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

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

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

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

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

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

Related Graphene to Protect Implantable Neurostimulators in People with Neurological Disorders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related Graphene to Protect Implantable Neurostimulators in People with Neurological Disorders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related Carnegie Mellon Researchers Develop Wearable Opioid Overdose Detector

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more Omron and physIQ Collaborate to Improve Cardiovascular Patient Care

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more Omron and physIQ Collaborate to Improve Cardiovascular Patient Care

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related Carnegie Mellon Researchers Develop Wearable Opioid Overdose Detector

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

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

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

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

‍

‍

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

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

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

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

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

‍

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

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

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

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

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

About Energous

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

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

Read more Microsoft Files Patent for Eyeglasses That Measure Blood Pressure

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more Microsoft Files Patent for Eyeglasses That Measure Blood Pressure

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

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

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

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

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

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

‍

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

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

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

‍

‍

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

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

About Energous

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is how the system works

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‍

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

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

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

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

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

‍

‍

This is how the system works

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

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

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

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

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

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

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‍

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

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

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

Dreamlight Zen

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

SILENTMODE PowerMask

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

Lumos Smart Sleep Mask

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

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

Glo To Sleep Sleep Mask

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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About Valkyrie

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

The most common cause of injury in the elderly population is falling. In the United States, around 33% of the elderly fall at least once per year, and these falls result in over 2 million visits to the emergency room. Besides the elderly, people with a physical condition that impairs mobility or balance may become victims of fall. Falls may be prevented by taking precautions around the home. However, when a person falls, they are unable to call for help. With the advent of wearable technology, it is becoming easier to manage this treacherous situation. Many wearable devices now include fall detection features, and here are some of them.

Apple Watch 4

Apple Watch 4 came with a plenty of features, but one of the most talked about was its Fall Detection capability. If the smartwatch detects a hard fall while you’re wearing your watch, it taps you on the wrist, sounds an alarm, and displays an alert. You can choose to contact emergency services or dismiss the alert by pressing the Digital Crown, tapping Close in the upper-left corner, or tapping “I’m OK.”

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Cerna Onhand Assistance

Senior care service provider Cerna Home Care launched “Onhand Assistance” – a smartwatch especially designed for seniors. The stylish wearable device provides fall detection, fall notification, vitals monitoring, cellular communication, and medication reminders – in addition to life saving calls and care. Onhand Assistance helps lessen the need for expensive personal caregivers and avoids time consuming ambulance trips to the hospital due to false alarms. Family members monitor their loved one through the Onhand Assistance smartphone app. Seniors, their friends and their families benefit by being better connected inexpensively and effectively.

Philips Lifeline

Electronics giant Philips developed one of the most popular fall detection devices called Lifeline. The hardware for the Lifeline designed for home use is called the HomeSafe system. The system comprises a base unit and a wearable pendant. A series of accelerometers and barometric sensors in the pendant can detect high acceleration forces and sudden changes in barometric pressure – both indicative of a fall. In case of a fall, the AutoAlert system connects the user to the Response Center. A finely tuned algorithm detects true falls and avoids false alarms. If the user falls unconscious and the phone responded cannot establish contact, emergency services are immediately dispatched.

Lively Mobile by greatcall

Greatcall’s new Lively Mobile Plus has the fastest call response time, most reliable coverage and enhanced GPS technology to confirm your location. And, you can use it to get help in any emergency, big or small. “In our main review of medical alert systems, GreatCall earned my pick for the best medical alert system overall because it performed the best in all the important areas. The call response time was twice as fast as the second fastest medical alert services,” writes Jeph Preece of TopTenReviews. “From the moment we pressed the help button to the moment the emergency responder asked if we needed help was an average of 14 seconds. It’s also one of the most affordable medical alert systems, with the mobile plan costing less per month than most services’ in-home landline systems, which are outdated and can be severely limiting.”

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Sense4Care Angel4

Angel4 by Sense4Care is a simple fall detection wearable with no base station or any other accessories. The tiny sensor clips to the waist like an old-fashioned pager or can be worn around the waist with a comfortable, specially designed belt. The device works similar to the Apple Watch 4; when it detects a fall, it starts a countdown that can be interrupted by the user if they do not require medical assistance. If the user does not interrupt until the end of the countdown, the Angel4 sends an emergency call and a series of SMS messages to pre-determined contacts. The message includes an accurate GPS location of the user. The built-in emergency button in the device allows the user to press in case of an emergency.

