Wearable clothing news : June 2018

Friday, June 29, 2018

eyeSight-Soling Collaboration Aims to Deliver Next Gen Driver Monitoring System to the Chinese Market

eyeSight Technologies, an industry leader in embedded computer vision and AI solutions, has partnered up with Soling Industrial Co., a Shenzhen-based AutomotiveTier-1 enterprise, to bring advanced driver monitoring technology to the Chinese Auto market.

A strategic cooperation entered by the two companies is aimed at using eyeSight’s driver monitoring technology to optimize vehicle safety in real-time. The joint forces will confront the common driving hazard of blind spots. It will try to track the driver’s gaze trajectory by utilizing eyeSight’s advanced gaze detection capabilities in order to understand when the driver’s vision is hindered by a blind spot. This advanced solution will trigger safety mechanisms in real-time to compensate for driver’s blind-spots and avoid hazardous situations on the road.

Additionally, eyeSight’s sensing technology will tackle the driver’s head position and gaze trajectory to get a real-time evaluation of the driver’s state which will help to determine if the driver is distracted, for example when speaking to a passenger or using the phone.

China is experiencing a high demand for driver monitoring systems. The Soling-eyeSight partnership solution, requested by several Chinese OEMs, is expected to be launched in the country in two vehicle models by 2020, and hit the market in thousands of new cars each quarter.

“We are excited to collaborate with Soling and bring to the market an advanced solution that can help save lives by tracking the driver’s state in real-time,” said eyesight CEO Gideon Shmuel. “Our market leading edge-based computer vision technology will improve the driving experience and create a safer driving environment.”

About Soling

Soling Industrial Co. was founded in 1997. This Shenzen-based company is a well-known player in the Chinese automotive industry. The company specializes in research and development, production, and sales of software and hardware for the entire automobile industry chain. Soling’s advanced hardware products including CID, full LCD cluster and advanced driver assist systems are sold in more than 60 countries worldwide.

About eyeSight Technologies

eyeSight brings user awareness and gesture recognition technologies to a range of devices and industries with its advanced Embedded Computer Vision and Deep Learning solutions. The company’s technology improves daily life experiences with the car, the home, and other consumer electronics with intelligent interactions that are responsive to the users actions. eyeSight uses advanced proprietary algorithms to improve interactions both actively, using touch-free gesture control, or by utilizing passive sensing for personalized experiences based on user identification.

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Virtual Reality Help Kids Overcome Fear of Immunization

If you are a parent then you know how difficult it is to get your kid through immunization. While it is frustrating for you, it is scary for your child as well. Children receiving vaccines are exposed to needles on numerous occasions throughout their childhood which leads to needle phobia. Needle phobia and needle anxiety may sometimes cause parents to delay scheduled visits with the doctor.

Chad Rudnick, M.D., an affiliate professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and founder of Boca VIPediatrics, decided to do something to make children overcome this fear. Dr. Rudnick got the idea for the study from an 8-year-old patient who came to his office with a virtual reality (VR) headset. The child placed the goggles on his head as Rudnick proceeded to give him an injection. Much to Rudnick’s delight, the child didn’t even flinch. Even his mother said, “Did this really happen?”

“That’s when the lightbulb went off in my head. It got me thinking whether this outcome was just a one-time incident or whether it would work again,” said Rudnick.

A previous study hypothesized that if a person is attending to another stimulus away from harmful stimulus, they will perceive that harmful stimulus as less severe, because humans have a limited capacity for attention.

So far, no studies have looked at the capacity of VR to distract kids during pediatric immunizations. So, Dr. Rudnick decided to put his theory to the test. He enrolled two pre-med students Emaan Sulaiman and Jillian Orden, in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science as the co-authors of the study.

The team decided to test the feasibility, efficiency and usefulness of using VR headsets as a way to reduce fear and pain linked with immunizations in children. Their study focused on both anticipated and actual fear, as reported by the child and their caregiver.

Dr. Rudnick recruited participants aged 6-17 for his study. The researchers used a 3-D VR headset and a smartphone app that was incorporated into the headsets giving the kids the choice of a helicopter ride, roller coaster ride or a hot-air balloon ride. With the headset on children received a single injection from Dr. Rudnick which lasted about 30 seconds.

The children were required to complete a pre- and post-questionnaire assessing fear using the McMurty Children’s Fear Scale and the Wong-Baker pain scale. Parents or guardians were also required to complete a pre- and post-questionnaire evaluating their parental perception of fear and pain using the same scales.

Results showed that both anticipated and actual fear were decreased 94.1% among the children. At the same time, same number of children said that they would like to use virtual reality headsets again for their next immunization.

The study was published in the journal Pain Management, using this technique in a pediatric setting.

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Augmented Reality and Lifestyle – Technology That Blow Will Your Mind

Augmented Reality or AR for short, is an interactive experience of a real-world environment whose elements are augmented by perceptual information generated by computer-generated. Augmented Reality is the ability to integrate digital information into a real-time experience. It is the result of utilizing technology to superimpose images, sounds and text on the world we see. At this year’s edition of the WT | Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco on July 11-12 we will highlight great thought leaders and innovators from all over the globe. The companies and their leaders speaking at the conference are listed below. Do not miss the chance to meet and listen to them in person and join us for #WTUS18!

Opter Pose is a wearable that tracks and improves your fitness, posture, sleep, ultraviolet exposure, and more. This stylish wearable is cheap. It vibrates when you slouch, tracks UV, monitors sleep, activity, and more. The battery lasts for more than 7 days. The device works to free your back from pain caused by awkward positions, improve your mood with natural light and confident posture, save your skin from premature aging and skin cancer, Boost your productivity by optimizing light levels, learn better sleep through proven habits and light tracking, and more.

Opter CEO & Co-Founder Chalisa Prarasri will be discussing the subject “Augmented Vitality: Everyday Health Reimagined” at our WT | Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco.

Taqtile offers platforms for building amazing user experiences. This Seattle, Washington-based company started its journey in 2011 with an opportunity to build mobile apps and platforms for AT&T. A year later they expanded their partner relationships with Salesforce.com and ESRI, adding Microsoft in 2013. Taqtile offers 3-D hollow maps; Manifest – a robust platform to assist workers in learning and executing complex tasks; and Pedestal, a platform that brings the design process to mixed reality, enabling collaborative holographic visualization of optimized 3D models, including annotation and markup, and IoT integration.

Dirck Schou, Co-founder and COO of Taqtile will be speaking at our WT | Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco July 11-12. His topic will be “Anyone can be an expert – augmented technologies and their ability to dramatically enhance learning and capabilities.”

