Valencell’s technology supports wearables as well as through earbuds, referred to as hearables.
Hearables, or sensors embedded in earbuds to gather physiological data, were a noticeable presence along the rows of wearables vendors that lined the health and wellness halls of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. In a media interview at Valencell’s booth, Dr. Steven LeBoeuf, Valencell cofounder and president, noted that hearables have grabbed the attention of medical device companies interested in the potential of this technology for disease management applications.
Medical device companies are interested in hearables for a few reasons, LeBoeuf said. Some people can’t wear devices on their wrist for various reasons, earbuds are smaller and don’t draw as much attention. They also provide a way to notify people and can focus on measuring single dynamics.
Behavioral Health, Interoperability and eConsent: Meeting the Demands of CMS Final Rule Compliance
In a webinar on April 16 at 1pm ET, Aneesh Chopra will moderate a discussion with executives from DocuSign, Velatura, and behavioral health providers on eConsent, health information exchange and compliance with the CMS Final Rule on interoperability.
“For example, say you have COPD. With some diseases like this, you get cases of exacerbation. [Healthcare professionals] want a way to detect that you are about to have an exacerbation before you have to go to the hospital… This is a new opportunity, especially with the aging population,” he said.
Therapeutics is another area of interest, LeBoeuf noted. He said one company it is in talks with makes implantable devices. What’s measured on the outside of a patient can inform how the implantable operates, he observed. The implanted device can learn from the wearable better ways to work with the patient.
Valencell also plans to submit an application for a smartphone-enabled blood pressure sensor for 510(k) clearance to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the second half of the year. It is currently working with FDA consultants. But LeBoeuf shared that if approved, the product would be unlikely to hit the market until 2018 or 2019.
Valencell produces technology licensed by partners such as LG and Sony. Valencell also rolled out sensor development kits for wearables that go in the ear and on the wrist in a collaboration with semiconductor company STMicroelectronics. The kits are designed to enable partners to accelerate product development for their smart wearables.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
The SensorTiles are small Internet of Things modules that include a microcontroller, a Bluetooth Low Energy chipset, motion and environmental MEMS sensors such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pressure, temperature sensor, and a digital microphone, according to a news release.
Photo:
