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.

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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.”

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Valkyrie

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

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.”

Related Hip’Safe Wearable Airbag for the Elderly will Begin Shipping Worldwide in 2019

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.”

Related Alphabet’s Verily Developing Health-Tracking Smart Shoes that Can Measure Weight and Detect Falls

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.

Read more Medical Smart Fabric Market Shows Noteworthy Growth by Strong CAGR Up To 2027

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.

Read more How Smart Patches and Smart Pills Are Changing Health Monitoring and Drug Delivery

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.

Read more Toppan Printing’s Electronic Paper Display Is Powered by Energy Harvesting Technology

“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.

Read more E Ink and Faubel Unveil the Med Label to Revolutionize the Clinical Trial Supply Chain

“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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The Apple Watch Series 5 is expected to be released in the fall of 2019 alongside the new iPhone. Apple Watch 4 hit the stores a month after it was announced on September 2018, so it’s expected that the Apple Watch 5 will follow the same pattern.

Related Apple Buys Asthma-Monitoring Startup Tueo Health

The Apple Watch 4 was a big step forward for Apple’s smartwatches. It had an advanced design, a larger screen and FDA-cleared ECG technology. But the new Apple Watch could be even better.

While Apple Watch 4 is the best smartwatch in the market, it is missing some important features present on some of its competitors, especially in fitness tracking. This is what is expected in the Apple Watch 5 based on current rumors – and the Series 4’s missing features, reports CNet.

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple may be set to introduce a new ceramic casing design on at least one model.

Kuo also believes Apple may make its Series 5’s ECG monitor available to more countries, although that may also be a software upgrade for the Apple Watch 4 – as well as a new charging option.

Apple filed a patent for a sensor that can monitor what’s in the air. CultofMac believes this sensor could be used to track your body odor and even air quality. In addition to notifying you about your bad breath, the sensor could also be used to detect low blood sugar levels.

Related Apple and Alphabet Both Want to Revolutionize Healthcare But in Different Ways

It has also been reported that Apple is working on a sleep tracking feature; which means Apple Watch 5 might finally be able to track your sleep without you needing to download a third-party app.

Price of the new Apple Watch 5 isn’t known at this time, but pricing will probably remain similar to the Series 4. “Pricing will likely start at $399 and go up for the 44mm size or stainless steel. LTE versions are expected to be available for users who want to data access (for services like Apple Music). Colors will likely remain similar to the previous model and existing bands will likely remain compatible with the new watch,” according to CNet.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch Active 2, will be the first smartwatch from the company to feature an electrocardiogram (ECG) heart rate tracker, claims a report by Wareable. But according to the report, the feature won’t be available when the watch is first released, and will be enabled through a software update next year. At launch, the watch is expected to feature more basic heart rate tracking, with alerts if your heat rate jumps too high or drops too low.

Related Marvell, Samsung Extend Long-Term Partnership for 5G Wireless Networks

The report also claims that there will be three models of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (codenamed “Renaissance”) announced on stage in August, including an LTE model, a Bluetooth-only model and an Under Armor-branded model, which will apparently come with added sports-focused features. All three are said to be coming in 40mm and 44mm size options, which is the same as the Apple Watch Series 4.

The Wareable report also claims the Under Armor model will come with an exclusive strap and MapMyRun integration, along with 6 months of the service. The LTE model is said to come in a stainless-steel case, leather strap and will have four colors to choose from, while the Bluetooth models will have an aluminum case.

This isn’t the first time Samsung has included heart rate tracking in its smartwatches. The previous versions like the Galaxy Watch Active and Galaxy Watch featured less accurate light-based optical trackers.

Related Samsung Might Launch a Sensor-Covered Smart Shirt that Detects Breathing Problem and Lung Disease

ECG measures electrical signal and therefore it’s more accurate. But for ECG to be featured in a device, it needs approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that may be the reason for Samsung’s delayed release of the feature.

According to Wareable, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 will be unveiled alongside the Galaxy Note 10 at an event in New York next month. Samsung has already scheduled an event for August 7th.

