment decisions.

Read more Nemaura’s SugarBeat Non-Invasive CGM Gets CE Approval

“This new professional system will serve as a simple way to obtain data from CGM naïve patients who need glucose insight, but don’t need or want to be monitored around the clock,” Davida Kruger, a diabetes specialist, said in a Dexcom press release. “It will give all my patients a chance to try the Dexcom G6 Pro under a healthcare provider’s supervision before they commit to a personal system.”

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FeetMe, a medical device company based in Paris, France has raised € 9.4 million in Series A funding. The investment round was led by LBO France, with additional investment from existing investors Kurma Diagnostics, the fund Paris Saclay seed fund, Idinvest Partners, Seventure and SOSV. FeetMe is a leading provider of real-world wetting gait assessment and rehabilitation solutions.

Read more European Researchers Team Up with Pharma Companies to Develop Gait Detecting Sensor

The fundraising will enable acceleration of FeetMe commercial activities in clinical trials for pharmaceutical industry and healthcare services for hospitals and rehabilitation facilities worldwide, the company said in a press release.

FeetMe’s innovative technology combines a device with a series of pressure sensors, motion sensors, and learning algorithms that collect movement data, including gait and posture data, and send this information in real time to a paired mobile application called FeetMe Evaluation.

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100 million people worldwide suffer from gait disorders. Gait disorders are often a forerunner and indicator of evolutive diseases and health status: multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, fragility among elderly, peripheral neuropathies and diabetic foot problems, the press release said.

Besides analyzing gait and posture parameters, FeetMe also offers rehabilitation programs through its platform FeetMe Rehabilitation. A real-time smartphone-based biofeedback solution, FeetMe Rehabilitation gives patients access to personalized rehabilitation exercises selected by their healthcare providers that they can perform at home.

Read more Wearable Gait Analysis Protocol to Help Clinicians Select Ankle-Foot Orthoses Configuration in Cerebral Palsy Patients

“With its disruptive yet technically validated technology, FeetMe establishes itself as the global leader in long-term continuous mobility assessment, with the potential to improve diagnosis for the millions of patients each year who present with known and unknown walking difficulties. I believe that FeetMe, with its vast technology capabilities, has the ability to create the world's largest and highest quality gait pattern data set to create a variety of new digital biomarkers across disease areas,” said Philippe Chambon, Venture Partner at LBO France.

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A patent filed by Apple suggests the tech giant is investigating integrate health monitoring technology into clothing. Last year Apple filed a patent for a stretchable fabric band that could include sensors to measure blood pressure, blood sugar, ECG and respiration rate. Additional fitness-orientated measurements may include activity and step count.

Read more Apple Files Patent Application for Blood Pressure Monitoring Cuff

The patent application was published on October 3. It describes a soft, stretchable band potentially designed to be woven into fabric, and would be able to wirelessly communicate with external electronic equipment.

Since the patent indicates the band will connect wirelessly to another device, it could mean a future iPhone or Apple Watch.

Evidence also points to the band’s touch-sensitive sections for user control, and also the potential for voice control through a microphone.

It’s not clear what this band would look like, but the potential use cases include a hat, a headband, pants, undergarments, socks, shorts and belt, according to the patent. The band would also be washable, noted the authors of the patent.

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As Apple is trying to establish foothold in the healthcare space, so far, the company’s biggest achievement in this arena has been receiving FDA clearance for detecting atrial fibrillation and ECG in Apple Watch Series 4. Now all eyes are on the company to see where it is looking next, reports MobiHealthNews.

A number of patents from Apple are continually emerging. In April, Apple filed a patent that indicated that the company might be working on smell sensors for a variety of uses within healthcare. One such patent points to a sensor that could monitor blood sugar levels by analyzing sweat particles in the air. According to that patent, two sensors would work together: One would use lights and photodetectors to see particles in the air and the other would be an array of ionic liquid sensors that could actually detect smells. The device could get help from machine learning algorithm to distinguish between different smells.

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Livongo Health, a leading healthcare company empowering people with chronic conditions to live healthier lives, was awarded a contract to provide the Livongo for Diabetes solution to eligible members covered by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) who are living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

Read more Livongo Integrates Chronic Disease Management Service with Leading Smartwatches

Livongo said it expects the agreement to add about 25,000 Livongo for Diabetes members in 2020, growing to about 45,000 members in 2021, and up from an earlier expectation of 20,000 to 30,000 total members. As a result, the company anticipates this agreement will account for $20-25 million in revenue in 2020 and $30-35 million in revenue for 2021, or a total of $50-60 million including both years, reports Livongo Health.