Harman designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the IoT. Renowned brands like Harman Kardon®, AKG®, JBL®, Infinity®, Revel® and Mark Levinson® use Harman’s products. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems.

Chris Schoppa, Sr. Director of Smart Device Solutions and Strategies, Director of Mobile Solutions of Harman will be one of the speakers at our WT | Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco. Mr. Schoppa will discuss “Pioneering the next paradigm of experiences – how AR increases Millennial engagement and reduces information overload in consumer and enterprise scenarios.”

SKULLY Technologies designs and manufacturers AR and AI wearable technology as a part of the broader mobility interconnect. This Atlanta-Georgia-based company was founded in 2017. Skully is well-known for its smart motorcycle helmets. Skully’s Fenix AR features fiber shell, heads up display, emergency quick release straps, rear view camera, turn by turn navigation, hands-free music control, smartphone integration via Bluetooth, anti-fog visors and chin skirt.

Skully CEO John Lauten will be speaking at our WT | Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco July 11-12. He will discuss “Feature rich or feature overload? How to build the optimal wearable without the excess clutter.”

ODG is a leading wearable technology company that develops and manufactures mobile, self-contained and lightweight head-worn mixed reality smart glasses. Ralph Osterhout is the founder and CEO of ODG. This small company packs a big punch, revolutionizing today’s mobile computing hardware platforms by shifting them from handheld to head-worn. ODG is a pioneer building amazing extended reality smart glasses that deliver world-class mixed, augmented and virtual reality experiences.

Nina Shams, ODG’s VP of Headworn Products will be speaking at our WT | Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco. She will discuss “The evolution of mobile – creating the next computing platform.

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Core 77 Design Awards 2018: Covestro Materials Prize Awarded to Mira Prism AR Headset

Recognizing excellence in all areas of design enterprise, the Core77 Design Awards annually celebrates the richness of the design profession as well as the insight and perseverance of its practitioners.

This year, the award for Covestro Materials Prize was won by Mira Prism Augmented Reality headset. Covestro will be exhibiting at the WT | Wearable Technologies Show 2018 MEDICA on November 12-15.

Mira Prism, an affordable AR headset, provides Augmented Reality anywhere without the need for plugs, computers or wires. Mira Prism is sleek, wearable device that seamlessly integrates a phone as the engine and delivers a fully-immersive AR experience, and it retails at less than $100.

What makes the Prism standout from other AR headsets from the likes of Samsung Gear VR and Google DayDream, is that it doesn’t block one’s entire field of view.

Multiple users can interact in a game and make eye contact throughout, all while still watching the real world around them in full resolution.

The headset is designed by combining hard and soft materials for structure and comfort while the lenses affixed with magnets allow them to be easily detached and carry.

The neoprene canopy accommodates multiple phone models, removing the need for extra adaptors or wires. The Prism is the first of its kind.

Exceptional experiences still remain expensive and isolated in the growing VR market. However, the rapidly growing AR market with its broader applications help people in many ways without the need for existing VR solutions.

The Mira Prism AR headset is affordable. While many traditional AR systems require purchasing expensive equipment or a full PC setup, Mira Prism requires only a smartphone and a simple app, packed with contents. The headset allows people to move freely, without being tethered or hardwired to a PC. Using this technique users can activate AR virtually anywhere and interact with “holographic” like images overlaid on the real world.

About Covestro

Covestro is one of the leading producers of high-performance polymers in North America and is part of the global Covestro business, which is among the world’s largest polymer companies, with 30 production sites being run by approximately 15,600 employees worldwide. Covestro’s research, innovation and a commitment to sustainability enables them to produce high-tech polymer materials and application solutions for products used in nearly every area of daily life. The markets served by Covestro are: construction, automotive, electrical and electronics, wood processing and furniture, and medical industries, as well as sports and leisure, cosmetics and the chemical industry.

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Pomocup: The First Smart Wearable Conceived By and For Ski Tourers

Pomocup, a wearable device made for ski tourers, uses movement sensors and algorithms to analyze and understand all your ski touring moves. A partnership between POMOCA and Gait Up, both Swiss companies, resulted in Pomocup.

The device contains several sensors: 3D accelerometer, 3D gyroscope, thermometer and barometer which collect a whopping 1200 data points per second. This data combined with advanced algorithms from Gait Up enables Pomocup to calculate multiple features simultaneously.

Ease of Use

Pomocup attaches to your ski with a secure magnet and clip, then sends your touring data directly to your smartphone while you ski.

After your tour, analyze your performance in more detail with the Skilog web interface.

“For me, the Pomocup device, powered by Gait Up, is the perfect device to measure the technique, says Kilian Jornet, Ski touring & ultra-trail running world champion

About Gait Up

Gait Up Combines Sensors, Algorithms and Biometrics to Deliver Most Precise Motion Analysis.

The company believes you deserve more than step counts from wearables. That’s why they created products that revolutionize sensor-based analysis with meaningful metrics and accuracy of the highest standards. As a spin-off of the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) and the Swiss Institute of Technology of Lausanne (EPFL), Gait Up benefits from world-leading scientific expertise in motion analysis, pioneering the field for more than 18 years. The company was founded in 2013 and acquired by MindMaze in 2017.

Gait Up is the IOT/WT Innovation World Cup Winner 2017 in the category “Sports & Fitness” and add the following paragraph about the IWC.

The Innovation World Cup® Series is the world’s leading IoT competition. Thousands of contestants from over 80 countries have taken part and we would like to invite you to join the ranks of our global success stories. The IOT/WT Innovation World Cup® welcomes IoT and Wearable Technologies (WT) solutions in eight different categories and four special prizes. All solutions will be evaluated by an international panel of experts on criteria including degree of innovation, business potential and go-to-market approach.

Join now to win prizes worth over $500,000 including a cash prize of €10,000. Benefit from the unique networking, marketing opportunities and business development activities including free development kits of the partners. Accelerate your success by positioning yourself as an innovation leader in the fields of IoT and WT! REGISTRATION IS FREE OF CHARGE. You can submit your solution until 2 October 2018.

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Thursday, June 28, 2018

Senseonics Gets FDA Approval for Long-Term Implantable CGM Eversense

A device that can open a new chapter in diabetes technology has been approved by the FDA. Last week, the FDA cleared way for Eversense, a Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system that can be implanted underneath the skin in the arm. Unlike traditional CGMs that need cannula insertion, and are worn outside the body for up to 10 days before requiring replacement, the tiny device the size of a small pill can be implanted onto the skin for 90 days.