Mobile telecom equipment maker Ericsson reported a rise in line with expectations in second-quarter operating earnings helped by strong sales growth in North America.

Ericsson, which is one of the main suppliers of equipment for 5G equipment alongside Huawei and Nokia, said it expects to meet its targets for 2020, reports CityAM.

The Swedish company has pledged to deliver an operating margin, excluding restructuring costs, of over 10% in 2020.

Read more Marvell, Samsung Extend Long-Term Partnership for 5G Wireless Networks

“Organic sales growth was 7% in the quarter, mainly driven by sales in North America and North East Asia,” Chief Executive Borje Ekholm said in a statement. We see strong momentum in our 5G business with both new contracts and new commercial launches as well as live networks. To date, we have provided solutions for almost two-thirds of all commercially launched 5G networks.”

Second quarter highlights for Ericsson

• Sales were SEK 54.8 (49.8) b. Sales adjusted for comparable units and currency increased by 7% driven by growth in Networks in North America and North East Asia. Reported sales grew by 10%.
• Gross margin was 36.6% (34.8%). Gross margin excluding restructuring charges was 36.7% (36.7%).
• Networks gross margin excluding restructuring charges improved to 41.4% (40.2%) YoY. Sequentially, Networks gross margin decreased from 43.2%, mainly due to costs related to a previously communicated license settlement agreement, negative impact from strategic contracts and lower IPR licensing revenues.
• Operating income was SEK 3.7 (0.2) b. and operating margin was 6.8% (0.3%). Operating income excluding restructuring charges was SEK 3.9 (2.0) b. and operating margin excluding restructuring charges was 7.0% (4.1%).
• Net income improved to SEK 1.8 (-1.8) b.
• Free cash flow before M&A was SEK 2.2 (-0.2) b. Net cash amounted to SEK 33.8 (33.1) b.

Read more New Report Explains How 5G Will Transform Wearable Devices and the Healthcare industry

“We continue to take strategic contracts and the large-scale network deployments expected to commence in parts of Asia, will gradually impact margins negatively in the short term but strengthen our position in the long term. Continued technology and market investments, especially in 5G, automation and AI, are fundamental for long-term competitiveness and a key part of our focused strategy to strengthen our long-term business and path to reaching our targets for 2020 and 2022, Mr. Ekholm said.

MED-EL USA announced that its SYNCHRONY and SYNCHRONY 2 cochlear implants have won the first FDA approval for people with single-sided deafness (SSD) and those with asymmetric hearing loss (AHL). This is the first and only time that cochlear implants have been approved for these indications in the United States, so this news is a big deal for millions of people suffering from SSD and AHL., reports MedGadget.

“People living with single-sided deafness and asymmetric hearing loss have had limited technology options to improve their speech understanding, ability to localize sounds in their environment, and quality of life,” said Margaret T. Dillon, AuD, Associate Professor, Director of Cochlear Implant Clinical Research, and lead researcher on the SSD and AHL clinical trial at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine that was instrumental in the FDA approval. “Difficulty in speech understanding in noise and localizing sound are incredibly frustrating aspects of single-sided deafness and asymmetric hearing loss, and it was gratifying to be able to demonstrate the efficacy of MED-EL’s cochlear implants to help patients restore a sense of sound that they had been missing.”

Read more Eargo Raises Over $52 Million for Invisible Hearing Aids

SSD and AHL can be caused by viral infections, Meniere’s disease, or trauma to the head or ear. In some cases, the causes of SSD or AHL are unknown.

People with SSD and AHL experience difficulties hearing in certain listening situations such as noisy environments, and these difficulties have a negative impact on communication and social interaction. SSD can negatively affect speech and language development in children and work performance among adults.

Basis for the FDA Approval

The approval was based on clinical data from a study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with 40 participants ages 18 and older to evaluate speech perception in quiet and noise, sound localization and quality of life. Trial participants had single-sided sensorineural profound hearing loss in one ear, or asymmetric hearing loss, for less than 10 years and had used a hearing aid regularly for at least some of that time, the company said in a press release.

