Consumer devices battle for medical applications

A direction of travel that has been evident in the wearables industry is the increase in health metrics monitored by smart watches . A key development in February 2024 was the clearance by the US regulatory body , the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ), of the Samsung Galaxy Watch app for the assessment of sleep apnea risk . Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that has significant health implications but is often undiagnosed . The ability to detect silent health conditions via a consumer device has the potential to create improvements in quality of life for a significant population of users . Upcoming consumer electronics , particularly new form factors such as smart rings , promise to bring even more health monitoring capabilities .

Underpinning the sleep apnea detection algorithm are optical sensors capable of detecting the wearer ’ s blood oxygen levels . While the FDA clearance is significant , the truth is that consumers have been able to check their quality of sleep for signs of sleep apnea , including movement , respiratory rate , and blood oxygen , for several years . The key difference is that with FDA clearance , the devices are no longer categorised as ‘ wellness devices ’, which come with major warnings that the data generated are not intended for medical use . or monitoring methods , consumer electronics companies will need to prove that comfortable and continuous monitoring provides significant benefit over incumbent technologies , for a large enough market .

Medical device companies eye up the consumer market On the other end of the spectrum , MedTech companies have also been entering the consumer market . Some products , such as the Omron HeartGuide blood pressure monitoring smartwatch launched in 2019 , have been specifically designed from the ground up as a consumer health wearable .

However , the key health technology that is making the switch to consumer markets comes in the form of an electronic skin patch . Specifically , the continuous glucose monitor , a majorly disruptive piece of health technology in the Type 1 diabetes market , has been increasingly marketed toward consumers in recent years . These began with niche markets , such as elite athletes competing in endurance sports , but have shifted now to people interested in leveraging data on their metabolism to achieve wellness goals .

Currently , Abbott ’ s Lingo is available in the UK to help consumers better understand their metabolism and to improve their health . In 2024 , rival Dexcom received the first FDA approval to sell a CGM over the counter in the US . Called Stelo , the device will be available in the summer of 2024 and marks a major first step into the digital health for pre- and type 2 diabetes markets . IDTechEx ’ s report on digital health covers the intersection of the digital health , diabetes , and consumer markets and includes a 10-year forecast for the CGM market from 2024 – 2034 . �

Though there are countless biometrics that can be monitored by smartwatches and other consumer electronics , the reality is that there are only a select few medical conditions that have the potential to drive substantial numbers of new users to these products . When compared to existing diagnostics

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