“This is Livongo’s largest agreement to provide diabetes services in our history and is another great example of the market’s excitement about our Applied Health Signals platform and how our business is expanding from working primarily with self-insured employers, to broader and larger markets including government employees, labor unions, and the fully-insured populations of our health plan partners,” said Livongo Chief Executive Officer Zane Burke. “As we continue to show that Livongo creates a better Member experience that leads to improved clinical outcomes and lower costs, we are excited to work with more organizations that are bringing Livongo’s services into the fabric of the health benefits design for hundreds of thousands of people.”

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Livongo’s Applied Health Signals platform leverages advanced technology and data science to understand people’s unique health needs and then provide clinically-based guidance, or Health Nudges, to drive positive behavior change. The Livongo for Diabetes solution leads to higher Member satisfaction1, improved clinical outcomes2, and lower overall healthcare spending.

“This win highlights two of our competitive advantages.  First, government entities and large plans want to see multi-year, clinically validated results at scale, and only Livongo has that independently validated data.  Second, our AI+AI engine, which aggregates information from our own devices, electronic health records, pharmacy records, smart watches, and continuous glucose monitors, interprets that information, applies it back to our Members to learn what works, and then iterates using Health Nudges™, is making us smarter and more Member focused every day,” said Dr. Jennifer Schneider, M.D., M.S., President of Livongo.

Read more Fitbit and Health2Synch Partner Up for Diabetes Management

A 2019 study demonstrated that 94 percent of Livongo for Diabetes program Members who completed a program survey achieved improved Diabetes Empowerment Scale – Short Form (DES-SF) or Diabetes Distress Scale 2 (DDS2) in year one of the Livongo for Diabetes Program; effectively improving confidence in diabetes self-management while decreasing burnout related to diabetes management.

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Flexible electronics are vital for monitoring various physiological parameters. At present, manufacturing flexible electronics requires chemical baths, hardening methods, and baking in high temperature to purify the material. Now, engineers at Duke University have devised a fully print-in-place technique for electronics that is gentle enough to work on delicate surfaces including paper and human skin. The advance could enable technologies such as high-adhesion, embedded electronic tattoos and bandages tricked out with patient-specific biosensors, Pratt School of Engineering at Duke.

The researchers described their methods in a series of papers published online in the journals Nanoscale and ACS Nano.

Read more Scientists Develop 3D interconnection Technology for Wearable Bioelectronics of the Future

“When people hear the term 'printed electronics,' the expectation is that a person loads a substrate and the designs for an electronic circuit into a printer and, some reasonable time later, removes a fully functional electronic circuit," said Aaron Franklin, the James L. and Elizabeth M. Vincent Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke.

“Over the years there have been a slew of research papers promising these kinds of 'fully printed electronics,' but the reality is that the process actually involves taking the sample out multiple times to bake it, wash it or spin-coat materials onto it,” Franklin said. “Ours is the first where the reality matches the public perception.”

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In the first paper, Franklin’s lab and the laboratory of Benjamin Wiley, professor of chemistry at Duke, developed a novel ink containing silver nanowires that can be printed onto any substrate at low temperatures with an aerosol printer. It produces a thin film that maintains its conductivity and after being printed, the ink is dry in less than two minutes and retains its high electrical performance even after enduring a 50 percent bending strain more than a thousand times.

Read more Multek Printed Circuit Board Technology Delivering Powerful Interconnect Solutions

In the second paper, this technology is taken a step further. The ink is combined with two other printable components to create functional transistors. The printer first puts down a semiconducting strip of carbon nanotubes. Once it dries, and without removing the plastic or paper substrate from the printer, two silver nanowire leads that extend several centimeters from either side are printed. A non-conducting dielectric layer of a two-dimensional material, hexagonal boron nitride, is then printed on top of the original semiconductor strip, followed by a final silver nanowire gate electrode, said the Duke University report.

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Verizon has bought Disney-backed XR company Jaunt for an undisclosed amount of money. This acquisition will give Verizon access to Jaunt's cutting-edge AR/VR software, technology. Additionally, Jaunt will be assisting Verizon with the transition of select portions of the company’s tech and software for a brief period.