Both groups of people (SSD and AHL) improved their ability to understand speech in quiet after one year of implant use when tested with the implant alone. For the people with SSD, average scores when repeating single words in quiet increased from 4% before surgery to 55% after 12 months of listening with the implant. For the group of people with AHL, this same test score improved from 6% to 56% in 12 months. In the opposite ear, there was no change in their score over time. When tested with both ears, there was no change compared to the score before surgery.

Read more Starkey AI Hearing Aid with Heart Rate Sensor and Real-Time Translation

When listening to speech in noise, both SSD and AHL groups improved over the first 12 months of listening with the cochlear implant compared to their unaided scores before surgery. The average improvement in the SSD group increased from 38% to 47% in 12 months on the AZ Bio Test, speech and noise from the front. This group also had an average increase from 17% to 53% on the AZ Bio Test when speech came from the front and the noise was on the side of the normal hearing ear. The AHL group saw increases from 23% to 34% when speech and noise came from the front, and 6% to 29% when speech came from the front and noise was on the side of the better hearing ear, also on the AZ Bio Test.

Maxim Integrated Products is helping the wearable industry with its ultra-small, low-power sensors that deliver clinical-grade accuracy. Designers creating next-generation wearable health and fitness applications can reduce temperature measurement power by 50% with the MAX30208, as well as shrink optical solution size by 40% with the MAXM86161 from Maxim. Additionally, the MAXM86161 can improve both sensitivity and accuracy with the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

Related Maxim Develops New Wrist Worn Platform For Developers to Create Highly Accurate Health Wearables

“Wearable devices continue to gain market traction, with global revenue now estimated to grow from $56.4 billion in 2019 to $78.3 billion by 2022 at a 4-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 percent,” said James Hayward, principal analyst at IDTechEx Research. “Major growth drivers include additional value captured in the growth and evolution of products such as smartwatches and ear-worn products, alongside the adoption of dedicated wearable devices in key healthcare verticals.”

To deliver usefulness, wearable health and fitness monitors need to have greater accuracy in measuring health data such as body temperature and heart rate. However, device designers have been limited by sensor accuracy for small, battery-powered, body-worn devices. Maxim’s two new continuous-monitoring body sensors provide higher degrees of accuracy in measuring vital signs such as temperature, heart rate and blood-oxygen saturation (SpO2), Maxim Integrated said in a press release.

Key Advantages of Maxim’s Health Sensors

The MAXM86161 in-ear heart-rate monitor and pulse oximeter is the market’s smallest fully integrated solution that delivers highly accurate heart-rate and SpO2 measurements from hearables and other wearable applications. It is optimized for in-ear applications with its industry-leading small package size (40 percent less than the closest competitor) and best-in-class SNR (3dB improvement with band limiting signal for PPG use cases compared to closest competitor). MAXM86161 delivers approximately 35 percent lower power to extend battery life of wearables.

Related Graphene-Based Sensors Detect Diabetic Foot Ulcers Before They Cause Injury

The MAX30208 digital temperature sensor delivers clinical-grade temperature measurement accuracy (±0.1°C) with fast response time to changes in temperature. It also meets the power and size demands of small, battery-powered applications such as smartwatches and medical patches.

Pricing and Availability

The MAXM86161 is available at Maxim’s website for $4.41 (1000-up, FOB USA); also available from authorized distributors; The MAXM86161EVSYS# evaluation kit is available for $150.

The MAX30208 is available at Maxim’s website for $1.25 (1000-up, FOB USA); also available from authorized distributors; The MAX30208EVSYS# evaluation kit is available for $56.

Everyone wants to live longer but nobody wants to look old. For decades scientists have been trying to develop a life-like cosmetic “second skin”. Now, Lily Bioceuticals, a research-based anti-aging skin care and cosmetics manufacturer announced they have finally developed a second skin that mimics the elasticity and smoothness of an unblemished youthful complexion.

