ITRI TODAY Spring issue 2021

ITRI’s Latest E-Health Wearable Technologies

Due to the fight against the ongoing global pandemic, digital health is high on this year’s CES agenda. ITRI has also delivered compelling technologies related to e-health wearables that provide smart monitoring and health management. Innovations include iCardioGuard for physiological and psychological status monitoring, Heart Guardian for health monitoring of patients with heart disease, iSmartweaR for measuring heart rate and respiratory rate using smart textiles, and iDarlingWeaR for infant healthcare.

iCardioGuard

iCardioGuard combines multi-sensing microwave and electrocardiogram physiological sensors with psycho-cardiac status analysis software to enable continuous health monitoring for home care, eldercare, exercise and fitness purposes. This technology can measure heart rate and blood pressure and evaluate mood, stress, fatigue levels, and vascular parameters. The device can be placed on the chest or integrated with a heartbeat belt, electrode patches or smart clothing, allowing users to collect vital readings over long periods. Measurements will be recorded and transmitted to a mobile device by Bluetooth. An app then instantly displays the results and will send a warning notification of irregularity.

iCardioGuard also features ITRI’s Low Power Microwave Sensor technology, which passed the FDA-level electromagnetic wave radiation EMC/EMI test by the IEC60601-1/IEC60606-2 regulation. The radiation level is approximately 1,000 times lower than that of mobile phones and has no safety concern.

Heart Guardian

Another monitoring innovation called Heart Guardian is a non-invasive wearable that monitors cardiac output per minute, heart rate, pulmonary artery blood flow velocity, and blood output volume. With a miniature, high-sensitivity patch-type transducer, the first low-power Doppler ultrasound signal processing chipset, and a mobile computing device, the Heart Guardian offers continuous real-time monitoring of patients with heart disease. The device can be worn throughout the day including during exercise to assess blood circulation and cardiovascular conditions. It is safe, rapid, accurate, and can detect atrial tremors. It is also a low-cost solution that does not require the assistance of medical staff to use. This extends cardiovascular disease prevention and care from hospitals to homes.

iSmartweaR

ITRI also developed iSmartweaR, which integrates non-contact nanosecond pulse near-field sensing (NPNS) technology into fabrics to measure physiological conditions including heart rate and respiratory rate. The system detects signals from up to 20 cm, unlike existing smart textile technologies which require contact with the wearer's skin. It has been verified for hospital night care with high accuracy. Medical workers can access the real-time information delivered by Bluetooth to a mobile app. iSmartweaR’s applications include healthcare or medical management for the elderly and it offers new business opportunities in the smart healthcare market.

iDarlingWeaR

Finally it’s iDarlingWeaR, a CES 2021 Innovation Awards Honoree. This baby care wearable features harmless low-power radar sensing technology and helps protect infants from dangers such as sudden death syndrome and accidental suffocation. Caregivers and parents need only attach the device to the baby’s blanket for continuous heartbeat, activity and respiratory monitoring. iDarlingWeaR also detects whether the baby is asleep or awake and sends alerts if it detects abnormality. Unlike other infant monitoring technologies, iDarlingWeaR does not require contact with the infant's skin. It is easy to operate and carry, and deviation in average heart rate per minute is less than 5%. In addition to home care for infants, it can be used in postnatal and childcare centers.