When ResMed surveyed U.S. consumer attitudes about digital health technology in 2019, the company reported that the majority of U.S. adults favored digital health tech. Also in 2019, ResMed acquired Propeller Health, a digital therapeutics company. Propeller Health focuses on developing products to treat people with chronic respiratory diseases: specifically chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Propeller Health recently announced a collaboration with University of California’s UC Davis Health for advanced personalized treatment for UC Davis Health patients with asthma and COPD. The ..read more

In 2019, CVS Health announced that its MinuteClinic virtual Video Visit program was available in 39 states. Last month, CVS Health finalized itsacquisition of Signify Health, which opens the door for virtual medical services throughout the U.S. In an earlier news release, just before the final stitches in the acquisition, Signify Health identified itself as “a leading health care platform that leverages advanced analytics, technology, and nationwide healthcare provider networks to create and power value-based payment programs.” In plain language, the company’s stated goal is to bring healthca ..read more

No one can accuse Amazon of thinking small. The cloud services giant recently introduced the Amazon Sidewalk Internet of Things (IoT) network and invited developers to explore Sidewalk and start working on connecting the next billion devices to the network. Sidewalk is a secure, low-bandwidth, long-range network that reaches up to 90% of the U.S. population, Amazon claims. Amazon invites developers to ask for a Sidewalk software development kit (SDK) to get started. Dave Limp, Senior Vice President of Amazon Devices & Services, stated that Amazon Sidewalk addresses significant limitation ..read more

Nutromics, a MedTech scale-up, has a diagnostic lab-on-a-patch that tracks multiple crucial targets continuously and in real-time, giving clinicians personalized insights into patient health. Currently, clinicians are hampered by insufficient and delayed lab diagnostics, with a standard of care that provides only a single data point hours after the test. As much as 70% of all clinical decisions are made using this process, leading to poor patient outcomes and billions of dollars in additional healthcare costs. The company’s first target is vancomycin, a drug that is commonly used in hospital ..read more

Patients with type 1 diabetes lack the ability to prodice the insulin required to regulate blood glucose levels. They require external insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Many patients use insulin pumps that require a reliable energy supply, currently met by either single-use or rechargeable batteries. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an implantable fuel cell that generates electrical energy using excess glucose in patient’s own body.  The device contains copper-based nanoparticles that break down glucose into gluconic acid and protons to generate electricity. The cell is wra ..read more

Increasing rates of chronic illnesses among U.S. adults, a growing population of people aged 65 and older, and the desire to age at home combine to drive developers to innovate passive monitoring technology to help the elderly stay safe and healthy. We’ve written about plenty of fall detection systems. At CES 2023, we saw The Sedimentum emergency system and AltumView’s Sentinaire, two home systems to protect older people. Engineers at the University of Waterloo recently demonstrated AI-driven, low-power, millimeter-wave wireless technology that detects falls and monitors seniors’ health. The ..read more

Timely diagnosis of skin cancer can reduce patient mortality and morbidity, while also cutting down healthcare costs for treatment. DermaSensor has presented the results of clinical trials for its new device that could help detect skin cancer. The company’s non-invasive tool was able to correctly classify 94% of 338 high-risk skin lesions and 23% of 1,681 low-risk lesions that were biopsied by physicians for suspicion of skin cancer. The technology uses spectroscopy and proved to be more sensitive than primary care physicians for all common skin cancers. Skin cancer is a prevalent form of can ..read more

Muscle atrophy, a condition characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, is common among patients with degenerative diseases, those who are aging, and those who experience muscle disuse. Currently, physicians rely on MRI to assess muscle deterioration, which is time-consuming and expensive for patients. Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed a wearable sensor that can detect and monitor muscle atrophy without an MRI. The study published in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering suggests that an electromagnetic sensor made from conductive “e-threads” can be ..read more

How much health-monitoring technology can you pack into a smartwatch? The medical technology company Masimo is pushing the boundaries of that answer with its upcoming Freedom smartwatch. The new device measures arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), pulse rate, heart rate, respiration rate, and more. Plus, it has fall detection. And the traditional technology you expect in a smartwatch, including calling, texting, music, and compatibility with third-party apps. Addressing ever-growing privacy concerns in an increasingly-connected world, the smartwatch has a handy privacy switch. It halts al ..read more

What does your clothing say about you? Perhaps we should update that age-old question to “What does your clothing say to you about you?” Your wardrobe may have a lot to say about your physical condition if you wear smart sportswear that can detect exhaustion. Researchers at the Swiss university ETH Zurich have created electronic yarn that measures how a body moves, designed to guard against fatigue-related injuries. While one may first think of athletics when considering fatigue-related injuries, these types of injuries are more common in the workplace. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) says ..read more