Read more Wearable Device Data Along with AI algorithm Help Improve Natural Aging

BEYOND FLAWLESS™ SECOND SKIN is the collaborative effort by scientists and Lily Bioceuticals. This is the first functioning 24-hour “second skin” to the beauty industry.

This second skin uses a simple two-step process that creates a tight, undetectable bond over natural skin in under five minutes, flattening eyebags while covering wrinkles and blemishes. The resilient, breathable layer is swim, sweat and sleep-proof and lasts for up to 24 hours without residue or flaking. This life-like second skin can be peeled off in one piece, said Lily Bioceuticals in a press release.

To develop this second skin, scientists used medical-grade graphene, which is proven to be thinnest yet strongest material on earth, and cross-linked it with multiple polymers. When combined, the mechanical properties of the polymers improve dramatically, making this product safe and viable for the general consumer.

BEYOND FLAWLESS SECOND SKIN also contains active anti-aging ingredients e.g. stabilized Vitamin C, peptides, and extracts to provide long term anti-aging skin care benefits.

Read more NUS Scientists Develop Electronic Skin with Exceptional Sense of Touch for Prosthetics

Lily Bioceuticals scientists are poised to announce additional “second skin” products for the face and other body parts with equally dramatic lifting effects on wrinkles and blemishes in the very near future.

About Lily Bioceuticals

Lily Bioceuticals is owned by Bio-Nature Laboratories, LLC of Edison, New Jersey. The company has been creating high BIOTECH beauty and skin care products since 2008.  With a focus on cellular energy, paralleling the recent bioscience discoveries in anti-aging, they introduced their highly acclaimed NAD+ product line in 2014.  Achieving unprecedented results in clinical trials in the US and abroad, their NAD+(Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide), NR(Nicotinamide Riboside) products have become widely popular in international market.

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After a successful launch of Halo Sport, San Francisco-based human performance company Halo Neuroscience recently launched a fully upgraded Halo Sport 2 at a price that makes neurostimulation more accessible to all.

Related USA Cycling Tackles Neuroscience by Partnering with Halo

Halo Sport was originally released at CES 2017, which earned them a Fast Company Award for “Most Innovative Companies” in Fitness. Now, they are unveiling the newest version of Halo Sport at CES 2019.

“In the new Halo Sport, Bluetooth audio is now integrated for an entirely wireless experience, and audio quality is in line with high-end headphones. We also revamped the Primer form factor to make Neuropriming as easy as possible, and the Halo Sport app to feature tracking, reminders, and new content,” said Halo Neuroscience CEO and co-founder, Dr. Daniel Chao. “From the beginning, we’ve been committed to making Neuropriming accessible to everyone, so Halo Sport 2 will retail for $399 — the same price as a pair of Beats Pro.”

Halo Neuroscience’s partners include the Berklee College of Music, U.S. Olympic teams, Titleist Performance Institute, and U.S. Naval Special Warfare. In addition, Halo Sport is trusted by teams and athletes from the U.S. military, Olympics, MLB, NBA, NFL, NCAA, and more. The company is backed by TPG, Andreessen Horowitz, Jazz Venture Partners, and Lux Capital.

Halo Sport 2 is a pair of smart headphones that deliver an electrical current to the motor center of your brain to help you learn new skills. The headset uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to send weak direct currents (below 2-3 mA) for a few minutes over the scalp, reported MedGadget.

Using this headset 20 minutes before workouts or practices can help athletes achieve gains in strength, skill, and endurance substantially faster than they would on their own. The device excites the tissue in your brain artificially, basically improving your capability to learn and embed new movements.

Related Kinduct and Orreco Join Hands to Develop Products for Elite Sports Teams

The goal of Halo Sport 2 is to provide the same benefit to all athletes, musicians, and gamers as it has for elite athletes: the ability to do more in less practice time and reach higher levels of performance, the company said.