“The FDA is committed to advancing novel products that leverage digital technology to improve patient care,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a statement. “These technologies allow patients to gain better control over their health. This approval of a more seamless digital system that gives patients the ability to effectively manage a chronic disease like diabetes is a vivid illustration of the potential for these mobile platforms.”

Over 30 million people (9.4% of the population) have diabetes in the US, according to a 2017 CDC report. Over 7 million diabetics remain undiagnosed, and for adults, the risks for getting diabetes increases significantly with age. Among people aged 65 or over, more than 24% have diabetes, and millions more are impacted by the struggle to control their glucose levels.

A landmark 2015 analysis of 46 different type 2 diabetes studies found hypoglycemia to be especially prevalent among those taking insulin, affecting 50 percent of those with diabetes averaging 23 incidents per year.

Senseonics President and CEO Tim Goodnow said the approval took a little while because the implantable CGM is novel and the FDA chose to convene a panel meeting of medical experts.

This new clearance applies to an older version of Senseonics device, which covers the 90-day monitoring model, whereas the version in the European markets lasts for 180 days.

The Eversense CGM System comprises of a fluorescence-based sensor, a Bluetooth transmitter for data communication and a mobile app that displays glucose levels, trends and alerts. The sensor lasts up to 3 months and needs to be inserted subcutaneously in the upper arm by a physician in a brief in-office procedure. Traditional CGMs require patients to self-administer insertions of the sensors weekly or biweekly. Additionally, CGM’s transmitter can be removed and recharged without discarding the sensor.

Unlike in Europe, where Senseonics has commercialized its devices through a partnership with Roche, in the United States it will sell directly to endocrinologists.

Goodnow said his company expects to have the first device in patients’ hands by the end of July.

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These Smart Clothes Sell Your Data and Make You Earn Money

LOOMIA, a Brooklyn, NY-based smart-textile startup has developed a material that, when connected to sensors, can heat up and emit light.

Loomia envisions that your stylish ankle boots will automatically detect when it’s cold out and heat up to keep your feet warm. Or maybe your favorite designer jacket will light up at night, ensuring that motorists can see you while you ride your bike.

The material is identical to nylon and can be sewn into clothes as seamlessly as a care tag. So far, it has been used in prototypes for household brands including Calvin Klein and The North Face.

“The electronic layering is essentially a drapable, crease-able, stretchable circuit board,” explains Madison Maxey, the founder and chief technology officer of LOOMIA. Before joining LOOMIA, Maxey worked as a master seamstress at a French tailor. In 2013, at the age of 25, she won a Thiel fellowship to pursue advancements in textiles and fashion, and founded her own studio, The Crated. A year later, software company Autodesk made her the artist in residence. It was during that time that she began to experiment with conductive link.

Using conductive ink, circuits can be connected without the need for wiring. In the past, most ink solutions were rigid, making it hard to attach a circuit directly into clothes, and when attached, it would make the fabric heavy and clunky. Maxey’s metal compound has the consistency of Spandex, which she used as the basis for electronic layering. She added a resistive heater to the circuit and it became a self-heating fabric, connected to a slim, tag-like battery which keeps it charged for two years. In 2016, Maxey rebranded The Crated to LOOMIA and hired long-time friend Janett Liriano as CEO.

The duo soon realized that electronic layering could do more than just react to the environment; it could also be used to gather data.

Loomia’s heated boots with built-in sensors can detect when it’s cold out and heat up your feet. (Image: LOOMIA)

“There probably isn’t a better way to track your motion than by using your clothes,” says Liriano. But they weren’t interested in making a Fitbit-style wearable, and they were uncomfortable with the security and privacy issues around storing personal.

So, they created LOOMIA TILE: a wearable device that can be stitched into the seams of clothing and connected to sensors. It gathers data as someone wears it. “With the tag and its sensors, we know when this jacket is moving, that it’s 20°C, that you’ve worn it seven times this month,” says Liriano.

Fashion companies could be benefited by this type of data by learning how often a person wear and wash products, for example.

When the user wants to share their data, they can scan the TILE with their phone and submit the information to Storj. Brands will then pay users for their data in LOOMIA’s cryptocurrency tokens, created on the Ethereum blockchain. Using these tokens customers can purchase goods through the TILE app.

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Flexcon Eyeing Opportunities in the Wearable Device Market

With the help of various wearable devices, from fitness trackers to smart clothing, measuring and monitoring vital health signs has become easy. Not too long ago, a visit to the doctor’s chamber for heart checkup used to be an event to watch ECG being printed on a paper. But today, a smartwatch offers a range of health services starting from monitoring steps, Oxygen, calorie intake, sleep, stress, and metabolism-all in real-time.

Wearable medical device makers need adhesives to keep their wearable device stuck to the user without injuring their skin. Spencer, Massachusetts-based Flexcon sees an opportunity in this market.

FLEXcon is a global manufacturer of pressure-sensitive film products for applications that include indoor and outdoor advertising, barcoded labels, product identification and safety/hazard labels, primary labels and bonding/mounting. FLEXcon also develops custom solutions to meet unique converting or application needs. The company has operations throughout North America and Europe, with distribution worldwide.

“Flexcon as a company has been focused on the graphics and labels business for 60 years. Now we see a core capability that we have in coating adhesives on films that can be used in a different way,” Shaun McDonough, medical market development specialist at Flexcon, told Medical Design & Outsourcing earlier this year.

Flexcon is endorsing its ISO 10993 and certified Dermaflex product line featuring biocompatible adhesives that are safe for applying on skin. Dermaflex’s potential applications include electrodes, medical tapes, surgical drapes, medical drapes and diagnostic components.

McDonough says that big challenge in adhesives and wearables is that skin is a very tough substrate compared with, for example, a car or a wall.

“Skin is so different,” he says. “It’s ever-changing. It’s continually regenerating, dying, sloughing off, sweating, and having oil coming out of the pores.”

Also, add to the mix the elasticity of skin and the constant movement of the human body.

“If you don’t have not only the right adhesive but also the right film to go with the adhesive, you’re setting up your application for failure,” McDonough said. “You need adhesive and film construction that’s going to match the elasticity of the skin but also robust enough that it’s not going to peel off at the first sign of picking.”

There’s a fine line between making a lasting bond on the skin and causing skin damage. Picking a conformable and stretchable film raises the odds of the adhesive sticking to the skin.

As type of skin varies from person to person, Flexcon and other adhesive providers test their adhesive’s robustness on stainless steel. While high- and low-density polyethylenes are also used for testing, it doesn’t provide the real-world feel.

“It’s a constant battle within the industry to find the right testing method to reflect the wearability the length of time, the strength of the adhesive on someone’s skin,” McDonough said.

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Long-awaited AirPower Charging Mat by Apple Rumored to Ship in September

The long-awaited AirPower wireless charger by Apple may finally appear in market in September following astonishing disclosures about the reasons for this extraordinary delay.

Bloomberg reports that the AirPower, announced alongside the iPhone X in 2017, has been delayed because of numerous “technical hurdles,” including overheating, problems with circuitry and software requiring additional engineering time. The report claimed, the problems have arisen from Apple essentially overengineering the device.

Previous rumors suggested Apple would launch AirPower in March, but a WWDC keynote and an iPad education event both came and went without any mention of this wireless charging system. According to Bloomberg, Apple is now aiming to start selling its AirPower wireless charging mat before or in September.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said:

“Apple didn’t say when in 2018 it would release AirPower, but engineers hoped to launch the charger by June. The aim now is to put it on sale before or in September, according to one of the people. In recent months, some Apple engineers have ramped up testing of the device by using it as their charger at the office, another person said.”

Among the issues, the number one problem is AirPower’s ability to charge up to three different Apple devices at once, specifically an iPhone, an Apple Watch and AirPods. These devices with different-sized batteries require different charging sensors. Rather than allocating specific space on the pad for each device, the tech giant instead has been trying to merge the sensors into one, allowing users to place any of their devices anywhere on the pad.

The second issue, says the report, is that a custom chip designed by Apple runs a bare bones version of its iOS to manage on-device power management and pairing with devices being charged. The chip, along with software bugs, causes the AirPower to overheat.

Wireless battery charges do not normally require processors and OS to work. Apple uses a Qi-standard base station charger, which contains power transmitter made up of a transmitting coil that produces an oscillating magnetic field that charges a device in its range.

The report also claims Apple is considering removing the Lightning Port from the iPhone X completely.

It makes sense for the company to push the AirPower release date to September. By doing so, Apple will have a chance to reintroduce the device alongside this year’s iPhone and iPad Pro product lines. Each is expected to feature wireless charging capabilities, while the iPad Pro will offer it for the first time.

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Smart Clothes Are Available At a Store Near You, Choose the One That Fits You the Best

Smart clothing or E-textiles first appeared in 2015. Companies are slowly adopting this novel concept of connected garments. Smart clothes are more than just gadgets adorning our wrists, ears, faces and feet, they can track our heart, monitor our emotions and even pay for the morning coffee – all with the help of embedded sensors in these clothes.

Listed below are some of the top smart clothes in the market.

Nadi X Yoga Pants

Yoga can be a difficult practice if you don’t know the proper movements. You can join a yoga class to learn how to perfect those moves, or you can wear Nadi X pants. Sydney-based startup Wearable X, whose CEO Billie Whitehouse will be speaking at our WT | Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco on July 11-12, wants to help you achieve flawless yoga moves. Nadi X comes with built-in haptic vibrations that gently pulse at the hips, knees and ankles to encourage you to move and/or hold positions. The smart pants sync up via Bluetooth to your phone and, through the companion app, gives you additional feedback. They come in four sizes – XS, S, M, L – and four styles – Midnight, Midnight with black, Black/White with mesh and Navy/Gray with mesh. Price: $179.

Supa Powered Sports Bra

SUPA, finalist of the IOT/WT Innovation World Cup 2018, is a smart bra that mixes neon, a heart rate monitor and Artificial Intelligence. Launched by Sabine Seymour’s fashion tech startup, SUPA is water resistant and syncs to the Supa.AI app via Bluetooth. Using invisible biometric sensors and AI, this smart bra monitors your workout, and at the same time tracks UV levels. SUPA comes in three sizes and three distinct styles. Price: $120 (Supa Bra) / $60 (Supa Reactor).

AIO Smart Sleeve

After failing to launch a Kickstarter campaign, Komodo Technologies managed to unveil its compression sleeve that uses electrocardiogram (ECG) technology to monitor heart rate activity.

Komodo Technologies was one of the speakers and exhibitors at the WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2017 USA and finalist of the IOT/WT Innovation World Cup 2017.

The sleeve not only offers accurate heart rate data, but also monitors work intensity and sleep. It comes in 2 different models. The sensors in its module monitors body temperature, air quality and UV rays. According to AIO, the compression sleeve can measure stress levels and even help detect heart inflammation and coronary heart disease as well. Price starts from $116.

Athos

Although based on extravagant medical tech, Athos is actually designed for gym rats. The micro-EMG sensors woven in these training clothes can detect which muscles you’re utilizing during workout and transfer this data to a smartphone via a Bluetooth core.

Athos was one of the speakers at the WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2014 EUROPE.

After tracking heart rate, breathing and muscle effort, the app provides insights to help you to exercise properly and avoid injury. Price: $398.

Sensoria Running Socks 2.0

Sensoria, winner of the IOT/WT Innovation World Cup 2013, brings you second gen smart socks to monitor your runs in detail, providing info on distance, pace, and time as well as your running style. These connected socks can help athletes run with better form with the help of a new AI coach, which can lead to faster times and a reduced injury risk. The three textile pressure sensors featured in these socks measure the pressure placed on the foot during running. Price: $199.

Neopenda Smart Baby Hat

Neopenda, finalist of the IOT/WT Innovation World Cup 2017, launched smart hat for newborn babies that can monitor vital signs such as heart rate, body temperature, respiratory rate and blood oxygen saturation. The hat is being developed by New York-based health startup of the same name, founded by Sona Shah and Teresa Cauvel, two Columbia University biomedical engineering graduates. Up to 24 baby hats can be wirelessly synced, via Bluetooth, and send data to a tablet, allowing doctors and nurses check up on the vital signs of all the babies in the room at a glance.

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Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Here’s everything we know about the upcoming Samsung Gear S4 smartwatch

Rumors are gathering about the Samsung Gear S4 smartwatch, a follow-up to the 2016 Gear S3. There's a chance it may arrive in August, and feature improved sleep tracking, as well as a proprietary Samsung processor.

The post Here’s everything we know about the upcoming Samsung Gear S4 smartwatch appeared first on Digital Trends.

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Stretchable, Bendable Electronic Circuits Could Give Way to Flexible Electronics

Chinese scientists have developed an innovative hybrid material – part elastic polymer, part liquid metal – that can stretch, bend, and has the potential for wearable circuits and biocompatible electronics. The material can be cast in most two-dimensional shapes and, can be totally non-toxic.