Read more VRHealth Unveils VR and AI Therapist to Reduce Hot Flashes from Chemotherapy and Menopause

“Jaunt will be assisting Verizon with the transition of select portions of the software and technology for a brief period of time,” Jaunt said in the announcement Monday morning.

Jaunt originally worked on technology for capturing and displaying volumetric video of humans. Since its founding in 2013, the company has raised over $100 million from investors like Disney.

Jaunt was launched with a focus on VR technology, and then it went on to create content for VR headsets. At that time, it was one of the more visible independent companies working in VR technology. It also partnered with various consumer brands to help them create virtual reality content. Jaunt also had its own app on Oculus, Vive, PlayStation VR, as well as both iOS and Android. In 2018, Jaunt pivoted to augmented reality.

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“We are thrilled with Verizon’s acquisition of Jaunt’s technology,” said Mitzi Reaugh, President & CEO of Jaunt XR. “The Jaunt team has built leading-edge software and we are excited for its next chapter with Verizon.”

Read more JARVISH Qualified by Taiwan’s NCSIST for its Augmented Reality Smart Combat Helmet System

This new deal comes at a time when recently Verizon Media Group laid off 7% of its workforce. The division, formerly known as Oath, encompasses media, advertising and technology properties, including popular sites like Yahoo, HuffPost and TechCrunch. Additionally, Verizon in 2018 was forced to take a $4.6 billion write-down on its media business, indicating it hadn’t been performing as well as the company hoped, reports CNBC.

Jaunt’s investors include Evolution Media Partners, CMC, Highland Capital Partners, Redpoint Ventures, SMG, Axel Springer, The Walt Disney Company, The Madison Square Garden Company, and Sky.

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After over three years on the market, HTC is finally upgrading its HTC Vive with a new model called the Vive Cosmos. Originally unveiled earlier this year at CES 2019, the $699 Vive Cosmos is the company’s latest bid at a mainstream VR headset. Unlike the original HTC Vive, the Vive Cosmos doesn’t require external sensors and uses fully tracked motion controllers.

Read more Oculus Rift S vs. Oculus Quest: Which VR Headset Should You Buy?

The Vive Cosmos has fantastic displays, with a combined 2,880 x 1,700 resolution - an 88% increase over the original VIVE. There’s a 110-degree field-of-view alongside a 90Hz refresh rate. It also has great speakers that produce clear, loud audio.

All-new LCD panels reduce the distance between pixels, minimizing the screen‑door effect.

The Vive Cosmos is probably the most comfortable headset manufactured by HTC so far. For those who wear glasses, the original Vive, Vive Pro, or Vive Pro Eye wouldn’t fit well on the face. It was cramped and uncomfortable. But the new halo head strap design completely eliminates that.

The main difference between the Vive Cosmos and the old Vive is that it can also be flipped up making it easy to check your phone, computer, talk to someone, or just generally access reality easily, reports Upload VR. Jump between reality and virtual reality in seconds with the innovative flip-up design—all without disrupting your immersive journey.

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Read more HP’s Reverb High Resolution VR headset is Available in Consumer and Enterprise Versions

Here are the specs:

• Screen: Dual 3.4" LCD
• Resolution: 1400 X 1700 per eye
• Field of View: 110 degrees
• Refresh Rate: 90 Hz
• Subpixel Rendering: RGB sub-pixel
• Tracking: Accurate inside-out tracking via wide field of view (FOV) and six-degree-of-freedom (6DoF) support
• Eye Adjustments: 61-73mm IPD
• Connections: Display Port 1.2, USB 3.0 (Type A & C), Proprietary port for mods
• Cameras: 6 built-in cameras, two front facing, two on the sides, one on top, on on the bottom
• VR: Immersive VR right out of the box
• Price: $699

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Willow, the maker of all-in-one wearable breast pump system, added a new reusable Milk Container to its pump, giving moms more freedom in how they pump. The hands-free and untethered pump will now allow women to pump and pour with the Container, or pump and store with spill-proof Milk Bags.

Read more Elvie’s Silent Wearable Breast Pump Makes Life Easier for Nursing Mothers

According to the CDC, 60 percent of mothers do not breastfeed for as long as they intend to. Additionally, stress about pumping at work is reported as the second most common reason why women do not return to their job following maternity leave, according to Ovia Health. Willow aims to change that by relieving the stress of many mothers have around pumping and balancing their everyday lives.

