This week’s Smart Health roundup features a smart thermometer that tracks temperature and symptoms, a mouth guard that monitors health markers, a collaboration to make continuous care more feasible, a new initiative to secure connected medical devices, and a handheld device that delivers quick diagnosis in search of investors.

Kinsa launches smart ear thermometer on Indiegogo

Kinsa, Inc. launched a new smart ear thermometer that not only helps users track temperature readings on their smartphone, but also keeps track of symptoms and deliver actionable next steps based on key health indicators.

Kinsa’s network of smart thermometers also delivers helpful insights on common illnesses that may be circulating within a child’s school.

The Kinsa ear thermometer is able to take temperature readings in just one second, and can be used on its own or with a smartphone. You can pre-order the device for only $29.99 by supporting it on Indiegogo, Inc. The project is just two days old but it has already surpassed its $50,000 funding goal.

Smart mouth guard can tell if you are unwell

Engineers at the University of California, San Diego, have developed a mouth guard that can monitor health markers, such as lactate, cortisol and uric acid which can be used to determine if the person has gout, diabetes or is under a lot of stress.

Data collected by the sensors in the mouth guard can be wirelessly transmitted to a smartphone where it can be better understood. Right now, testing is done by spreading saliva into the mouth guard’s sensors as it still lacks components that would allow it to be worn safely inside the mouth.

The team is led by the university’s nanoengineering professor Joseph Wang and electrical engineering professor Patrick Mercier. Wang, who have high hopes for the device, stated that the “ability to monitor continuously and non-invasively saliva biomarkers holds considerable promise for many biomedical and fitness applications.”

Team up for continuous, connected care

Qualcomm Life, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm, Inc., announced its collaboration with Davita Healthcare Partners and P2Link to deliver a chronic care management solution powered by Qualcomm Life’s 2net Device Connectivity Platform and HealthyCircles Care Coordination Platform to enable continuous care, informed interventions and better management of at-risk populations.

Davita will integrate Qualcomm Life’s 2net Mobile and HealthyCircles technologies into a coordinated care program for patients with heart failure. Patients will be equipped with a home blood pressure monitor, a weight scale and a tablet powered by 2net Mobile to seamlessly collect and transmit the biometric data to the cloud.

Patients will also be able to leverage the HealthyCircles Platform to monitor the patient’s health status at home, receive relevant educational content and targeted, proactive care management interventions. The initial program is slated to roll out in the fourth quarter of 2015.

New security system for connected medical devices

St. Elizabeth Healthcare has deployed the SecurityCenter Continuous View, a product of Tenable Network Security, Inc., to ensure that connected medical devices are protected from cyber attacks.

St. Elizabeth’s security team will utilize Tenable’s SecurityCenter CV to gain complete visibility into medical device security and overall network status through a combination of active and passive scanning as well as advanced analytics. The system will allow the detection of vulnerabilities in real time, avert it and prevent the interruption of these connected medical devices.

MouthLab seeks funding

MouthLab is a handheld device that allows people to check their health by simply holding and breathing on the device. The startup is seeking investors for additional funding to help get the product into consumer’s hands.

The device was developed by Gene Fridman, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins University, and it is able to collect data such as temperature, pulse oximetry, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and heart rate. It uses connectable, disposable mouthpieces and the data gathered is wirelessly transmitted to a computer or mobile device.

Though it is directed at consumers to help them determine whether they need to go to the hospital or not, it can also be used in hospitals and clinics to quicken the data gathering procedure which often requires the use of multiple medical devices.

Photo by COMSALUD