Wearables that perform single biosensing functions may soon go away in favor of multimodal devices. In the near future, we expect biosensing devices will perform suites of tests. We also think upcoming super devices that check vital signs may be able to acquire new patient monitoring modes through a combination of over-the-air (OTA) updates and artificial intelligence.

While we wait for Swiss Army biosensors, San Jose-based VitalConnect, Inc. continues to add meaningful measurement parameters to its VitalPatch mobile cardiac monitoring technology. In February 2020 we wrote about the VitalPatch’s monitoring lineup that included 22 unique arrhythmias and 11 vital signs. Last month VitalConnect announced another advance. The VitalPatch monitoring device and associated platform added mobile cardiac telemetry (MCT). This addition means that the VitalPatch can track multiple cardiac modalities at the same time it monitors arrhythmias and checks vital signs.

The VitalConnect platform uses low-energy Bluetooth to transmit real-time data. With the VitalPatch’s MCT functionality a patient’s clinical care team could monitor vital signs while VitalConnect’s cardiac monitoring technicians analyze the cardiac data. In addition to the ECG data, the VitalPatch with MCT streams heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, and activity. VitalConnect continues to develop front-end biosensing components and back-end data analysis and diagnostics capabilities to take use the trove of data.

We’re in an exciting time with digital biometric sensing wearables and devices. As the growing number of clinical-grade measurement devices with FDA clearance independently combine in new classes of super devices, the potentials for both digital wellness and medicine seem nearly limitless.