Chronic wounds are a major health issue affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. While some bandages today are embedded with medicine to treat wounds, scientists have something much more advanced in mind for the future of chronic wound care – smart bandages.

Smart bandages have pH sensors embedded in them, and they electronically deliver medication with spatial and temporal control over the wounded area. Scientists are also making new materials similar to human skin, called hydrogels.

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Researchers at various companies and institutions are working on smart bandages to make wound healing faster and more effective.

Researchers at Harvard and McGill universities have created a mechanotherapy bandage that actually works to close the wound, keeps it protected from microbes, and speeds up healing much faster than existing products. According to the researchers, the new approach dubbed “active adhesive dressings” (AADs), may soon be available at a pharmacy near you, reports MedGadget.

3M, a leader in the field of adhesives, now offers a variety of products designed for medical applications. The company which has been in the medical adhesive business for over 55 years, offer transparent adhesives, silicone adhesives, smart adhesives and a range of other solutions.

MIT engineers have created stretchable photonic fibers that change color in reaction to pressure. The researchers believe this invention could lead to production of color-changing bandages that allow healthcare professionals to easily recognize if the bandage is tight enough or too tight.

KOB (KARL OTTO BRAUN), a pioneer in medical textiles, offers an extensive portfolio of medical textiles for direct use or for further processing into smart medical textiles. Textiles can be coated and functionalized in KOB‘s own finishing division. Regardless of the type of smart textile-based application, KOB’ experience and expertise enable them to produce the right textile.

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A team of researchers from Tufts University, Harvard Medical School, and Purdue University have shared a prototype of a smart bandage that can monitor chronic wounds and deliver drugs to improve healing. This technology would efficiently transform bandages from a passive form of treatment into an active part of the healing process. The bandage has been built for chronic skin wounds resulting from burns, diabetes, or other non-traumatic conditions. Diabetes and burns can cause chronic skin wounds, which often results in infections that lead to amputations.

With the advancements in healthcare technology, we can safely say that in the near future, even your bandages could be powered by technology.

Bellevue, Washington-based technology company Ossia, semiconductor company E-peas and electronic ink technology innovator E Ink Holdings have successfully developed the first-of-its-kind wirelessly-powered Electronic Paper Display (EPD) prototype system that is entirely battery-free. The system is completely wireless and can be powered at-a-distance in a dynamic environment. While the leading-edge technology is currently available for demonstration purposes, the companies plan to make it commercially available by the end of next year. Ossia is well-known for its FCC approved Cota® Real Wireless Power™ technology.

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“We are dedicated to expanding our FCC approved Cota technology to the largest sector in the world and increasing the overall potential of IoT solutions,” said Preston Woo, Ossia’s Chief Strategy Officer. “We are further pleased to collaborate with E Ink, the pioneer and commercial leader in ePaper technology, and E-PEAS, a leading semiconductor for IoT applications with the best-in-class solution for energy harvesting, processing and sensing.”

Ossia, E-PEAS, and E Ink envision that wireless power will be a key enabler to the extensive use of smart display solutions in the Internet-of-Things (“IoT”) field, such as electronic shelf labels for retailers, digital signage, logistics tags, and distributed sensor networks. Wirelessly powered EPD devices for the IoT can be used in a wide range of industries, including retail, industrial, logistics and warehousing, said Ossia in a press release.

e-peas is a leading semiconductor company that develops energy harvesting PMICs and extremely-low-power microcontrollers for battery-less IoT applications. The company’s CEO and co-founder Geoffroy Gosset said:

“Our vision at e-peas is to enable the seamless operation of all connected devices anywhere, anytime, in any conditions with smart innovative solutions. “Enabling the broad proliferation of sustainable EPDs and smart IoT devices, in collaboration with top tier partners, is directly in-line with our core mission.”

E Ink Holdings is a leading innovator of electronic ink technology. Its technology is based on technology from MIT’s Media Lab.

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“The development of wirelessly powered EPDs is another validation of our technology’s durable and ultra-low power displays being applied to previously impossible and unimaginable applications,” said Johnson Lee, President of E Ink Holdings. “Ultimately, commercializing battery-less ePaper solutions will enable the potential of IoT applications that require ultra-low power consumption displays. It also makes digital transformation easier than one can imagine in various applications such as logistic tags, luggage tags, digital signage and other digital tags.”

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