Healthcare Tech at CES 2015
For anyone following the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Shanghai, China, over the last week, you will have noticed the abundance of healthcare related technology. In case you missed it, here are some of the more interesting pieces of healthcare tech that were unveiled at CES 2015.
OnKöl is a simple-to-use invention that connects elderly and those with special needs to their family and caregivers. It provides a team approach to helping care for a loved one, while allowing them to continue to live independently in their home.
This wireless hub can notify family members and caregivers of everything from vital signs to incoming and outgoing calls to emergency or panic situations. It knows when someone is home, whether they are in or out of bed, and if there is a problem in the house. OnKöl can be programmed to provide a reminder to the user to take their medication(s), on a regular or intermittent basis. And it can notify the right people if a dosage is missed. It can even connect wirelessly via Bluetooth or by USB cable to virtually hundreds of medical devices. That includes everything from blood pressure cuffs, glucose meters, heart-rate monitors, scales and many more. In each case, OnKöl collects the data, communicates it to the right people and stores the data for later use.
Taking a similar approach to OnKöl with keeping families connected, while keeping things simple and focusing on medication management, Liif is a pill box that reminds you to take your pills
and connects you with your family to send notifications if you forget to take them. Liif’s battery lasts up to a year and is user-replaceable. The accompanying smartphone app allows users to track and manage their medications.
KiCoPen is an insulin injection pen that sends all of your information to a smartphone app. Unlike other smart insulin pens, KiCoPen uses energy harvesting – from the motion of the cap removal and replacement – to power the electronics, which are based on a single chip. Eliminating the battery gives greater design freedom to create a better user experience. It also means the injector can be more reliable, manufacturing and assembly effort is reduced, and the device can have a lower environmental footprint.
These are just a few of the exciting pieces of healthcare tech that were on-hand at CES 2015. Trends seem to be moving toward smart devices that are able to collect and display information on smartphones. This makes the information more accessible and efficient for the end-user. Can't wait to see what's unveiled at CES 2016!