Category: Wearables

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Heart Ultrasound Wearables

Wearable cardiac ultrasound continuously monitors heart structure, function for 24 hours

UCSD professor Sheng Xu has developed a wearable ultrasound device that can continuously monitor and assess the structure and function of the human heart for 24 hours, during normal daily activity. This could eliminate the need for highly trained technicians and bulky devices. 

Signs of cardiac diseases are transient and unpredictable, and imaging can detect issues before they become problems. The new system gathers information through a small, soft, wearable patch, worn on the chest and designed for optimal adherence. It sends and receives ultrasound waves which are used to generate a constant stream of images of the structure of the heart in real time — with out radiation. As heart function issues often manifest only when the body is in motion, the wearable aspect of the device is particularly important.

Images of the four chambers of the heart are captured in different angles, and a clinically relevant subset of the images is analyzed. The model automatically segments the shape of the left ventricle from the image recording, extracting its volume frame-by-frame and yielding waveforms to measure stroke volume, cardiac output and ejection fraction. Curves of these three indices are generated continuously and noninvasively.

Xu plans to commercialize this technology through Softsonics, a company spun off from UC San Diego.

Sheng Xu was a featured speaker at the 2020 ApplySci Deep Tech Health conference on Sand Hill Road.

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Respiratory Sensors Wearables

Small sticker-sensor continuously analyzes breath for broad health monitoring

Heibei University, Tianjin Hospital, Beihang University, and Penn State researchers have developed an under nose-worn, stretchable, skin-friendly, waterproof sensor to analyze breath for health monitoring. It could be use for multiple-condition screening, asthma and COPD management, or environmental hazard sensing, among other applications.

The functional gas sensor, in a moisture-resistant membrane, can operate in humid environments, such as below the nose, to monitor breath. It is skin-friendly, stretching, twisting, and conforming to the skin.

Join ApplySci at MIT on September 30th for Deep Tech Health + Neurotech Boston

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Diabetes Sensors Wearables

Microneedle wearable continuously monitors glucose, lactate, alcohol

UCSD Professor Joe Wang and colleagues have created a multiple biomarker monitor in the form of a painless microneedle patch, which Wang calls a “complete lab on the skin.” Glucose, lactate and alcohol levels are monitored simultaneously, in real time.

Microneedles enable the direct sample of interstitial fluid, which provides a similar measure of biochemical levels as blood.

The researchers gave the example of diabetes as a use case, as alcohol can lower glucose levels, and fatigue, measured by lactate, can influence the body’s ability to regulate glucose. Monitoring all three parameters at the same time could, therefore, better help diabetics manage their condition.

Five users wore the device on their upper arm, while exercising, eating, and drinking wine. Glucose levels were monitored simultaneously with either their alcohol or lactate levels. The glucose, alcohol and lactate measurements taken by the wearable patch closely matched the measurements taken by a commercial blood glucose monitor, Breathalyzer, and blood lactate measurement performed in the lab.

The company AquilX was established to commercialize the technology, with plans to add more sensors to the device, including those that can monitor medication levels.

Click to view UCSD video

Join ApplySci at MIT on September 30, 2022 for Deep Tech Health + Neurotech Boston

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Covid-19 Sensors Wearables

Presymptomatic COVID detection with wearables

Stanford’s Michael Snyder and colleagues have used smartwatch data to detect early, presymptomatic COVID-19 in 31 individuals out of a cohort of 5,000.

They demonstrated that COVID-19 infections are associated with alterations in heart rate, steps and sleep in 80% of cases. Physiological alterations were detected prior to, or at, symptom onset in 85% of the positive cases, in some cases nine or more days before symptoms.

A method to detect onset of COVID-19 infection in real-time was developed, which detected 67% of infection cases at or before symptom onset.

The study intends to provide a roadmap to a rapid and universal diagnostic method for the large-scale detection of respiratory viral infections in advance of symptoms.

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Click to view Professor Snyder’s talk at the 2019 ApplySci conference at Stanford.

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Sensors Sweat Wearables

Sweat sensor monitors metabolites to detect gout, metabolic and other disorders

Caltech’s Wei Gao has developed a wearable sensor that monitors metabolites and nutrients in blood by analyzing sweat. Previously developed, less sensitive, sweat sensors mostly target electrolytes, glucose, and lactate.

Gao develops devices based on microfluidics, which minimize the influence of sweat evaporation and skin contamination on sensing accuracy.  Previous microfluidic-based wearable sensors were mostly fabricated with a lithography-evaporation process, requiring  complicated and expensive fabrication processes. Gao uses graphene.

In a study, the sensor was used to measure respiratory rate, heart rate, and levels of uric acid and tyrosine. Tyrosine can indicate metabolic disorders, liver disease, eating disorders, and neuropsychiatric conditions. Elevated Uric acid is associated with gout.

