Since we launched Health Tech Insider more than a year and a half ago, we have published more than 700 stories about wearable devices for health and medical applications, as well as coverage of new enabling technologies. As we near the end of the year, it is interesting to look back and see which stories have drawn the most readers. I’ve compiled a list of the Top 5 Stories based on the unique page views that each one has received. This is obviously an imperfect metric — stories published earlier in the year have had more opportunity to garner views — but it’s close enough for our purposes. So here we go, starting with the fifth most-popular story on Health Tech Insider in 2015.
#5: Non-Invasive Glucose Monitor
The glucose sensor by NovioSense is a tiny, spring-shaped device that is designed to monitor a patient’s glucose levels by taking measurements from tears. Initially designed to be worn continuously for two weeks, the goal is to create a device that will last even longer and eliminate the need for finger stick blood samples for patients with diabetes.
#4: Health Patch for Clinical Monitoring
Billions of dollars are spent on monitoring patient vital signs in clinical settings including hospitals. The HealthPatch MD from Vital Connect is approved by the FDA to track eight different types of biometric data: single-lead ECG, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature, activity (including step count), posture, and fall detection.
#3: Implant to Monitor Heart Failure
The health of patients with heart failure often deteriorates, but the symptoms often are not detected until they reach the point that aggressive treatment is required, including expensive hospitalization. Researchers at St. Jude Medical have created a micro-mechanical device designed to be implanted in a patient’s artery. The data is read by an external device, and early trials showed a 37% reduction in hospital readmissions.
#2: Smart Case for Epipen
Some 15 million people in the U.S. are at risk for anaphylactic shock due to allergic reactions to foods, insect stings, or other causes. Many carry an Epipen that can deliver a life-saving dose of epinephrine in an emergency. The Veta smart case pairs with a smartphone, and sends an alert to specified caregivers and family members if the cap is removed. The alert includes the patient’s location.
#1: Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Meets FDA Specs
The most-viewed story for 2015 — by a wide margin — was actually a story that we published at the end of 2014. It was about the H2, a band from CharmCare, that measures the wearer’s blood pressure. The story reported that the company hoped to start production by “mid-2015” but that schedule has not survived the passage of time. According to the company’s website, the company now hopes to run clinical tests in the first half of 2016, with product delivery now scheduled for September 2016.