According to an August 2019 survey of Willow users, 93% of mothers said Willow reduced the stress of pumping and improved their overall breastfeeding experience. Among them, 86% said they were confident that willow would meet their pumping goals, the company said in a press release.

“We reimagined the breast pump to help women pump longer and with less stress, and the Container is our latest—and most highly requested— innovation to help moms do that,” said Vickie Bond Mrva, mom to two and Willow President and CMO. “At Willow, our core mission is to improve the lives of moms, and we're so proud of the real impact we are having.”

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Over 45,000 women use the Willow Wearable Breast Pump. Developed by a female-led engineering team, both pumping options for the Willow Pump have just a few parts to assemble and clean, supporting Willow's commitment to design hassle-free products with the on-the-go mom in mind. The Milk Container comes in 24mm and 27mm, and a new 21mm size, based on requests from moms.

Read more Willow Adds New Features to its Breast Pump at CES 2019

Willow is a Mountain View, CA-based femtech company that designs solutions to make moms' lives easier and solve real-life problems. The Willow breast pump discreetly tucks into a bra, without cords, dangling bottles or loud sucking noises — freeing moms up to pump wherever life takes them.

The company said it has “many more innovative products to come in 2020, focused on improving the lives of women in early motherhood.”

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Koneksa Health, a New York-based healthcare company focused on making clinical trials safer for its participants, just published a peer-reviewed manuscript showing the benefits of wearable devices for monitoring clinical-trial participants for physiological changes and assessing their responses to the medicine.

Read more Oracle mHealth Platform is Revolutionizing Clinical Trials with Remote Monitoring Devices

The paper, authored by researchers from Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Koneksa Health, was published in the journal Clinical and Translational Sciences.

“This study demonstrated the importance of robust clinical assessment of wearable digital sensors so that their performance can be determined relative to the in-clinic 'gold standard' measures. Additionally, understanding the differing performance of sensors under a range of potential use conditions, such as were undertaken in this study, is equally as important,” said Anne Heatherington, Senior Vice President, Head of Data Sciences Institute at Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

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This publication reported on an exploratory component of a Phase I study of an investigational drug. The results showed the usefulness of wearable devices for vital-sign data collection and interpretation, and the advantages of collecting dense continuous data over extended periods of time, said Koneksa Health in a press release.

“This was a collaboration in a true sense of the word: all team members involved share a belief in the important potential of digital technologies in drug development,” said Elena Izmailova, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Koneksa (formerly Senior Director of Data Science, Takeda). “Few published studies to date have investigated the use of wearable devices in clinical trials with detailed data analysis. Our research is contributing to building that body of evidence.”

Read more MC10 Collaborates with AbbVie for Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Trials Using BioStamp nPoint system

Koneksa enables collection of real-world data from remote, wearable, and other technologies in order to speed up the time required to understand how a drug is working and helps clinicians understand how medicines can impact the daily lives of patients.

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Quantic Nanotech, a product division of Spanish DEMAC S.A. group, announced that it is starting free treatment sign-up registration for a new medical pre-launch pilot trial of its osteoarthritis treatment glove for patients in selected hospitals in Madrid. The company launched the home wearable osteoarthritis glove, dubbed “Qnano Glove,” at CES 2019 in Las Vegas.

Due to high demand, this offer will be available until October 15th, 2019, Quantic Nanotech said.

“This device attracted our attention because it allows home application in the affected hand of different therapies of evidence-based proven clinical efficacy, during rest or at night,” said Dr. Luis F. Villa, M.D., Rheumatology consultant at University Hospital Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda in Madrid.

“The treatment of hand osteoarthritis is cumbersome and resource consuming, relying on physical assisted therapy and topical and oral medications. We are interested in the results of the pilot studies, since a home-based device for multimodal physical therapy could make it easier and cheaper for the treatment of patients with this frequent condition.”

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It is a major cause of sick leave worldwide, with USD$ 304 Billion of total medical and earning losses just in the US alone.

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The smart glove integrates new technologies like shape memory alloys (SMA) and state-of-the-art materials for applications such as dry heat therapy, vibration, massage as well as stretching and extension of the fingers both active and passively. The glove can also be used to administer topical medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), liniments and neuromodulators, Quantich Nanotech said in a press release.