Gao believes that the high sensitivity of the sensors, and  the ease with which they can be manufactured, could enable them to be used at home to monitor gout, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

Professor Gao will be a featured speaker at Wearable Tech + Digital Health + Neurotech Silicon Valley on February 11-12, 2020.

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Sensors Virtual Reality Wearables

Wireless, wearable sticker adds a sense of touch to VR

John Rogers, Yonggang Huang and Northwestern colleagues have developed an “epidermal VR” system that adds a sense of touch to any virtual reality experience.

The device incorporates a distributed array of 32 individually programmable, millimeter-scale actuators, each of which generates a discrete sense of touch at a corresponding location on the skin. Each resonates most strongly at 200 cycles per second, where the skin exhibits maximum sensitivity. The actuators are embedded into a soft silicone polymer that adheres to the skin without tape or straps. The wireless, battery-free, device communicates with a phone or tablet through near-field communication protocols.

When a user touches the screen, that pattern of touch transmits to the patch. When video chatting from different locations, users can feel each other’s touch.

The next generation will be slimmer and lighter, with actuators that can produce heating and stretching sensations.  They will eventually  be thin and flexible enough to be woven into clothes.

Click to view Nature video

Join ApplySci at the 13th Wearable Tech + Digital Health + Neurotech Silicon Valley conference on February 11-12, 2020 at Quadrus Sand Hill Road.  Speakers include:  Zhenan Bao, Stanford – Vinod Khosla, Khosla Ventures – Mark Chevillet, Facebook – Shahin Farshchi, Lux Capital – Carla Pugh, Stanford – Nathan Intrator, Tel Aviv University | Neurosteer – Wei Gao, Caltech – Sergiu Pasca, Stanford – Rudy Tanzi, Harvard – Sheng Xu, UC San Diego – Dror Ben-Zeev, University of Washington – Mikael Eliasson, Roche  – Unity Stoakes, StartUp Health

 

 

 

 

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Sweat Wearables

Silk patch measures 6 biomarkers in sweat

Wenya He, Yingying Zhang, and Tsinghua and Northwest School colleagues  have developed a silk-based wearable patch which measures glucose, ascorbic acid, lactate, potassium, sodium ions and uric acid concentrations in sweat.

Sensors are embedded in a woven graphite-silk fabric. Conductivity is enhanced using graphite doped with nitrogen atoms. The flexible patch is applied to the skin on the arm and used to collect data from sweat for the 6 biomarkers.

Epicore Biosystems, with technology developed by Roozbeh Ghaffari at Northwestern, and Eccrine Systems, spun out of Jason Heikenfeld’s work at University of Cincinnati, are rapidly advancing the use of sweat-monitoring wearables.

Join ApplySci at the 13th Wearable Tech + Digital Health + Neurotech Silicon Valley conference on February 11-12, 2020 at Quadrus Sand Hill Road.  Speakers include:  Zhenan Bao, Stanford – Vinod Khosla, Khosla Ventures – Mark Chevillet, Facebook – Shahin Farshchi, Lux Capital – Carla Pugh, Stanford – Nathan Intrator, Tel Aviv University | Neurosteer – Wei Gao, Caltech – Sergiu Pasca, Stanford – Rudy Tanzi, Harvard – Sheng Xu, UC San Diego – Dror Ben-Zeev, University of Washington – Mikael Eliasson, Roche

Categories
Wearables

Sensors + algorithm quantify, analyze body movement to optimize exercise/treatment

FIGUR8 has commercialized MGH/MIT Media Lab research to create a sensor and algorithm to measure and track body movement as a biomarker. The wearable creates a movement baseline, diagnoses dysfunction, identifies injury risk, optimizes exercise routines and tracks progress.

During movement, the sensor quantifies muscle activity and joint mobility, and the algorithm analyzes more than a million data points to determine biomechanical health.  This is cheaper and potentially more effective than current MRI and x ray screening for soft tissue issues.

Athletes and physical therapists are using the system, which the company hopes will also be used in clinical Parkinson’s studies, and stroke diagnostics and recovery.

REGISTRATION RATES INCREASE AUGUST 30 | Join ApplySci at the 12th Wearable Tech + Digital Health + Neurotech Boston conference on November 14, 2019 at Harvard Medical School featuring talks by Brad Ringeisen, DARPA – Joe Wang, UCSD – Carlos Pena, FDA  – George Church, Harvard – Diane Chan, MIT – Giovanni Traverso, Harvard | Brigham & Womens – Anupam Goel, UnitedHealthcare  – Nathan Intrator, Tel Aviv University | Neurosteer – Arto Nurmikko, Brown – Constance Lehman, Harvard | MGH – Mikael Eliasson, Roche – David Rhew, Microsoft

Join ApplySci at the 13th Wearable Tech + Neurotech + Digital Health Silicon Valley conference on February 11-12, 2020 at Stanford University featuring talks by Zhenan Bao, Stanford – Rudy Tanzi, Harvard – David Rhew, Microsoft – Carla Pugh, Stanford – Nathan Intrator, Tel Aviv University | Neurosteer

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Sensors Wearables

Artificial skin sensor could help burn victims “feel”

UConn chemists Islam Mosa and Professor James Rusling have developed a sensor that could detect pressure, temperature, and vibration when placed on skin.  

