HOSPITALS
that recent data shows wound infections can cost the health care system thousands of dollars per person , it ' s a win-win situation ."
Monitoring menstrual cycles British medical device company Fertility Focus launched OvuFirst this year , a wearable sensor that helps women monitor their menstrual cycles . Worn on the arm or wrist overnight , it is alleged to be over 90 % accurate at predicting ovulation , even for women with irregular cycles .
It works by measuring temperature multiple times through the night . A woman ' s body temperature tends to dip slightly just before the ovary releases an egg ; 24 hours later it rises and remains at the same level for several days .
By downloading data from the OvuFirst sensor to a synchronised app each morning , it can track the ovulation period within an eight day window .
The sensor works in a similar way to the company ' s existing product OvuSense , which is inserted like a tampon . While OvuSense is aimed at women who have been trying to conceive for a while , the wearable version is for women who are in the first months of trying to conceive , designed to be as noninvasive and simple to use as possible .
“ We took our revolutionary OvuSense patented technology proven in over 190,000 cycles of use , and used it to develop and test the most accurate skin-worn fertility monitoring sensor available on the market ,” CEO Robert Milnes explained when the product launched .
“ We are proud to offer a convenient and easy-to-use solution to assist and support women during the early stages of their fertility journey , whether that is trying to start a family , or simply learning more about their bodies and cycles .”
“ Not only have we cut down wound infection rates , we ’ ve also seen a considerable improvement in the new organ ' s function ”
DR . ALP SENER UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO
Advanced blood pressure monitoring Perhaps the most common application of wearable technology is for measuring blood pressure . The prevalence of hypertension and its associated risks ( it ' s frequently labelled " the silent killer ") makes frequent blood pressure checks vital .
Traditionally blood pressure monitors that work remotely have been uncomfortable , noisy and disruptive , until smartwatches were enabled to do this , leading to a wide variety of cuffless devices .
The technology within these devices is evolving too . Pulse Transit Time ( PTT ) is the most common type of cuffless blood pressure monitors , the Apple Watch being one example .
However PTT monitors use two sensors and need frequent calibration . PPG blood pressure monitors ( or photoplethysmography to give their full name ) only have one sensor and don ' t need to be calibrated .
46 August 2021