“These are the first flexible electronics that are at once highly conductive and stretchable, fully biocompatible, and able to be fabricated conveniently across size scales with micro-feature precision,” says senior author Xingyu Jiang, professor at the National Centre for Nanoscience and Technology in China.

“We believe that they will have broad applications for both wearable electronics and implantable devices.”

The researchers didn’t use materials normally seen in circuits, such as copper, gold, or silver. The novel material, known as a metal-polymer conductor (MPC), features thick lumps of gallium and indium that sit within a silicon-based polymer substrate, and the metal part of the mix carries electric charges – handling the ‘circuit’ part.

The scientists further compared MPC to liquid metal islands “floating in a sea of polymer.” A liquid mantle underneath allows for the material to be fully conductive.

The team successfully tested various MPC formulations in numerous applications – from sensors in wearable keyboard gloves to electrodes embedded in cells. They note that these MPCs can be used in a number of applications.

“We cast super-elastic polymers to make MPCs for stretchable circuits. We use biocompatible and biodegradable polymers when we want MPCs for implantable devices,” says first author Lixue Tang.

“In the future, we could even build soft robots by combining electroactive polymers.”

The researchers also believe the MPC manufacturing method they developed, which involves screen printing and microfluidic patterning, can be used to produce any two-dimensional geometry. The material can also handle various thicknesses and electric attributes, which are a consequence of metal concentration in the circuits. The team believes the versatility could allow them to quickly manufacture flexible circuits for a variety of uses, from wearable tech to bioimplants.

According to Jiang, biocompatibility was a principal concern, and it creates a wide range of applications beyond elementary wearable devices.

“We wanted to develop biocompatible materials that could be used to build wearable or implantable devices for diagnosing and treating disease without compromising quality of life,” Jiang said. “We believe that this is a first step toward changing the way that cardiovascular diseases and other afflictions are managed.”

The study was published in a recent issue of the interdisciplinary journal iScience.

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Qualcomm’s newest smartwatch chips are made just for kids

Qualcomm is launching itself head-first into the future with the release of a series of smartwatch chips meant exclusively for children's smartwatches, aimed at educating and protecting the next generation.

The post Qualcomm’s newest smartwatch chips are made just for kids appeared first on Digital Trends.

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Tiny Sensors Pave Way For New Wearable Medical Diagnostic Devices

Australian National University (ANU) researchers have created tiny optical sensors that open the door to developing wearable medical devices that allow doctors to diagnose people’s health in real time.

The sensors are 50 times thinner than a human hair, and are intended to allow doctors and patients manage various chronic diseases like diabetes.

“These ultra-small sensors could be integrated into a watch to literally provide a window on our health,” said Associate Prof. Dr Antonio Tricoli, leader of the Nanotechnology Research Laboratory at the ANU Research School of Engineering.

“This exciting invention shows that we are on the cusp of designing the next generation of wearable devices that will help people to stay well for longer and lead better lives.”

The sensors are able to measure very small concentrations of gases called metabolites, which are discharged through breath and skin, helping to monitor people’s health.

Dr. Tricoli said these biomarkers of disease could be tracked by simply using a pulse of light, and it doesn’t require batteries, wires or expensive lab equipment. He believes a wearable device using these tiny sensors may one day eliminate the need for blood tests and other invasive procedures.

The new sensors are better than other types being developed for wearable medical devices because they could detect metabolites in much smaller accumulations and work at room temperature, according to Zelio Fusco, a PhD scholar in Dr Tricoli’s lab.

“The beauty of our sensors is that they are super versatile and can be integrated into different technologies for applications ranging from medical diagnosis, farming and space exploration,” said Mr Fusco.

“Our sensors could be developed to detect whether a plant has a particular disease or a fruit is ripe, for example.”

Co-researcher Dr Mohsen Rahmani said what helps these sensors detect gas molecules at very low concentrations are their unique properties created in combination of very small gold nanostructures with semiconductors.

“As the sensors are ultra-small and ultra-light, they could potentially be fitted to micro-satellites or tiny spacecraft that could help in the hunt for life on distant planets, by telling us if there are trace organic molecules of living organisms on distant planets,” said Dr Rahmani, who’s also an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Research Fellow at the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering.

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Medtronic’s Smartphone-Connected CGM System Gets FDA Approval

Medtronic’s Guardian Connect, a smartphone-connected continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM) for people with diabetes, has received FDA approval. This is the first standalone CGM system to help diabetics keep ahead of high and low glucose levels as it transmits directly to the iPhone without the help of any other receiver. The device will greatly benefit patients who use multiple daily injections (MDI) for their insulin.

“Despite proven benefits and advances in technology, only a minority of insulin-using people with diabetes currently use continuous glucose monitors (CGM),” Dr. Timothy Bailey, director of the AMCR Institute and clinical associate professor at UC San Diego told Medtronic. “Newer sensors paired with intelligent algorithms that help to both predict and understand glucose excursions, particularly hypoglycemia, will make diabetes safer and more comprehensible for people who inject insulin. Greater utilization of smarter CGM systems promises to allow our patients to achieve more glycemic time-in-range and to further reduce the risk of hypoglycemia.”

The Guardian Connect is designed to help people aged 14-75. The system is comprised of the Guardian Sensor 3 and attached transmitter, which collects and sends glucose data through Bluetooth to the Guardian Connect app on a user’s smartphone continuously. The app can warn patients about high or low blood sugar 60 minutes in advance of a hyper – or hypoglycemic event.

The IBM Watson-powered Sugar.IQ recommendation system, included in the app, provides users personalized recommendations about diet and exercise based on their glucose readings and self-reported data.

Benefits of the Guardian Connect system

Customized predictive alerts (from ten minutes up to one hour) gives users enough time to respond
Blood glucose readings that are easy to share with family
Free SMS alerts for day and night
Lowered risks of hypoglycemia events
Sleek design and lightweight (half the weight of other real-time CGM systems).
Water proof (up to 7.5 feet for 10-minute periods)
Access to the Sugar.IQ system
Rechargeable, re-useable, long-life technology

The system does not work with Insulin Pumps, however, you can share data with healthcare professionals by automatic syncing.

Medtronic plans to launch Guardian Connect in the U.S. between May and July of this year. The system has been available in Europe since in July 2016.

About Medtronic

Medtronic is one of the largest medical technology, services and solutions companies in the world. Based in Dublin, Ireland, the company is helping millions of people around the world ease pain, restore health and extend life. The company’s 84,000 employees serve hospitals, doctors and patients in 160 countries across the globe.

Find more innovative healthcare solutions at our WT | Wearable Technologies Show 2018 MEDICA on November 12-15.

