Tech giant Apple has won a patent for a smart ring that could let you control your other devices without touching them.

Based on the patent application filed by Apple, the electronic ring computing device will feature a touchscreen, wireless transceiver, processor, sensors, and a rechargeable power source.

Read more Apple’s Patent Suggests Health Tracking via Smart Clothes

The patent was originally filed in 2015 and it is unclear if this will become a commercial Apple product.

In the patent Apple explains that touchscreen devices can be seen as "cumbersome, inconvenient, or inefficient for certain tasks and applications,” reports The Sun. The company says the Apple Ring could be a more efficient way to control iPhone or iPad from a distance because holding these devices for too long could fatigue some users.

Apple also underlines the potential safety features of the ring. It says that the light emitted from some touchscreen devices such as a smartphone, could be “inappropriate in certain social environments or even dangerous if it gives away the position of a threatened user.” Therefore, the company says that in a dangerous situation the smart ring could be a safer and more discreet way for people to get help.

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Apple also suggests that the ring might contain a telephone module for making phone calls and that the touch surface could be either a pad or a small screen.

The Apple ring can communicate to the device it’s paired with in various ways, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, and NFC. The patent draws a scenario where the user is able to transfer money to someone else with a handshake, and authorize the transaction with a voice command. This could also be used to transfer messages or share files with another ring user. The ring also has biometric sensors and can monitor the wearer’s heart rate.

Read more Oura Ring’s New Feature ‘Moment’ Tracks Your Meditation

According to The Sun report, if this smart ring is meant to be a supplementary device for other wearables like the rumored Apple Glasses then the Apple ring could be launching around 2020.

Back in the day a visit to the doctor’s office was a more fulfilling experience for the patient. The doctor would ask them questions about their health condition and their medications. The entire time the doctor’s focus would be on the patient and not on a computer screen and the doctor wouldn’t be pecking on the keyboard or search for the patient’s medical record on the computer. However, this scenario is far from the norm today.

Read more Fitbits could help save the lives of chemo patients by helping doctors predict patient reaction

But all these might change because of artificial intelligence (AI). According to experts, in an exam room of the future, the doctor would be able to call up a lab result or prescribe a new medicine with a simple voice command. The doctor wouldn’t be distracted by entering symptoms into your electronic health record (EHR).

Now, software provider Nuance Communications and Microsoft have partnered to transform the clinical experience for doctors and patients. The companies said their partnership will accelerate the delivery of ambient clinical intelligence (ACI) technologies that will power the exam room of the future where clinical documentation writes itself, reports Microsoft.

The Nuance-Microsoft partnership will bring together leading technologies from both companies:

• Nuance’s healthcare-optimized speech recognition and processing solutions such as its Dragon Medical platform already used by more than 500,000 physicians worldwide; advanced conversational AI for ambient clinical documentation and decision support; voice biometrics; and specialized ambient sensing hardware
• Microsoft Azure, Azure AI and Project EmpowerMD Intelligent Scribe Service backed with advanced conversational AI and natural language understanding

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“The Microsoft partnership will accelerate our ability to solve for healthcare’s most pressing challenges — together,” said Mark Benjamin, Nuance CEO. “The ambient technologies we will jointly deliver can improve productivity and professional satisfaction, while empowering doctors to focus on what they do best: take care of patients.”

Physician burnout is at epidemic levels. A recent study shows that primary care doctors now spend two hours on administrative tasks for every hour they’re involved in direct patient care. Physicians reported one to two hours of after-hours work each night, mostly related to administrative tasks.

Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, said, “We have an incredible opportunity to use advances in cloud and AI technology to transform healthcare delivery. Together with Nuance, we will apply the power of Azure and Azure AI to this challenge, with the aim of improving the day-to-day life of firstline healthcare workers everywhere — so they can provide better care.”

Read more Microsoft Patents Multidimensional Heart Rate Sensor that Delivers Accurate Data on Wearables

The companies will expand upon Nuance’s early success with ACI and expect to introduce the technology to an initial set of physician specialties in early 2020. Built on Microsoft Azure, this new technology will marry the two companies’ strengths in developing ambient sensing and conversational AI solutions, including ambient listening, wake-up word, voice biometrics, signal enhancement, document summarization, natural language understanding, clinical intelligence and text-to-speech.

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The Vatican announced that it launched a wearable smart device that connects with a smartphone app for guided prayer.

Read more This Smart Bracelet Uses Your Heartbeat to Authenticate Access

Launched by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, the "Click to Prayer eRosary" is a device targeted to young people as a tool to educate about praying the rosary, according to the Vatican News, the church's official communication channel, reports NBC News.

