The U.S. FDA approved a new feature for detecting obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the Samsung Galaxy watch and smartphone, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. said on Feb. 10.
Deep learning algorithms are used to remotely monitor and track just about everything these days and now that includes ordinary and chronic cough. Hyfe Inc. has launched an AI-driven remote patient monitoring (RPM) program designed to monitor cough for a whole range of serious ailments at virtual hospitals, remote care and telehealth programs across the U.S.
Alivecor Inc. has nudged the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) into issuing a limited exclusion order for products by Apple Inc. that are said to violate patents held by Alivecor, but there is one more stage gate to go for Alivecor. The ITC order notes that the exclusion won’t go into force until resolution of an inter partes review (IPR) involving the two firms, a process that could devour as much as a year and a half before a resolution is available.
Heartbeam Inc. has been awarded a patent for what it called “the first and only” 3D-vector, 12-lead ECG platform for heart attack detection, this in conjunction with a credit card-sized device inside a consumer’s wallet for personal monitoring. The company said it can record and remotely transmit a set of cardiac signals to a physician for review so that patients at high risk of cardiac arrest are not left alone deciding if an ER visit is warranted.
Medtronic plc inked an agreement to combine its patient care technologies with a wearable, remote monitoring platform developed by Pasadena, Calif.-based Rockley Photonics Inc. The Bioptx contains compact, photonics-based sensors inside a wristband to monitor a range of biomarkers beyond standard blood pressure, heart rate, pulse oximetry and glucose levels, making Rockley and Medtronic’s development partnership, said Rockley Chair and CEO Andrew Rickman, “a terrific match.”
This year saw continued advances in smartwatches as they increasingly move from wellness assistants to medical monitors. Nowhere has that been clearer than in cardiovascular health, where multiple wearables now allow users to quickly detect atrial fibrillation, a notoriously shy condition previously only detectable in early stages by chance in a physician’s office or by wearing a cumbersome Holter monitor for 24 to 48 hours.
Jubliee Biotech Co. Ltd. is hoping to get FDA clearance with Jubiwatch, its smartwatch and medication management platform. “We aim to obtain FDA pre-submission between April and June 2022, and hopefully hit the U.S. market at the end of 2023,” Sung Kyoung Lee, CEO at Jubliee Biotech, told BioWorld.
As a counterpoint to the raft of wellness-promoting smartwatches, Purdue University and Physiq Inc. have developed a smartwatch algorithm that flags illness. A year after launching their co-development program, the two organizations reported they have created an algorithm designed for smartwatches that enables detection of early signs of infection. The algorithm is already in use in a number of Physiq’s customers’ applications, Physiq Chief Scientific Officer Stephan Wegerich told BioWorld.
Cardiacsense Ltd.’s medical watch received CE mark for the detection of atrial fibrillation and heart rate variability monitoring. The watch provides continuous, long-term monitoring of heart arrhythmias without cumbersome external devices or invasive implants. The European clearance does not require a prescription for use and will enable the Caesarea, Israel-based company to begin distribution under a number of agreements the company signed in 2020.
With an eye toward helping those potentially suffering from COVID-19, Mountain View, Calif.-based Alivecor Inc. said its six-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), known as the Kardiamobile 6L, now is allowed for use in the measurement of a patient's QTc and detection of QT prolongation. The Kardiamobile 6L enables patients to take a six-lead ECG outside a doctor’s office.
