Several companies are developing small wireless health care technologies to measure biological processes, the New York Times' "Bits" reports.
Examples of New Technologies
MC10, a Boston-based company, plans to offer "stretchable electronics" that can be placed on clothing or shoes, worn as temporary tattoos or placed inside the body. The devices can measure:
- Brain activity;
- Body temperature;
- Heart rate; and
- Hydration levels.
In addition, Proteus plans to launch a pilot program in Great Britain for a "Digital Health Feedback System" that uses both wearable technologies and microchips contained in pills.
Another company, Sano Intelligence, is evaluating ways to derive continuous data from the bloodstream using tiny needle sensors on skin patches.
Goals of the Tools
Amar Kendale, vice president of market strategy and development at MC10, in an email said the company considers itself "part of the healthcare ecosystem." He said that in the future, "data will need to be shared seamlessly between customers, providers and payers in order to reduce health care costs and simultaneously deliver the best possible care."
Proteus said it wants to use anonymized data from customers to assess health patterns for entire populations. According to Proteus, customers will be able to own and share their data, but they also must grant the company permission to use their information for the development of data sets and new products.
According to "Bits," some companies are seeking to use biological data derived from new technologies for patient-centered medical research (Hardy, "Bits," New York Times, 9/7).