Wearable monitors could unlock mHealth power

It’s not a fashion statement; it’s a functional mobile health (mHealth) tool. The proliferation of health IT and mobile devices have made patient health information increasingly portable and researchers are currently developing two wearable devices that could propel mHealth to another level.

One of the devices, dubbed the “Amulet,” is a watch-like band worn on the wrist intended to collect patient data and wirelessly communicate it to other medical devices. The other, dubbed the “Bracelet,” is a complementary device intended to read biometric information to ensure that the Amulet only collects health information from a designated patient.

A research workgroup led by David E. Kotz, PhD, of Dartmouth College in Dartmouth, Vt. is responsible for the development of the two devices.

“We see our Amulet concept as a means to collect body-area sensor data,” Kotz said in a statement. “The device could collect electrocardiogram signals from a heart monitor, obtain glucose readings from a glucose meter and even talk to your insulin pump to control insulin injections. We imagine the Bracelet can be worn on the wrist and unobtrusively recognize its wearer. Without any other action on the part of the user, the devices discover each other’s presences and recognize that they are on the same body.”

The devices were first announced in February and are still in development, but Kotz believes they will offer potential for mHealth advancement once the technology is fully proven.