"Click to Prayer eRosary" is a project under the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, a network focused on "mobilizing Catholics through prayer and action," said the Vatican.

The device is activated by making the sign of the cross and will keep track of a user's rosary progress. It consists of 10 black beads and a "smart cross" that stores data linked to the app.

“Physically, the device consists of ten consecutive black agate and hematite rosary beads, and of a smart cross which stores all the technological data connected to the app.  When activated, the user has the possibility to choose either to pray the standard rosary, a contemplative Rosary and different kinds of thematic rosaries that will be updated every year. Once the prayer begins, the smart rosary shows the user’s progress throughout the different mysteries and keeps track of each rosary completed,” said Vatican News.

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The smart rosary also has health features to encourage the faithful to pursue a healthy lifestyle. For example, it tracks the number of steps the user makes during the day and calories burned.

Read more Covestro Unveils Smart Bracelet that Regulates Body Temperature

“Aimed at the peripheral frontiers of the digital world where the young people dwell, the Click To Pray eRosary serves as a technology-based pedagogy to teach the young how to pray for peace, how to contemplate the Gospel,” said the Holy See's press office.

The eRosary is on sale now for 99 euros or $110 on Amazon and from Acer. The Business Insider reports that as of now, it’s not available in Italy and soon it’ll be available in the United States.

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Wearable device maker Fitbit and pharmaceutical giants Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer have signed a multiyear partnership to speed up the detection and diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AFib) to reduce the risk of life-threatening events such as stroke.

The alliance plan to collaborate on the development of educational content and guidance to support people at increased risk for AFib. Upon submission and FDA clearance of the AFib detection software on Fitbit devices, the parties will aim to provide users with appropriate information to help encourage and inform discussions with their physicians.

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

“We’re in a new era of healthcare, where we’re not only focused on developing treatments but also looking at the potential of technology and data to help patients learn more about their health,” said Angela Hwang, Group President, Pfizer Biopharmaceuticals Group. “We are excited about wearables and how our work with BMS and Fitbit may potentially help patients and physicians detect and understand heart rhythm irregularities.”

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of irregular heartbeat and is a significant risk factor for stroke. During AFib, the heart's two upper chambers (the atria) beat chaotically and irregularly – out of coordination with the two lower chambers (the ventricles) of the heart. Approximately eight million people in the United States are projected to be affected by AFib in 2019. As the U.S. population ages, this number is expected to rise, as adults aged 65 and older are at an increased risk of developing the condition. Because AFib can be asymptomatic, it can often go undetected, and some studies suggest that more than 25 percent of people who have the condition find out after they have a stroke, says a press release.

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Wearable technology has continued to become more integrated in the healthcare landscape5 as people have recognized the value that 24/7 health tracking can have for them. Fitbit’s user-generated data, in combination with its analytics talent, gives the company an advantage when it comes to determining how cost-effective certain health-related behavioral changes are.

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

“At Fitbit, we’re focused on making health more accessible and, through our efforts with the BMS-Pfizer Alliance, we have the potential to support earlier detection of atrial fibrillation, a potentially asymptomatic condition that affects millions of Americans,” said James Park, Co-founder and CEO of Fitbit. “With our continuous, 24/7 on-wrist health tracking capabilities, and our experience delivering personalized, engaging software and services, we believe we can develop content to help bridge the gaps that exist in atrial fibrillation detection, encouraging people to visit their doctor for a prompt diagnosis and potentially reduce their risk of stroke.”

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Not too long ago, the only way for people to precisely check their health status was to go to the doctor’s office and undergo a series of tests. Now, with the advent of wearable technology people can take more pro-active roles in monitoring their health. From big companies like Apple and Samsung to small startups like Kinetic, many have jumped on the wearable bandwagon. Here are top 5 companies that are developing wearable medical devices.

1. Apple

Apple is a top competitor in the health wearables market. Dramatic growth in Apple’s wearables means Apple Watch and AirPods will overtake both iPad and Mac by the end of next year. The Apple Watch Series 4 includes an ECG that alerts the wearer about their irregular heart rhythms and high/low heart rates. In September, the company said that it is collaborating with leading medical institutions to examine hearing, women’s health, and heart and movement study. The tech giant said it will begin enrolling consumers for the 3 studies later this year through an upcoming app.

