Wearable Health Devices: Technology for Daily Health Monitoring

As in today’s fast-paced world, everyone is concerned about their health. Due to the fast-growing world, daily work activities, office work, personal work, busy schedules, etc. people are unable to give time to doctors for daily check-ups. So, there is a demand for society to adopt wearable health devices which can
monitor their health and could save their time for daily doctor’s visits. Also, the recent past COVID-19 years make people more health-conscious. This was a time when many countries and cities were in a complete lockdown stage. In this situation, wearable health devices were very much useful for people having diabetes, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, electrocardiograms or ECGs related, etc., problems.

Wearable health devices are the need of the hour. Wearable devices have various applications in healthcare ranging from physiological diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and muscle disorders to neurocognitive disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other
psychological diseases.

Due to the various uses of wearable health devices, there is a continuous increase in demand for these devices by consumers. According to research from Business Insider Intelligence, more than 80% of consumers are willing to wear fitness technology. This shows that there is a booming market of wearables and there is no sign of decline in this market.

What is the history of Wearable Health devices, are they
newly introduced technology or old?

Wearables are not a new concept. Biosensors were initially there for controlled lab settings before their integration into wearable sensors. In 1956, Leland C. Clark, known as the “Father of biosensors”, was the first to use electrodes for the detection of the level of oxygen in the blood. This device has a feature of
continuous and real-time detection of oxygen in operating room settings during cardiovascular surgery. This innovation laid the foundation for the discovery of a potentiometric biosensor for the detection of urea in 1969 by Guibault and Montalvo, Jr.

This introduction of the electrode in the healthcare field also led to the commercialization of the first glucose analyzer in 1975 based on Leland C.Clark’s electrochemical biosensor. Further advancements in technology have made wearable health devices come into existence. Wearable technologies are advanced versions, they enable the continuous monitoring of human physical activities and behaviors, as well as physiological and biochemical parameters
during daily life.

What is Wearable Health Technology: –

Wearable health technology uses the Internet of Things (IoT) to collect the data of the human body with the help of sensors and this data is sent to software where analysis is done and the outcome is shown on the device. Wearables are becoming the ‘go-to’ self-care devices for consumers.

With a growing affinity toward leading a healthier lifestyle, consumers today are looking for ways to track their activities to fine-tune their routines and wearables are the solutions to this. Wearables include a variety of products like smartwatches, bands, and ear wears.

India’s wearables market shipped 14.9 million units in 2019. Today, budget-friendly fitness bands are the rage and consumers are investing in them.

According to a report from IDC

Because of being simple the enablers and propagators of a better tomorrow, the advancements in AI solutions are further fuelling the exponential growth of wearables. It is expected that the wearable market will globally reach $30.1 billion by 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.2%. From traditional timepieces to technologically driven smartwatches, the wearables industry has a long way.

Wearable health monitoring devices:-

Tech companies and lifestyle brands are coming together to take technology out of our hands and put it into things we can wear, whether on our wrists. In our glasses, or as headgear. Some wearable health monitoring devices are given below-

Wearable Fitness Trackers

As the name suggests the most obvious application for this wearable tech is to track our fitness. This includes tracking everything from our heart rate to reminding you when it is time for a run like alarms.

Fitbit Surge :

Fitbit is one of the leading fitness tech companies. Fitbit surge has many features, it has an in-built GPS tracker which allows you to see real-time distance, pace, split times, and elevation on your wrist- all without your phone. It also measures heartbeats as well as tracks all-day activity. It has multi-sport modes, a long-life battery, auto sleep tracking system, touchscreen display, and many more functions.

Amazfit Bip:

Amazon is now also tapped into the digital health market. It has features like counting burned calories, sleep tracking, multi-sport tracking, show the weather forecast, alarms, timer, calendar alerts, message & email access.

Mi Smart Band 6:

Xiaomi’s Mi Band is by far the cheapest fitness band you can find. Mi Smart Band 6 has a 1.56-inch AMOLED display. It has a battery capacity of 125mAh battery and comes with a magnetic charger. The Mi Smart Band 6 can be customized using the Xiaomi Wear app.

Garmin vivosmart 4:

Garmin brand’s wearables do a great job at tracking fitness, as well as analyzing that data so that users while jogging can know when they should take a rest or when to go harder. It has an in-built GPS tracker,
lightweight, OLED display, 5 ATM water resistance, Pulseox sensor, etc. many more features.

Wearable Smart Watches

Watches that were initially used to tell time, now smartwatches have been transformed into a clinically viable tool for healthcare. The global smartwatch market was valued at $20.64 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $96.31 billion by 2027, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of
19.6% from 2020 to 2027.

Apple Watch:

Apple is now not only known for its iPhone series, but the Apple watches have also made their own leading space in the wearable health market. Available in three styles and endless combinations, this is very much watched first, but with a whole host, of ‘smart’ features packed in. Apple watches have features like read messages, notifications on the wrist, fitness tracking (calories, exercise minutes, standing), workout tracking, heart rate monitoring, ECG readings ( in the series 4/5/6), and blood oxygen tracking ( in series 6 only), GPS tracking, make phone calls, tell time, etc. and many more features. According to smartwatch market analysis, Apple shipped 31 million units of its smartwatches in 2019,
which is expected to be 50% more than the entire Swiss wristwatch industry. The shipment of the Apple smartwatch has increased by 36% since 2018.

Android Wear:

As we know there is now health care market has been generated. There have been many health care companies emerged in this sector. As when Apple is betting big on wearables then why Google not?
So, this Android wear is a product by Google. Andriod wear is a platform for smartwatches that has so far powered the likes of Moto 360, LG Watch R, and Sony SmartWatch 3. Android offers certain features that
you can’t find on the Apple watch, like Wi-Fi, wrist gestures, and custom watch faces.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is a smart wearable watch that comes with the feature of measuring heartbeat, stress monitoring, and advanced run coach. It is easy to interface. It has fast enough performance, a great display as well.

Wearable ECG monitors:

An Electrocardiogram (ECG) is often used to diagnose and monitor conditions affecting the heart. This is useful in investigating symptoms of possible heart problems, such as chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath. The ECG reports on time can save us from heart attacks. Sensors attached to the
skin are used to detect the electrical signals produced by our heart each time it beats. The wearable ECG monitors record these signals and tell us for precautions.

AliveCor KardiaMobile 6

This device is something different than other wearable health devices. It is not a smartwatch or wearable of any kind, but it is a portable, pocket-sized ECG device. This device has two electrodes on the top for
your index fingers and a third underneath to rest on the skin of your left leg. The device gives results within 30 seconds. The FDA has provided permission for use of this. It can detect atrial fibrillation (AF),
bradycardia, and tachycardia.

FaceLake FL10

This device has been specially designed for personal use to track heart activities anywhere whether at work, at home, or any place. It records heartbeats and up to 30 seconds’ single-channel EKG and allows you to share the report with your doctor for further review. Also, the immediate result will be displayed on the screen within one minute. FaceLake offers an iOS app and an android app that can store and save readings. The device has dimensions 3.491.770.59.

Wellue DuoEK wearable EKG Monitor:

The device is very versatile. People can either wrap the device around their chest or press it to their fingers or thigh. The product is rechargeable and compatible with iOS 9.0 & above as well as Android 5.0 and above. It continuously records ECG/EKG for up to 15 minutes and can detect early signs of arrhythmia, heart pauses, AF, tachycardia, bradycardia, and premature atrial contractions (PACs).

Smart Blood Pressure

Every year, 9.4 million people die from complications related to high blood pressure, according to World Health Organization. Your blood pressure is an important biometric that gives you vital information about going inside your body. Since blood pressure can fluctuate throughout the day, it’s best to be able
to take readings often. In the past, most people were limited to only getting an accurate blood pressure reading at a doctor’s office. Thus, these smart blood pressure devices enable us to get correct and accurate data very easily anywhere.

Omron Platinum

Omron Platinum wireless BlueTooth upper arm home blood pressure monitor has a horizontally designed, dual-display monitor, stores up to 200 readings for two users (100 reading each).it calculates a user’s
average blood pressure and alters them if their systolic blood pressure measures 130mmHg or above. Sync via BlueTooth to the free OMRON connect app for unlimited memory, graphs, and trend tracking, as well as unlimited users.

iHealth Track Connected BP monitor:

This device is clinically validated and also cleared by FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It tracks or shares our systolic, diastolic, and heart rate trends with doctors conveniently. It measures blood pressure, and pulse rate, and detects arrhythmia.

Withings BPM Connect

BPM Connect is an FDA-cleared medical device and compliant with European medical device standards. Its accuracy has been validated by a clinical study in compliance with AAMI/ESH/ISO universal standards.
This blood pressure monitor features premium materials and has a compact design so you can bring it anywhere. It’s rechargeable via micro USB and lasts up to 6 months with one charge.

Future of Wearable Health Devices :

As with the rise of health and fitness apps, smartwatches, and wearable devices, ‘digital wellness’ is continuing to play a bigger part in our everyday lives.

Wearable devices for vital signs monitoring will reach the USD$980 market by 2024, growing at 21.7% CAGR.

Wearable health devices enable us to know accurate data anywhere. People are leading fast-paced lives, juggling various tasks, and haven’t time for regular doctor visits. These wearables and their multiple features related to their health make customers’ lives a comfortable and easy lifestyle, enabling progress in the wearables market. We are now heading towards a time when even wearables such as eyewear to even shoes, will evolve and become smart and self-care devices for the ages. These all will improve our lifestyle. And with this, all technological advancements and innovations in the wearables space lie huge potential and sustained growth in this avenue.