I have a niece with severe food allergies. Like 15 million others in the U.S. alone, she is at risk of going into anaphylactic shock if she eats something tainted with one of the foods that cause an allergic reaction for her. As a result, she carries an EpiPen at all times, which she can use to inject herself with a dose of epinephrine to counter the allergy effects. The pen is only useful if she has it close at hand. For the parents of children and teenagers, this can be a source for major concern.
Last month, Aterica announced a new product that addresses this concern, and other related problems. While the Veta is not strictly a wearable device, it may as well be because users will need to keep it with themselves at all times. It is a smart case that holds an EpiPen, and it pairs with an app on iOS or Android smartphones and tablets to perform a number of useful functions. If the cap is pulled off, it automatically sends an alert to the user’s support network which can include family, friends, and school personnel. It includes the person’s location, to aid emergency workers if needed.
The case also alerts the user if the pen case is beyond a certain distance, so that it does not get left behind. You can even use the app to have the case flash a light and make sounds to help you find it if you misplace it. The Veta also monitors the temperature of the EpiPen, and can warn the user if the medicine inside may have been compromised. The product is not yet shipping, but the company is taking pre-orders for the $59 device that is scheduled to be available in the Fall of 2015.