Drum Echoes, Inc., a Florida startup has developed a biofeedback therapeutic wearable that may ease the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Matt Giordano, the president of the company, was diagnosed with ADHD and Tourette syndrome when he was five. He and his team decided to do something about the struggles many people with this common disorder endure. They are now developing a patent pending personal biofeedback device for individuals with ADHD to assist them with self-management by using a variety of effective therapies and techniques.

Related FDA Approves Breakthrough Medical Device for Children with ADHD

ADHD is the most common neurological disorder in the U.S. 9.4% (6.1 Million) children ages 2-17 in the U.S. have ADHD. 4.4% (8 million) adults in the U.S. have ADHD.

Matt’s device is supposed to detect stress levels in real time through the use of biofeedback sensors. These sensors will function in conjunction with the therapeutic features for the most optimal results. The goal is to help these individuals function more independently, achieve higher grades in school, increase work productivity, have better relationships and improve their overall quality of life, the company said in a press release.

Matt started having his first symptoms of Tourette Syndrome and ADHD at the age of 2. He also started playing the drums when he was 2 and shortly after that, he learned how the power of music eases his symptoms. He realized that his symptoms disappear when he plays the drums.

Music and the arts are a great way for him to organize and express his thoughts and feelings. It helps to increase his level of focus and confidence. Most art forms require a form of collaboration and Matt’s drumming allowed his peers to see past his symptoms.

In 2003, Matt started his company Drum Echoes, Inc. His drumming work and personal story have received media attention by the BBC, PBS Nova and was written about in the New York Times bestseller book titled Musicophilia by the highly respected author and neurologist, Dr. Oliver Sacks.

Related Revibe is a Fitbit-Like Wearable that Vibrates to Refocus Wearers’ Attention

By providing his drumming workshops for thousands of children and adults with ADHD throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Australia, Matt learned about their common struggles. He has also learned the most effective therapies and coping techniques for these individuals. It is those therapies and techniques he has carefully chosen to integrate into this new wearable technology.

The company is in need of funds to take this concept into a working prototype, to beta testing and into the lives of millions of people who need it. They need donations and are open to potential investors.

Neuroscience-based mental health and fitness platform Total Brain is collaborating with the American Heart Association’s Center for Health Technology & Innovation’s (the Center) Innovators Network to find innovative and scalable solutions across the healthcare market.

Read more USA Cycling Tackles Neuroscience by Partnering with Halo

“We are thrilled to join the American Heart Association’s Innovators Network. By combining Total Brain’s vast neuroscientific expertise and innovative platform with the American Heart Association’s cardiovascular expertise and resources, we are well-positioned to further understand the connection between the brain and the heart,” said Louis Gagnon, CEO of San Francisco-based Total Brain.

The Center helps members of its Innovators Network in the healthcare technology field align and integrate their technology with Association’s digital resources to encourage development of digital healthcare solutions. Total Brain wants to use this partnership to study the validity and reliability trade-offs involved in using continuous heart rate variability (HRV) signals to measure and affect stress and high blood pressure. Smart watch and other wearable device makers will be invited to participate in the study in exchange for insights, benchmarking information and product integration opportunities, said Total Brain in a press release.

Our mental health affects our physical health because the brain and heart are two highly connected organs. Each year, an estimated 44 million U.S. adults experience a mental health condition. Those with a mental health condition are at 67% higher risk of heart disease. They are also 85% more likely to suffer a heart attack and 3 times more likely to develop hypertension. If the brain and heart work together and generate precious insights that may lead to prevention or better treatments for both mental and cardiovascular health issues, the press release said.

Read more Brain Computer Interface with Neurofeedback Can Improve Your Performance, Says Columbia Study

“We’re excited to see Total Brain incorporate the Association’s condition management plans, called CarePlans, into this study and we look forward to applying our unique cardiovascular research expertise to help improve health education and health engagement,” said Patrick Wayte, Senior Vice President of the American Heart Association’s Center for Health Technology & Innovation.

Theranica is an Israeli bio-medical technology company that develops wearable devices to reduce pain. This Netanya based company envisions a future where pain can be managed or eased using a combination of digital technologies and devices, greatly reducing the risks brought about by conventional painkillers.