The company hopes to report the first results of a clinical trial in patients with hand osteoarthritis by Q4 2019 and Q1 2020.

The Qnano Glove is simple and has been designed for use at home, controlled by smartphones or internet and it also allows remote control by health professionals.

Read more MANOVIVO: Wearable Smart Glove Offering Custom Support for People with Rheumatoid Arthritis

The glove won international awards at various shows and recently it received Technology Innovator Award in August 2019 from AI Global Media, UK, 2019 CV-MAGAZINE.

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Preventice Solutions, a healthcare company focused on mobile health solutions and remote monitoring services, received a tender from the UK Biobank to provide its BodyGuardian MINI remote cardiac monitor for a cardiovascular monitoring study. The study, which involves up to 30,000 participants, is designed to capture data on arrhythmia, including atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common arrhythmia that can lead to stroke and dementia.

Read more Wearable Tech Can Safely Detect Atrial Fibrillation, Says Apple Heart Study

The British Heart Foundation funded study is led by Professor Barbara Casadei, a BHF Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, at the Cardiovascular Medicine Division of the Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, said a press release.

“Atrial fibrillation is a common condition that can go unnoticed until it causes a stroke or cognitive decline.  We desperately need to know more about its causes and how it can be better treated,” said Professor Casadei.

“UK Biobank provides us with an ideal opportunity to integrate a large amount of health, genetics and lifestyle information with heart rhythm data on a huge number of people. Importantly these individuals will have also undergone an MRI heart, body and brain scan. It is not often that all these opportunities for discovery come together – because of this, we believe this study will provide important answers about the management and risk associated with asymptomatic AF and other clinically silent arrhythmias.”

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Image: Pixabay

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UK Biobank is a major national and international health resource, and a registered charity in its own right, with the aim of improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of serious and life-threatening illnesses.

The BodyGuardian® MINI is the smallest, reusable Holter monitor available. It records important physiological data such as heart rate, ECG and related activity. Unlike many other remote monitors, the BodyGuardian has a wearable patch that can be moved and reapplied to optimize comfort and wearability, without jeopardizing data collection or requiring the participant to return to the clinic. In addition, the device is fully waterproof, allowing participants the freedom to go about their daily life while wearing it.

Read more Alphabet and iRhythm Partner Up to Develop Health Management Solutions for Atrial Fibrillation Patients

“The BodyGuardian MINI was designed to enhance compliance through ease-of-use and comfort based on its small size and waterproof design allowing participants to go about their daily activities without interruption.  We look forward to helping researchers pursue this important research and are pleased to partner with the UK Biobank, British Heart Foundation and the Radcliffe ‎Department of Medicine at Oxford as they collaborate on important research efforts to further understand AF and its impact on stroke and cognitive decline,” said Jon Otterstatter, CEO of Preventice Solutions.

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Disc pump micropump manufacturer TTP Ventus has started working on a project to use disc pump in ambulatory blood pressure systems. The tiny, quiet and highly efficient disc pump could change the way ambulatory blood pressure is measured, claims TTP Ventus, who’s a former exhibitor of the WT | Wearable Technologies Show at MEDICA.

Micropumps are devices that can control and manipulate small fluid volumes. Such pumps are of special interest in microfluidic research, and have become available for industrial product integration in recent years.

Read more This Wearable Stick-On Ultrasound Patch Can Measure Blood Pressure Deep Inside Body

To monitor blood pressure at regular intervals 24 hours a day, currently available blood pressure monitors typically use motor-driven diaphragm pumps to inflate a cuff on the upper arm. The downside to this approach is that the cuff needs to be inflated well above systolic pressure, applying significant forces to the arm. “It can also take a little while to inflate the cuff meaning the arm is compressed for longer than you’d like. Both issues affect user comfort,” Tom Harrison, Business Development Manager of TTP Ventus, told MedGadget’s Conn Hastings in an interview. On the other hand, these bulky and noisy pumps affect airflow pulsation within the blood pressure monitor, so manufacturers tend to design the pump to be worn on the belt or around the neck on a lanyard.

