Three New Wearable Medical Devices for 2018
The three case studies given below speak of consumer-focused, wearable devices comprised of unobtrusive sensors and communication monitors, pre-certified by the FDA, to alleviate the concerns of the healthcare industry regarding self-diagnoses. The FDA has made strides in recognizing that no device will work 100% of the time, and no device can be the sole basis for medical decisions without the input of a medical professional or specialist.
The case studies below describe simple, wearable devices as a warning-only tool for the detection of respiratory distress, for the exposure of harmful UV rays and the forewarnings of breast tumors.
Respiratory Distress: A crowd-sourcing, GPS-enabled device manufactured by Propeller Health (www.propellerhealth.com) attaches to an inhaler to track weather and air pollutants relative to the doses of inhaler medication. The gathering of this data can identify areas of a city, a neighborhood or an environment susceptible to respiratory distress. In addition to personal use, it seems feasible this data could also be used to influence public health policy.
UV Rays: The effects of UV rays are serious and silent. This year, a tiny, wearable device was introduced to bring the effects of UV rays into full view. The UV Sense, manufactured by L’Oreal (www.lorealusa.com) is a battery-free, reusable sensor adhered to a fingernail to alert the consumer to extended exposure to UV rays for proper and mitigating skin protection measures.
Breast Tumors: Early tumor detection is of vital importance to early cancer detection. Cyrcadia Health (www.cyrcadiahealth.com) has developed a medical wearable for early detection in dense breast tissue. The patches, worn as bra inserts, monitor metabolic changes in heat that correlate with aggressive cellular activity common in developing tumors. This data places early detection in the hands of women and works to prevent unnecessary biopsies.
Conclusion: The case studies above illustrate the ways and means of data collection by wearable medical devises to positively affect health outcomes on an information-gathering basis. The simplicity of the data collection and the accessibility of the distribution network pave the way for fast-tracked FDA approval for the greater good.