Recently, WT | Wearable Technologies reported on Theranica’s smartphone-controlled wearable device Nerivio Migra, which received FDA De Novo request. The device uses Remote Electrical Neuromodulation for acute migraine treatment.

The company is gearing up to launch the product in the USA – including putting together the distribution channels, hiring a sales and marketing team in the USA, building initial inventory, etc., reports MobiHealthNews.

Theranica’s wearables are affordable, easy-to-use, non-invasive, safe, non-chemical, free of side effects. Some of them include proprietary monitoring and reporting attributes, providing key parameters & indicators to the treatment’s efficiency level.

Nerivio Migra is a breakthrough electronic device for acute treatment of migraines. Attached to the patient’s arm (below the shoulder), it is a clinically-tested wearable suited to be worn everywhere and at any time. Nerivio Migra, as well as other types of wearables the company is planning, are controlled by intuitive smartphone applications to easily adapt therapy treatments to today’s modern lifestyle.

Read more Neurolief’s Relivion Provides Significant Pain Reduction in Migraine Patients, Clinical Trial Finds

According to Alon Ironi, CEO & Co-Founder of Theranica, it all started with a pilot study in Israel. In the study, they tried to find the most effective and tolerable neuromodulation waveform, and to solidifying the basic therapeutic hypothesis. They recruited 71 patients with migraine. For over more than six months, the participants received four different neuromodulation waveforms, plus a sham (placebo) waveform. “At the end of the study, when we analyzed the results, it was clear that we were onto something,” says Ironi.

About long-term goal and vision for Theranica, Ironi told MobiHealthNews:

“Our vision is to provide a whole line of drug-free digital devices that will become the global first-line of treatment for several diseases and syndromes associated with pain. It’s time to have effective, safe alternatives to pain killers! And migraine is only the beginning…”

Scientists have been working hard to improve prosthetic technology where artificial skin will have the ability to feel like a human skin. Many of the currently available electronic skins have complex wiring that’s needed for the sensors to work. Scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have now developed electronic skin with ultra-high responsiveness and robustness.

Related University of Sydney Researcher Developing Electronic Skin That Could Help People with Disabilities

Dubbed Asynchronous Coded Electronic Skin (ACES), this new skin can be paired with any kind of sensor skin layers to function effectively as an electronic skin. The skin is also more responsive than anything similar developed in the past.

This innovation was achieved by Assistant Professor Benjamin Tee and his team from NUS Materials Science and Engineering, reports NUS News.

“Humans use our sense of touch to accomplish almost every daily task, such as picking up a cup of coffee or making a handshake. Without it, we will even lose our sense of balance when walking. Similarly, robots need to have a sense of touch in order to interact better with humans, but robots today still cannot feel objects very well,” explained Asst Prof Tee, who has been working on electronic skin technologies for over a decade in hopes of giving robots and prosthetic devices a better sense of touch.

The researchers drew inspiration from the human sensory nervous system. They spent a year and a half developing a sensor system that could potentially perform better. While the ACES electronic nervous system detects signals like the human sensor nervous system, unlike the nerve bundles in the human skin, it is made up of a network of sensors connected via a single electrical conductor. It is also unlike existing electronic skins which have interlinked wiring systems that can make them sensitive to damage and difficult to scale up.

ACES can detect touches more than 1,000 times faster than the human sensory nervous system. For example, it is capable of differentiating physical contact between different sensors in less than 60 nanoseconds — the fastest ever achieved for an electronic skin technology — even with large numbers of sensors, the NUS report stated.

The ACES platform can also be designed to achieve high robustness to physical damage, an important property for electronic skins because they come into the frequent physical contact with the environment.

Related Electronic Skin for Prosthetic Hands Lets Amputees Feel Pain

This type of electronic skin can be used to develop more realistic prosthetic limbs that will help disabled individuals restore their sense of touch, according to NUS. Other potential applications include developing more intelligent robots that can perform disaster recovery tasks or take over mundane operations such as packing of items in warehouses.