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Conformal 3D-Shaped Coatings Could Be a Game-Changer in Conductive Ink Business

In conductive ink business, a leading frontier is conformal coating on 3D-shaped objects. A report titled “Conductive Ink Markets 2018-2028: Forecasts, Technologies, Players” explains growing trends of 2 categories of conductive inks: Aerosol-deposited 3D-shaped antennas, and 2. Conformal on-chip EMI shielding.

Aerosol deposition

Aerosol deposition is controlled digitally and has fewer process steps and a lower machine footprint compared to the main competition LSD (laser direct structure).

The aerosol-compatible conductive inks are made up of mainly of nano-sized or sub-micron particles. The particle size distribution of this type need to be tightly-controlled so that the jetted lines remain uniform. An ongoing development is enhancing the adhesion and achieving higher conductivity levels at lower temperatures and shorter curing times.

Today, numerous industrial scale aerosol machines have been installed globally, opening the entry points to ink sales.

Sprayed on-chip conformal EMI shielding

EMI (electromagnetic interference) is amongst the hottest trends in the conductive ink business. It is a growing topic in electronic devices which sees multiple ICs packaged in a small space. Although, bulky and inexpensive metallic cages could be used in EMI shielding, it would make the devices thicker rendering them unacceptable to consumers. A thin conductive ink applied conformally on the chip makes it thinner, but a little expensive.

This type has already been used in iPhone 7 where several ICs have such coatings. These coatings are based on sputtered silver. Sputtering is a method that delivers highly conductive EMI shielding performance.

Ink spraying, on the other hand, is viable and very attractive compared to sputtering. This is because unlike sputtering, a non-vacuum process of spraying can be easily scaled to large areas. Moreover, this low-cap deposition mechanism delivers highly conformal coverage with superb side-wall coverage. Also the inks can be properly formulated to enhance adhesion.

The coated lines may not be as conductive as well-sputtered thin film coating, which is solid in appearance. Nano inks would offer high conductivity and higher thinness but would cost more. Micron-sized spherical-type particles are not as conductive, although cheap. Hybrid versions might hit the sweet spot but that must be proven in evaluations.

Despite some drawbacks, the demand is very strong especially in China and the market is now eagerly awaiting a proper reference. Indeed, success in spraying ink market could change the fortunes of many conductive ink technologies.

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Tuesday, June 26, 2018

What’s VO2 Max and Why is it Essential for Fitness Freaks?

If you’ve used a fitness tracker or running watch, you likely have seen on the display something called a ‘VO2 Max’ score. VO2 Max is all the rage in wearable technology right now.

What exactly is VO2 Max?

VO2 stands for V=volume, 02 = Oxygen, Max=maximum, hence VO2 Max is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption measured during incremental exercise. Maximal oxygen consumption reflects the cardiorespiratory fitness of an individual and is an important determinant of their endurance capacity during prolonged exercise. As VO2 Max level changes and increases as you start exercising, it is the level at which the amount of oxygen you processes hits its maximum and plateaus.

Which devices track VO2 Max?

You have a choice of numerous wearables if you want to track your VO2 max up close. The most famous brands are: Fitbit Charge 2, Fitbit Ionic and high-end Garmin devices like the Garmin Forerunner 935, Fenix 5, and older devices such as the Fenix 3 HR, Forerunner 235, Garmin Forerunner 735XT and the Garmin Forerunner 630 (with a chest strap). Vivosmart 3 fitness tracker and the Huawei Watch 2 offers it as well.

Other brands with VO2 Max are Jabra Sport Pulse and the Jabra Sport Elite smart earbuds, which utilize VO2 Max as part of their line-up of metrics, as does the all-star Polar V800 (with chest strap), Suunto Ambit3, Suunto 3 Fitness and the Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR.

Why is it important for fitness buffs?

Outside factors do not affect VO2 Max, and while it perform a different job of training by heart rate, it’s a valuable tool for gauging your fitness, according to Shane Harman, Fitness and wellness product manager or Garmin.

“VO2 Max is displayed as a number, anywhere from 40-80 (the total milliliters of oxygen that you can process per minute). You can therefore understand in black and white your current level of fitness,” said Harman.

“By implementing training you should hopefully see that number increase. If it is not increasing, your training is not having the desired effect and you can look to make some changes,” he continued.

How accurate are VO2 Max estimates?

Wearable tech is based on a lot of estimations, often compromises accuracy for convenience. That’s exactly the case here, where a precise VO2 Max test is expensive, grueling and uncomfortable.

The data currently available do not cover all VO2 Max devices, but in its white paper report, Firstbeat claimed a 95% accuracy, based on 2,690 runs from 79 individuals. That sounds like a a pretty decent compromise, given the simplicity of retrieving the data.

“In a vast majority of the measurements, the error was below 3.5 ml/kg/min and the error was evenly distributed around the mean value. For perspective, the error in a typical indirect sub-maximal test is 10-15% and in a direct laboratory test about 5%,” the Fitbit report said.

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Dissecting The Wearable Tech Ecosystem to Get a Glimpse on a Product’s Life Cycle

To achieve excellent functionality, a wearable device not only requires a good hardware but also an excellent user interface for optimized customer experience. For example, a patch needs to undergo tests to make sure it doesn’t cause allergies on the wearer’s skin. You may need an experienced ODM to build your product, a partnership with a powerful agency to help you with advertising and consultation, and a good retailer to sell your product. AT Wearable Technologies, we bring you the entire ecosystem of wearable tech. You can find some of our partners from the wider WT ecosystem in our exhibition area at the WT | Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco on July 11-12. Do not miss the chance to meet them in person and join us for #WTUS18!

Founded in 1999, Averna is a leader in Test & Quality solutions, delivering innovative test expertise and quality solutions for numerous clients in wide-ranging industries around the world. The company partners with product designers, developers and OEMs to help them achieve higher product quality. Averna’s expertise include Innovative test, RF & Microwave, Fiber optics, Vision inspection, Robotics & Motion, Precision assembly and Automated solutions that deliver substantial technical, financial and market benefits for its clients in the consumer electronics industry, among others. Averna possesses numerous industry certifications such as ISO and ITAR registration. Averna’s solutions facilitate brand protection, accelerate time to market, and reduce test costs. The industries served by Averna include: Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Transportation, Consumer Electronics, Life Sciences, Semiconductors and Telecomm Infrastructure.

