Recently, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) published a report on how health-monitoring technology can play an integral role in maintaining a healthy life. In the report, they largely talked on how continuous monitoring of health through technology is better than annual or bi-annual visit to the doctor’s office. There obviously are a number of fitness trackers and smartwatches out there in the market, that can help you continuously monitor your health. But their capabilities are limited to physical health and heart rate monitoring only. How about a technology to monitor your mental health? Well, a Massachusetts based startup, Empatica, has developed a smartwatch, Embrace watch, that can pick up on the physiological signals that come from stress.
The Embrace Watch
The embrace smartwatch is a stylish wearable device containing a medical-grade sensor and machine learning algorithms. Designed for people with epilepsy, the device uses the electrical activity on the skin to track the wearer’s seizures. The device has got its approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 26th of January 2018, making it the first smartwatch to be certified as a medical device by the FDA.
The Embrace utilizes patented technology to continuously record physiological signals from multiple sensors. Embrace transmits data to a paired smartphone via Bluetooth connection, and from the smartphone to Empatica’s secure servers via Internet connection. The watch comes with a companion smartphone app. The Alert App sends your Caregivers an SMS and automated phone call when Embrace detects a convulsive seizure. During the trials, the watch could detect seizures of 135 patients over 272 days 100% of the time.
The watch has a dimension of 39.6 mm x 29.7 mm x 10.3 mm weighs only 13 g. Powered by a 3.7V Li-ion battery of capacity 90mAh, the watch comes with a charging dock which can charge the device fully in two hours. The watch is IP67 certified for dust and water resistance, and is operable on a temperature range of -20°C to +70°C.
Specs and Features
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EDA Sensor – Measures sympathetic nervous system activity.
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Gyroscope
- 3-Axis accelerometer
- Peripheral Temperature Sensor
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Child Proof – Safe to use with children and adjusts to their wrists.
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Extremely lightweight
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Long battery life
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Waterproof Case
- Interchangeable Bands
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Alert App to sent real-time seizure alerts to your caregivers
The watch is available to buy at $249 with free shipping within the US, from the Empatica website. It is available in five different colours, Milan Black, Boston Blue, Seoul Grey, Flaming Pink and Sky Blue. Empatica is also giving you a 30 day free trial of the Plus plan so that you can test all the features available, including alert location, rest mode, and more. After the trial period, you may opt for the plus plans that range from $9.90 to $44.90 per month. The watch will still continue to detect seizures and send alerts, even if you do not buy any plus plan. Want to gift your loved ones, or yourself, one? Click on the “Buy Now” link below and grab it today.
