Engineering and computer science researchers at Monash University have combined nanotechnology and AI to create wearable technology for remote health monitoring.
They have developed an ultra-thin wearable patch that is worn on the neck to measure speech, neck movement and touch, as well as breathing and heart rate. It does this by using a frequency/amplitude-based neural network called Deep Hybrid-Spectro, which automatically monitors multiple biometric data from a single signal.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
In a study, the wearable patch was found to untangle and monitor 11 human health signals with 93% accuracy. According to the researchers, this technology could change the way remote health care is delivered by detecting just five physiological activities associated with the human throat.
“Emerging soft electronics have the potential to serve as wearable, second-skin-like patches to monitor vital elements of human health, engineer perceptual robotics, and bridge the interactions between natural and [AI]“said Wenlong Cheng, principal investigator and professor at Monash University.
MARKET OVERVIEW
A similar Australian invention, a lab in a patch, is designed for continuous diagnostic monitoring. Developed by Nutromics, the wearable patch uses DNA sensor technology to track multiple targets in the human body, including disease biomarkers and difficult-to-dose drugs.
Researchers from the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology have also developed a stretch skin patch which can pick up real-time heart rate signals that are 2.4 times stronger than a fixed silicone sensor.
Meanwhile, Indian medical technology company Dozee recently announced that it is offering a ECG patch for cardiac monitoring, thus completing its portfolio of remote monitoring solutions.