The sensor and silicone tube are wrapped in copper wire and filled with an  iron oxide nanoparticle fluid, which creates an electric current. The copper wire detects the current. When the tube experiences pressure, the nanoparticles move and electric signal changes.

Sound waves also create waves in the fluid, and the signal changes differently than when the tube is bumped.

Magnetic fields were found to alter the signal differently than from pressure or sound waves.  The team could distinguish between the signals caused by walking, running, jumping, and swimming.

The researcher’s goals are to  help burn victims “feel” again, and to provide  early warning for workers exposed to high magnetic fields. The waterproof sensor could also serve as a pool-depth monitoring wearable for children.

Join ApplySci at the 10th Wearable Tech + Digital Health + Neurotech Silicon Valley conference on February 21-22 at Stanford University — Featuring:  Zhenan Bao – Christof Koch – Vinod Khosla – Walter Greenleaf – Nathan Intrator – John Mattison – David Eagleman – Unity Stoakes – Shahin Farshchi – Emmanuel Mignot – Michael Snyder – Joe Wang – Josh Duyan – Aviad Hai – Anne Andrews – Tan Le – Anima Anandkumar – Pierrick Arnal – Shea Balish – Kareem Ayyad – Mehran Talebinejad – Liam Kaufman – Scott Barclay – Tracy Laabs – George Kouvas

Categories
Wearables

Fingertip wearable measures disease-associated grip strength

IBM researchers are studying grip strength, which is associated with the effectiveness of Parkinson’s drugs, cognitive function in schizophrenics, cardiovascular health, and elderly mortality.

To better understand these markers, Steve Heisig, Gaddi Blumrosen and colleagues have developed a prototype wearable that continuously measures how a fingernail bends and moves.

The project began as an attempt to capture the medication state Parkinson’s patients, but was soon expanded to measure the tactile sensing of pressure, temperature, surface textures and other indicators of various diseases. Nail bending was measured throughout the day, and AI was used to analyze the data for disease association.

The system consists of strain gauges attached to the fingernail and a small computer that samples strain values, collects accelerometer data and communicates with a smart watch. The watch runs machine learning models to rate bradykinesia, tremor, and dyskinesia.

The work is also being used in the development of a fingertip-structure modeled device that could  help quadriplegics communicate.

Click to view IBM video

Join ApplySci at the 10th Wearable Tech + Digital Health + Neurotech Silicon Valley conference on February 21-22 at Stanford University — Featuring:  Zhenan Bao – Christof Koch – Vinod Khosla – Walter Greenleaf – Nathan Intrator – John Mattison – David Eagleman – Unity Stoakes – Shahin Farshchi – Emmanuel Mignot – Michael Snyder – Joe Wang – Josh Duyan – Aviad Hai – Anne Andrews – Tan Le – Anima Anandkumar – Hugo Mercier – Shea Balish – Kareem Ayyad – Mehran Talebinejad – Liam Kaufman – Scott Barclay

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AI Brain Seniors Sensors Smart Fabric Wearables

Tony Chahine on human presence, reimagined | ApplySci @ Stanford

Myant‘s Tony Chahine reimagined human presence at ApplySci’s recent Wearable Tech + Digital Health + Neurotech conference at Stanford:

Join ApplySci at the 9th Wearable Tech + Digital Health + Neurotech Boston conference on September 24, 2018 at the MIT Media Lab.  Speakers include:  Rudy Tanzi – Mary Lou Jepsen – George Church – Roz Picard – Nathan Intrator – Keith Johnson – Juan Enriquez – John Mattison – Roozbeh Ghaffari – Poppy Crum – Phillip Alvelda – Marom Bikson

REGISTRATION RATES INCREASE JUNE 29TH

Categories
Diabetes Wearables

Non-invasive glucose monitoring patch

Richard Guy and University of Bath colleagues have created a non-invasive, adhesive patch, to measure glucose levels through the skin without a finger-prick blood test.

The patch draws glucose from fluid between cells across hair follicles, accessed individually via an array of miniature sensors using a small electric current. The glucose collects in tiny reservoirs and is measured. Readings can be taken every 10 to 15 minutes over several hours. Calibration with a blood sample is not required.

The goal is the development of a low-cost, wearable sensor that sends regular, clinically relevant glucose measurements to one’s phone or watch, with alerts when action is required.

Join ApplySci at the 9th Wearable Tech + Digital Health + Neurotech Boston conference – September 25, 2018 at the MIT Media Lab