Voler Systems specializes in medical devices, sensors, motion control, and wireless communication. The company manufactures wearable devices, IoT devices, home health devices, and devices for the aging, among others. Since 1979, clients have turned to Voler for reliable new products involving sensors and measurement electronics. With specific knowledge about sensors, medical devices, wireless communication, and power management for battery operated devices, Voler delivers quality products on time and within budget. Voler’s design process mitigates technical risk, and the products are easily manufactured. Based in Sunnyvale, California, Voler provides full-service R&D consulting from concept to moving new products into production without problems. Voler’s clients include: Altera, Alter-G, Applied Biosystems, Applied Materials, Aurora Flight Sciences, BAE Systems, Boeing, Boston Scientific, ImetRx, Intel, JDS Uniphase, Lockheed Martin, Maxon Lift, Merck, NASA Ames, Northrop Grumman, OK International, Onda, Orbital Sciences, Philips Healthcare, Pioneer Speakers, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Radiant Medical, Rain Bird, San Francisco Muni, Sandia Labs, Savi Technology, Siemens, Spectra Physics, Stanford University, Tecan, Teikoku Pharma, Thoratec, Tyco Valves, US Bureau of Reclamation, University of California at Davis, Voyage Medical, Zosano and many more.

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Sonion-Valencell Collaboration Aims to Make Biometrics Universal in Hearables and Hearing Health Markets

Sonion, a leading provider of micro acoustic, specialty earphones and hearing instruments solutions, and Valencell, the leading innovator in wearable biometric sensor technology, announced a strategic partnership that will increase the limits for the use of biometric sensors in the ear. Valencell’s role in the partnership will be to provide the most advanced biometric sensor modules for hearables and wearables in the industry, which Sonion will optimize for size, power consumption and cost for in-ear and on-ear applications. The companies aim to work together to design, develop and manufacture biometric sensing ear modules for the hearing health, medical, consumer and professional communications markets.

Wearable Technologies reported last month that the collaboration of these two companies raised $10.5M in Series E Funding.

“I am truly excited about the partnership with Valencell,” says Jesper Ahlmann Funding Andersen, President & CEO of Sonion. “We are bringing the best of two worlds together. Biometric sensing is the next big thing for many of our customers, making the ear-level devices truly multi-functional. Joining forces with the global leader in this field – Valencell – brings accuracy and the possibility to add innovative new metrics to the products we develop for our customers, including advanced medical monitoring. We look forward to together setting a new standard for what is possible.”

Biometric sensor developed by Valencell

The markets for hearables and hearing health devices are both predicted to experience a steady growth. According to IDC, the consumer hearables segment will grow at 48% CAGR through 2022, while according to orbisresearch.com, the hearing health market will increase 22% over the same period.

Under the strategic partnership, Sonion will launch an extensive collection of sensor modules for various applications in the ear and Valencell will continue developing its innovative portfolio of advanced and accurate biometric sensor capabilities. As part of the sensor modules, Sonion will integrate its world class balanced armature speakers.

Using its manufacturing expertise in miniaturized components for ear-based devices, Sonion will be able to reduce the size, cost and power consumption of photoplethysmography (PPG)-based sensors for continuous blood pressure, heart rate, and other medical monitoring and fitness/wellness related functionalities into hearables, hearing aids and other ear-level devices.

About Sonion

Owned by Novo Holdings A/S, Sonion A/S is a global leader in microacoustics and micromechanics for hearing health and other ear-level devices. Headquartered in Roskilde, Denmark, the company employs over 5.500 employees across locations in Denmark, Holland, Poland, USA, China, Vietnam and Philippines.

About Valencell

Valencell, founded in 2006, is a US-based biometric technology company that develops biometric sensor technology for wearables and hearables. The company also provides its patent-protected technology to consumer electronics manufacturers in various industries. Valencell was co-founded by a team of scientists and engineers. Michael Dering is the Chairman, CEO and Dr. Steven LeBoeuf is the President and co-founder. Since inception, the company has won more than $3 million in government grants and has raised more than $35 million in venture funding.

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Scientists Develop Self-Healing Electrically Conductive Hydrogel

An innovative electrically conductive hydrogel that can stretch, flex, and self-heal when cut and reattached, has been developed by researchers at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. The invention can be helpful in a variety of applications including wearable electronics, wound healing patches, and touch-sensitive robotics.

Smart patches are gaining popularity in the wearable market. These patches can be used in drug delivery, sports, or patient monitoring. Smart patches will also be a big topic at our upcoming WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2018 USA.

The new material was created by combining a water-infused hydrogel with a metal-carbide compound called MXene. The gel is so flexible that it can stretch by up to 3400 percent before returning to its original size. The versatility of this material enables it to reattach itself after being cut into pieces, and it can easily adhere to skin. However, the crucial feature of this new material is that it can act as a highly sensitive strain sensor.

“The material’s differing sensitivity to stretching and compression is a breakthrough discovery that adds a new dimension to the sensing capability of hydrogels,” said Yizhou Zhang, one of the researchers involved in the study.

Subtle changes in the human body is picked up by the gel, which then converts them to electrical signals. For example, a thin wedge of the gel attached to a person’s forehead can sense changes in facial expression. The scientists believe the material has the potential to be used in severely paralyzed people to help them communicate and control electronic equipment, such as a wheelchair or prosthetic limb.

The researchers were able to record the speech of participants by attaching the gel to their throat, which transmitted electrical signals. This suggests the material could be useful in speech enhancement technology for those with speech difficulties.

The gel can also be used as a flexible wound covering or an internal dressing for organs in the body. As the material is responsive, it could monitor the shape and volume of the tissue it covers, and potentially release drugs in response to tissue specific cues, providing a smart drug delivery device.

About KAUST

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is a private research university located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. Founded in 2009, the University provides research and graduate training programs in English as the official language of instruction. It is the first mixed-gender university campus in Saudi Arabia. KAUST advances science and technology through distinctive and collaborative research integrated with graduate education.

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Monday, June 25, 2018

Apple working on new AirPods, a HomePod, and high-end headphones for 2019

Rumors around new and improved music devices and smart speakers have been swirling for months now, and it would appear that Apple is now making moves to bring these highly anticipated, upgraded devices to life.

The post Apple working on new AirPods, a HomePod, and high-end headphones for 2019 appeared first on Digital Trends.

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OHSU Clinical Trial Seeks to Revolutionize Concussion Treatment With the Help of Wearable Device

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is seeking to revolutionize treatment for traumatic brain injuries and concussions with a clinical trial where sensors are used to track a patient’s balance.

Nearly 1.5 million people suffer concussions each year and among these people more than 20% continue to have symptoms months or even years after the injury.

Dr. Laurie King, an associate professor of neurology at OHSU, is trying to design a more effective course of treatment for these patients.