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To solve these problems, TTP Ventus has proposed that the Disc Pump could be a better alternative to motor-drive diaphragm pumps. TTP Ventus’ Disc Pump platform is a silent micropump platform that delivers exceptional pressure and flow, millisecond-response time, precision controllability and pulsation-free flow. These features enable product designers to drive innovation, for example through the creation of discrete, wearable medical devices or through the miniaturization of measurement equipment.

Read more Deaths from Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure Slowing the Progress in Fight Against Heart Disease

Mr. Harrison told MedGadget that they have plans to integrate the disc pump into other applications such as from sleep apnea therapy to breath-based disease diagnostics, compression therapy, microfluidics for point-of-care diagnostics and elevated vacuum prosthetics. “Our plans for the pump are focused on continuing to build on its success in the market. We’re working hard to reach new OEM customers across the medical and life science sectors, whilst keeping an eye on the emerging applications of tomorrow where the Disc Pump often adds significant value over conventional pumps,” he said.

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A smart shirt, developed by Canadian startup Hexoskin, can accurately measure lung function when compared to traditional testing equipment, according to a research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. The smart shirt measures lung function by sensing movements in the chest and abdomen. The researchers at the Radboud University Medical Centre in Netherlands used this shirt together with a mobile app, to reliably measure breathing in healthy people while carrying out a range of everyday activities.

Read more FC Barcelona and Allianz SE Partner with Hexoskin for Sleep Study

“COPD is a growing problem with around 64 million people suffering with the condition worldwide. When patients suffer an increase in their symptoms, such as coughing and breathlessness, they need to be monitored more closely,” said lead researcher Denise Mannée, a technical physician and PhD candidate at Radboud University Medical Centre in The Netherlands.

For their study, the researchers recruited 15 healthy volunteers and had them wear the shirt while doing everyday activities including lying down, sitting, standing, climbing stairs and vacuuming, reports European Lung Foundation.

At the same time, the participants also wore the equipment traditionally used to measure breathing that includes a face mask and bulky backpack. They repeated the tasks again wearing both pieces of equipment, to generate a second set of data.

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The team then compared the measurements recorded using the two techniques for each person doing each activity on the two occasions. In general, they found that the measurements were very similar.

“These results are important because they indicate that the smart shirt can be worn by patients while they go about their daily lives to accurately measure their lung function,” explained Mrs Mannee.

The participants found the smart shirts comfortable enough to be worn underneath their normal clothes.

Read more Astroskin Smart Shirt Will Monitor Astronauts’ Vital Signs in Space

The researchers now plan to repeat tests on the smart shirts with COPD patients, but they believe the technology might also help in other respiratory conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis or after transplantation.

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Current Health, an Edinburgh, Scotland-based wearable patient monitoring platform, partnered up with VivaLNK and MIR to add axillary temperature and spirometry measurement capabilities to its offering. VivaLNK provides medical wearable solutions for continuous patient monitoring and MIR (Medical International Research) makes spirometry devices, reports MobiHealthNews.

"We’re building out around our continuous wearable all [of] these other devices to capture other metrics, and that was what the FDA cleared,” Chris McCann, CEO and cofounder of Current Health, told MobiHealthNews. “In our view, both of those devices are best in class for monitoring of spirometry and axillary temperature.”

Current Health’s AI-powered remote patient monitoring device was cleared by the FDA in April. Patients using the platform are provided with a tracker and a tablet for taking part in a chatbot, medication reminders, educational content, and support for video or text conversations with a clinician. These clinicians, meanwhile, can follow their patients’ vitals through a provider-facing interface and intervene when necessary.

Current Health’s upper arm wearable device can continuously monitor skin temperature, pulse rate, oxygen saturation and movement, among other things. But the company’s ultimate goal is to provide clinical teams with a more detailed view of at-home patients, according to McCann.

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Read more VivaLNK Partners with Emory University to Provide Wearable ECG Sensors for Study

“What we are really trying to do is build as wide a physical picture of the patient’s health as possible, and then we also get them an application they can use to report symptoms, so we’re also capturing the behavioral side of their health, and we’re trying to use both that broad physical picture and that broad behavioral picture to identify who is at risk earlier. So, we’re going to keep building more and more and more of these integrations to keep giving us a better understanding of human health,” said McCann.

McCann also said that his company is getting closer to wrapping up deals that would add continuous glucose monitoring and International Normalized Ratio or INT, a measurement of blood coagulation, to the platform. Their goal is to add more than 50 integrations by the end of 2020, he said.

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