In a new advance in remote body monitoring, BodyMedia and Avery Dennison Medical Solutions, a business unit of Avery Dennison Corporation, have announced the development of a body monitor patch offering a comfortable, economical means of gathering physiological data for health and wellness initiatives over a period of seven days or less. Combining Avery Dennison Medical Solutions’ proprietary Metria™ wearable sensor technology and skin-friendly patch form factor with BodyMedia’s proprietary algorithms and years of body monitoring expertise, the new wearable patch solution will initially be used as an evaluation tool for weight management. Future applications are expected to include corporate wellness programs, remote elder care and safety, and monitoring of vital signs for a variety of health conditions*.
The patch solution, expected to launch in 2012, will utilize similar sensor technology developed for BodyMedia armband-based body monitoring systems that have been successfully used for weight loss support since 2001. The smaller form factor, shorter-term use and significantly lower price point than the armband will make the patch useful to introduce prospective armband users to the value of continuous body monitoring for weight management, while also paving the way for new uses by consumers, wellness counselors and healthcare professionals.
The disposable patch solution will:
- Track key lifestyle indicators such as calorie burn, steps taken, activity levels and sleep patterns through multiple sensors that collect more than 5,000 data points per minute
- Enable that data to be uploaded to a computer or mobile device for use as a guideline to determine the need for behavioral modification to promote weight loss and other wellness efforts
- Be worn on the back of the left tricep, providing an inconspicuous solution similar to a large bandage with no wires required to transmit data
- Remain in place for up to seven days even while showering and exercising through use of Avery Dennison Medical Solutions’ splash-proof adhesive chemistries and production technologies
"By shrinking the size, price and wear-time of our body monitoring platform to provide a snapshot of someone’s lifestyle, this patch opens the door to wider use of wearable sensor technology to manage and improve many different areas of health," said BodyMedia CEO Christine Robins. "Whether used on a trial basis before investing in our full BodyMedia FIT system for weight management or to obtain a snapshot of user vital signs for other applications, the patch will provide both BodyMedia and our partners with an important new tool for health and wellness."
"With this product, we are introducing a new form of body monitoring that redefines the category from a design, usability and price perspective. This is the kind of innovation that can have a significant impact on the future of healthcare," said Howard Kelly, vice president and general manager, Avery Dennison Medical Solutions. "By pairing our Metria™ wearable sensor technology platform’s proprietary sensor, user interfaces, adhesive chemistries, materials and manufacturing processes with BodyMedia’s
algorithms and experience as a category leader in continuous on-body monitors, we have laid the groundwork for a whole new generation of remote monitoring."
Prototypes of the new body monitor patch will be on display at BodyMedia’s booth at the International CES conference running 10-13 January in Las Vegas.
* Metria wearable sensor technology products have not been evaluated by regulatory agencies.