Five New Health Technologies You Wear

New health technologies you wear are proliferating at a rate that makes rabbits seem celibate by comparison. Wearable health tech created an enormous buzz at the gigantic International CES this month. It’s quite a feat to through the clutter of that meeting of well over 100,000 techies. Here are five technologies that will have a big impact on our health.

  1. Smart Contact Lenses. Google’s Project X had been the subject of intense speculation for months before the company recently unveiled this smart contact lens that monitors diabetes by measuring glucose in tears. People with diabetes who have to endure too many jabs and pinpricks already will find some welcome relief if this technology reaches the marketplace. Clinical trials are under way. Other applications, such as monitoring intraocular pressure for glaucoma are possible.Tory Burch Fitbit Design
     
  2. Activity Monitors. This very well-developed category continues to spawn tremendous innovation. Fitbit® has become one of the most recognizable brands in this space, but many others have merit and you can be sure more will come. We’ve grown well beyond simple step counting to measure everything from calories burned to sleep, and even bites of food consumed. The devices are evolving from clunky armbands into sleek fashion statements.
     
  3. Nuubo ECG MonitorECG Monitors. Wearable health tech has progressed from simple heart rate monitors to sophisticated systems for electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring. In one system, the Nuubo® nECG garment captures signals through interwoven electrode leads and a small device records and transmits the data.
     
  4. Athletic Training & Rehabilitation Monitors. Wearable tech for high performance athletic training and rehabilitation is evolving in many forms and applications. Moticon Sensor InsoleOne example is the Moticon sensor insole, which can provide detailed data for functional analysis after leg surgery or for optimizing the motion performance of a highly skilled professional athlete. This device provides data on 3D acceleration, pressure, impact, balance, and temperature, all recorded in a thin, self-contained, wireless insole.
     
  5. Remote Patient Monitors.WellAware Systems These systems may combine the capabilities of a monitor a patient wears with sensors that are integrated with their living spaces to provide detailed information on health and functional status. One example, WellAware Systems®, can monitor sleep, activities of daily living, bathroom visits, and physiologic function through an array of wireless sensors and analytical software. When subtle changes become trends that indicate a problem, caregivers or healthcare professionals are alerted to prevent serious complications. Humana recently announced a one-year pilot study to test the potential of such technology to reduce hospital readmissions in 100 Medicare patients with chronic illnesses.

 
Click here to read more about wearable tech from the Motley Fool, here to read about Google’s smart contact lenses, here to read more about activity monitors from Time, here to read about the Nuubo ECG monitor, here to read about the Moticon sensor insole, and here to read about remote patient monitoring.

Google Contact Lens, photograph courtesy of Google Inc.

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