Department of Defense provided $6.6 million in grant for the funding for the trial, which challenges the notion that patients need a set amount of rest before starting with physical activity. The trial aims to get people back on their feet and back to their normal lives more quickly.

“There is evidence for the first couple days a person should rest and try to recover, but the extended rest period, there’s not good scientific evidence that that’s the best thing to do for recovery,” said Dr. King.

Therefore, Dr. King decided to use sensors to monitor a patient’s balance which help them start physical therapy.

Shawn Postera suffered a concussion this year. After suffering near-constant nausea for months, Postera underwent this trial. She said she noticed a difference in how she felt a couple weeks after beginning the trial, and her condition has improved even more since then.

“I’ve gone from being nauseated all of the time to never being nauseated. And I’m able to ride my bike, and I’m able to take public transit,” said Postera.

Dr. King is in the third year of her initial clinical trial. She will soon begin another trial, also funded by the DOD, which observes patients who are newly diagnosed with concussions.

About OHSU

OHSU is the only academic health center in the state of Oregon, and also well-known nationally as a university dedicated solely to advancing health sciences. The university concentrates its resources research to prevent and cure disease, on education that prepares physicians, dentists, nurses and other health professionals to succeed in an evolving health care environment, and on patient care that incorporates the latest knowledge and discoveries.

This Portland-based institution has 16,000 employees. OHSU is the top-ranked adult and children’s hospitals in Oregon; it secures competitive research funding of more than $400 million a year. As a public organization, OHSU provides community outreach and services for Oregon’s most vulnerable populations.

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HoloSuit by Kaaya Tech Features Full Body/Hands Motion Tracker with Haptic Feedback

Kaaya, a new startup has developed a motion capture (MoCap) suit called HoloSuit which not only offers motion capture, but haptic feedback as well.

The HoloSuit system includes a jacket with sensors in the arms. The rest of the sensors are fitted in the legs and hips of a pair of pants, and a pair of gloves with sensors for all 10 digits. The electronics are removable, making it easy for you to machine wash the suit.

It virtualizes your entire body and allows you to interact with the 3-D spaces around you naturally by touching the nearby objects pointing to the faraway objects and feeling those objects through the haptic feedback. This works similarly the way capacitive touch interacts with 2-D screens.

The suit captures your entire body motion, including fingers, head and foot, and can transfer it to an avatar or robot in real time. This allows humans to operate humanoid robots leveraging the same tools which are built for humans in firefighting, nuclear disaster, or hostage rescue situations.

Holosuit replaces expensive physical simulators for defense equipment like submarines, fighter jets with virtual training environments where you can get trained either through holosuit AI or by remote trainers wearing holosuits who are sharing the same virtual space. This allows your body’s muscle memory to be fully trained by operating in the same physical space and getting real time feedback for virtual interactions through haptic sensors.

There are 2 HoloSuit configurations offered by Kaay Tech. The basic model has 26 sensors, which is more than what most MoCap suits offer, while the higher-end version has 36 sensors.

While other MocCap makers are targeting video games industry or Hollywood, Kaaya Tech sees an opportunity for their HoloSuit to be used in physical training simulations for dangerous industrial jobs, such as factory lines and heavy machinery operators. The HoloSuit can also be an excellent sports training tool, according to the company.

The HoloSuit can help you tremendously with your golf swing and let you know exactly where to improve your form.

Kaaya Tech has already partnered up with professional golf, cricket, and yoga trainers to develop training simulation software. Indian military is another field where HoloSuit sees opportunity, so the company is working with them to create a submarine training simulator. The company is also working with a 10th dan (highest rank in Karate) from Okinawa to create a HoloSuit karate training simulator.

Kaaya Tech says Holosuit will cause a paradigm change the way you interact with the 3-D spaces.

The HoloSuit isn’t available in market yet, but Kaaya Tech is accepting orders through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, and it expects to start shipping in November.

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Innovative Tools and Services for Healthcare

Are you in healthcare? If you are then you know how important it is to have the right medical supplies for your patients. At our upcoming WT | Wearable Technologies Conference in San Francisco on July 11-12, several leading companies will be showcasing innovative products and tools related to the healthcare industry. The companies listed here provide solutions on silicones to polymers and wound dressings to clean room converting. Do not miss the chance to meet them in person and join us for #WTUS18!

PolyOne Distribution, a premier provider of specialized polymer materials and services, offers more than 4,000 grades of resins, including PolyOne’s engineered polymer formulations, and a comprehensive set of support services. This Avon Lake, Ohio-based company provides solutions for colorants, additives, engineered materials, thermoplastic elastomers, and more. From product development and manufacturing support to on-time delivery and supply chain optimization, PolyOne can respond rapidly to the most challenging questions. PolyOne offers more than 35,000 polymer solutions to over 10,000 customers across the globe. In 2016, they had sales of $3.3 billion, 35% of which were to customers outside the United States.

With over 3,000 silicone products, WACKER ranks among the world’s largest manufacturers of silanes and silicones. This Munich-based company is also the market leader in key subsegments. Their portfolio ranges from silanes through silicone fluids, emulsions, elastomers, sealants and resins to pyrogenic silicas. Because of their highly diverse properties, silicones are ideal for the increasing needs of wearable medical devices. Desired features include biocompatibility, non-cytoxic & non irritating, easy to process with excellent permeability for improved comfort. WACKER posted sales of about €4.6 billion (2016, excluding Siltronic). WACKER in the Americas is represented by Wacker Chemical Corporation, located in Adrian, Michigan.

Hi-Tech Products specializes in medical die-cutting: rotary, flat, and laser; complex & multi-layer lamination; RF welding; printing; slitting; island placement w/electronic registration; and inline heat-seal pouching. Since 1979 Hi Tech Products has been converting medical components and devices for startups and Fortune 500 Companies. With Clean Room Medical Die Cutting Facilities with Clean Room Converting in both California and Mexico Hi-Tech can respond quickly to your medical device clean room converting needs with finished products assembled and packaged to tight tolerances. Their team of experts can help develop and refine your design and ensure you select the most appropriate materials for your application.

Amparo is a leading manufacturer of hydrocolloid adhesives for device attachment, ostomy, and wound care. Hydrocolloid eliminates irritation commonly associated with conventional medical adhesives. The company uses proven quality manufacturing processes developed by industry experts. From roll sheet goods to private label finished products, they provide custom formulated hydrocolloids to hydrocolloid dressing and wound care dressing manufacturers and ostomy products suppliers. Although based in California, they can reach out to a worldwide audience of biological wound dressing manufacturers and ostomy products suppliers. The company is positioned to ship easily anywhere in the world.

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