IRELAND – Rockley Photonics has announced a development partnership with Medtronic to bring its Bioptx biomarker sensing platform to Medtronic’s solutions for use in a variety of healthcare settings.

According to a press release, Rockley developed its biosensing technology to enhance the capabilities of wearable medtech devices by miniaturizing measurement and analysis for a variety of biomarkers into a small form factor.

According to Rockley, biosensing technology will expand the capabilities of wearable devices by miniaturizing the measurement and analysis of a variety of biomarkers into a small form factor.

Rockley’s technology aims to make a single wearable device capable of monitoring multiple vital biomarkers, such as core body temperature, blood pressure, body hydration, alcohol, lactate, and glucose trends, among others.

The company stated that its collaboration with Medtronic aims to capitalize on the societal shift from reactive to proactive healthcare by providing round-the-clock, real-time, non-invasive monitoring of a person’s health and wellbeing, allowing clinicians to personalize care with actionable data.

Rockley announced last month that the Bioptx platform would be available two years earlier than the original 2024 deadline.

The end-to-end sensing solution combines cloud analytics and artificial intelligence to enable non-invasive, continuous measurement of a variety of biomarkers via a “first-of-its-kind” biosensing wristband.

The company claims that its platform, which could have its first products available as early as the second half of this year, will allow for a “holistic assessment” of a variety of conditions.

Meanwhile, Owlet, a baby wearable company, is expanding its reach to young children with the release of the Owlet Dream Sock Plus, which is intended for children up to the age of five. Previously, smart socks only covered children up to the age of 18 months.

The technology, which was created to provide information about a child’s sleep, can be worn around the child’s foot.

The wearable can send data about a child’s waking, heart rate, and movement to a caregiver’s Owlet Dream app via Bluetooth. Caregivers can use the app to view their child’s sleep status and statistics over time.

Sleep is important for preventing Type 2 diabetes, obesity, poor mental health, attention problems, and injuries, according to the CDC.

Toddlers should get 11 to 14 hours of sleep per day, while preschoolers should get 10 to 13 hours.

Owlet is marketing this new tool as a way to help parents keep track of their young children’s sleep patterns.

The app also includes information about a baby’s first 18 weeks as well as a sleep learning program for children up to the age of a year.

Owlet charges US$359 for the Dream Sock Plus, which includes the sock sensor, a base station, and three sizes of fabric socks.

The technology is intended for children weighing up to 55 pounds (25 kgs), according to the company.

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