2. Proteus

Proteus Digital Health is an industry leader in Digital Medicine – one of the latest categories of pharmaceuticals, reports Business Insider. The company’s product Proteus Discover is a smart pill with ingestible sensors, a small wearable sensor patch, an application on a mobile device and a provider portal. Once activated, Proteus Discover unlocks never-before-seen insight into patient health patterns and medication treatment effectiveness, leading to more informed healthcare decisions for everyone involved.

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3. Fitbit

Fitbit has been a leader in wearable technology for years. The San Francisco, CA-based company was the first to introduce wireless syncing with wireless devices. The company’s latest smartwatch, the Fitbit Versa 2 is a health & fitness smartwatch with 24/7 heart rate tracking, Sleep Score, apps and more.

Read more These Companies Are Showcasing Their Best Wearables for the Athletes at CES 2019

4. Athos

Athos is at the forefront of smart clothing. Its shirts and shorts are sensor-filled garments that can measure various factors, as you exercise. Athos Core can monitor your muscle activity, the heart rate, and even the breathing rate. ‘Core’ is the name chosen by Athos designers, according to its style as a small capsule glued to the garments. The device syncs with fabric embedded sensors and delivers the collected data, via Bluetooth, to your smartphone. The Core 2 shorts start at $340, and the shirt starts at $390 each.

5. Neurotech

Neurotech is the innovator of in-home EEG setups with remote real-time monitoring. Neurotech performs both Routine and Long-Term Monitored EEG studies. Their in-home, Long-Term Monitored EEG studies can be recorded for any clinically necessary duration. The company contacts patients within one business day of insurance preauthorization, and most EEGs can be started within a few days. All EEG results are available on Neurotech’s innovative Physician Database that includes an online reporting system.

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From muscle strains to ankle sprains, sports can bring about a number of injuries. Sometimes preventing common sports injuries is beyond our control, but many times sports injuries are preventable. Now, Fathom AI, a Durham-based startup founded by two former Duke athletes, developed a new wearable app and sensor that can help professional athletes minimize their risk of injury.

Read more Smart Pill that Protects Athletes from Overheating to Be Trialed in Doha

Ivonna Dumanyan, 24, and Gabrielle Levac, 27, the two former Duke athletes, recently launched their three-sensor wearable. The device consists of a smartphone app and three sticker-sized biosensors that are attached to the ankles and lower back of the wearer. It collects readings from more than 100 different biodata categories such as fatigue, variation in performance between days and between exercises. The wearable uses artificial intelligence and the athlete’s biodata to build a customized prep and recovery routine and prevent sports injuries.

“We’re really hoping to make a big difference in the lives of the people we serve,” Dumanyan told WRAL TechWire.

“Many people don’t realize that the most effective injury prevention may start with just 10 or 15 minutes daily of data-driven prep and recovery to keep small things from becoming serious injuries.”

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An AI analyzes the metrics in order to determine whether an athlete might be overtraining or pushing their body into states where injury could become more likely. The technology can also work together with other biometric data apps like Apple Health or Garmin's smartwatches.

“We essentially build this massive model on how you move that is unique to you,” Dumanyan said. “From that, we create a hyper- personalized exercise plan to balance the stresses on your body and correct those imbalances.”

Read more Gatorade’s GX Sweat Patch Helps Athletes Keep Track of Hydration and Lost Nutrients

Although the device is undergoing limited testing, anyone wishing to use it can order it via the company’s website.

The company plans to launch the wearables soon for a retail price of $299 plus a $29 monthly subscription.

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ProGlove, a Munich, Germany-based leading provider of industrial wearables just launched a new wearable barcode scanner for companies with low-frequency scanning environments such as product returns or quality control. Dubbed ‘Reel’, the scanner features pull-to-action function. Its customizable attachment positions ensure there is no contact with the scanned items, so it is also a perfect option for those organizations that handle highly sensitive elements. Reel works with all scanners of the MARK product family, and a set of two sells for $199 USD.

Read more ProGlove Unveils Mark 2, State-of-the-Art Handsfree Barcode Scanner

When the highly durable 27.5-inch Aramid thread is pulled, Reel’s pull-to-action feature triggers the scan engine. Workers can easily scan items within their reach, without having to carry a heavy, bulky, conventional pistol scanner, said a press release.

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“The addition of Reel to our product portfolio opens a new set of use cases and further demonstrates our commitment to advancing the industrial wearables and software market in order to streamline workflow for our customers, said Thomas Kirchner, Vice President Product at ProGlove. “Reel is the latest example of how we continually innovate to ensure we are ahead of the curve when it comes to the application of industrial wearables and addressing the wants and needs of the market.”

ProGlove is a leading manufacturer of industrial wearables. In September the company raised $40 million investment from global growth equity firm Summit Partners. The smart solutions of ProGlove are used by more than 500 renowned organizations in manufacturing, production, logistics and retail. The company was founded in December 2014 after winning the Intel "Make it Wearable" Challenge in Silicon Valley. ProGlove is backed by growth focused investors Summit Partners, DIVC and Bayern Capital. ProGlove employs 160 people from over 40 countries at its two sites in Munich and Chicago.

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Electronics giant Sony has launched its new mSafety mobile health platform at the Connected Health Conference in Boston. The platform combines a connected wearable device, a wristwatch, with a cloud-based backend solution to enable payers, health systems, and digital health companies incorporate a straightforward wearable sensor into their existing remote monitoring services. Sony plans a formal rollout of the solution in 2020.

Read more How Mobile Monitoring Solutions are Improving Healthcare

“We’ve been talking to a number of remote monitoring companies and mobile health companies about if they are looking into this kind of make-or-buy decision for adding a wearable into their proposition,” Anders Stromberg, head of the wearable platform department in Sony’s European Network Communications group, told MobiHealthNews. “We’ve found in a number of companies [that] they definitely don’t want to spend money on developing their own wearable. And they find existing smartwatch solutions being too dependent on … having a mobile phone together with a smartwatch. And [they also want] to have a much more simple solution for their specific use case, so they [want] to remove all these bells and whistle that may be useful for emailing or other things, and really do a dedicated solution.”

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The platform comprises of two main components: 1) The wearable watch with sensors measure heart rate, heart rate variability and sleep position. External devices can be connected to it via Bluetooth. 2)The cloud-based backend gives providers the ability to monitor their patients, push messages to encourage compliance and update software. All data is encrypted – whether it comes from the device or the cloud.

Read more Current Health Partners with VivaLNK and MIR to Improve Remote Patient Monitoring

“It is something that will be around for a very long time. We are addressing that it can be used as a medical device, we will support it as a medical device,” Stromberg told MobiHealthNews. “We’re willing to keep it alive for them, … if we take the diabetes companies and cardiovascular companies, we see that by providing this deep management function, they can update and upgrade their application over the air in our backend and we will maintain the software, but we are also prepared if they need to have a very long lifespan to their [device].”

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Google showed off its Pixel 4’s “Motion Sense” features at the Made By Google unveiling event in New York City. Using gestures users can silence calls, skip tracks, and even interact with the Pokémon Pikachu, all without touching the phone.

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

Google announced Project Soli back in 2015. The Soli chip uses a small radar sensor to monitor the movements of your hand. With the Pixels, users will be able to wave their hands at the device to control it. The chip will also be used to predict certain actions before users even tell the phone to carry them out.

“Pixel 4 has the fastest secure face unlock on a smartphone, because the process starts before you’ve even picked up your phone,” said Sabrina Ellis, Director of Product at Google.

“Motion Sense prepares the camera when you reach for your Pixel 4 so you don’t need to tap the screen.”

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Health Applications

While Pixel 4 announcement wasn’t around health, it had a quick reference to “personal wellness” as part of Google’s future plans for the technology. But health applications could be around the corner, reports MobiHealthNews.

“Radar’s been around for a long time and it’s still one of the best ways to sense motion. It’s precise, it’s low-power, and it’s fast. … But radar sensors have always been way too big to fit in a phone. So we shrank it down into a tiny chip,” Ellis said at the event. “The Soli team is working on a wide range of helpful new features, from gaming to personal wellness.”

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

Last year, University of Waterloo researchers described a proof-of-concept system that uses Google’s Soli to track concentrations of glucoses within a solution. With further improvement, this technology could be used in diabetes management where patients can manage their blood glucose levels in a noninvasive and novel way.

Now, out of the box a Pixel 4 may not have the ability to noninvasively monitor blood glucose, it shows the potential of the underlying technology, according to MobiHealthNews report.

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

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

Read more Senseonics & Glooko Partner Up for Integrated Diabetes Management

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Feel program includes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more Wearable Device Can Identify Anxiety and Depression in Children

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more How Wearable Sensors Can Provide Comfort and Improve Health

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

Prices range from $595-$1,195.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more Senseonics Gets FDA Approval for Eversense Implantable CGM System

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more Apple Files Patent Application for Blood Pressure Monitoring Cuff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more Livongo Integrates Chronic Disease Management Service with Leading Smartwatches

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

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

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

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

Read more Fitbit and Health2Synch Partner Up for Diabetes Management

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more Multek Printed Circuit Board Technology Delivering Powerful Interconnect Solutions

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

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