HSINCHU, Taiwan—January 11, 2021—The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Taiwan’s largest and one of the world’s leading high-tech applied research institutions, today announced it will demonstrate e-health wearable technologies at its CES 2021 event site (https://event.itri.org/CES2021). ITRI’s e-health wearable technologies include iCardioGuard for long-term real-time monitoring of physiological and psychological status for home and elderly care; Heart Guardian for continuous real-time monitoring of patients with heart disease; iSmartweaR for measuring physiological conditions including heart rate and respiratory rate using smart textiles; and iDarlingWeaR for infant healthcare featuring ITRI's harmless low-power radar sensing technology.
iCardioGuard is an e-health wearable combining multi-sensing microwave and electrocardiogram physiological sensors with psycho-cardiac status analysis software for continuous cardiovascular monitoring and emotion, pressure and fatigue analysis. It measures heart rate, blood pressure, and the circulatory system for various age groups, evaluating mood, stress, fatigue levels, and vascular parameters. Its applications include home care, eldercare, exercise and fitness evaluation. The device can be placed on the chest or integrated with a heartbeat belt, electrode patches or smart clothing. It functions anytime and anywhere, which allows the users to collect the vital readings over long periods. This innovation helps reduce incident cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death globally according to the World Health Organization, taking over 18 million lives annually, representing 31% of deaths worldwide, and costing US$200 billion annually on related medical expenses.
iCardioGuard detects heart rate and respiration in three seconds, records the measurements and transmits the collected data to a mobile device by Bluetooth. A mobile app then instantly displays the person's physical and psychological states and sends a warning notification when it detects irregularity. It also features ITRI’s LPMS (Low Power Microwave Sensor) technology, which passed the FDA-level electromagnetic wave radiation EMC/EMI test by the IEC60601-1/IEC60606-2 regulation. The specification of the radiation level is more than 1,000 times lower than mobile phones, so there is no safety concern.
The Heart Guardian is a non-invasive e-health wearable device that monitors cardiac output per minute, heart rate, pulmonary artery blood flow velocity, and blood output volume. With a miniature, high-sensitivity patch-type transducer, the first low-power Doppler ultrasound signal processing chipset, and a mobile computing device, the Heart Guardian offers continuous real-time monitoring of patients with heart disease. The device can be worn throughout the day including during exercise to assess blood circulation and cardiovascular conditions. It is safe, rapid, accurate, and can detect atrial tremors. It is also a low-cost solution that does not require the assistance of medical staff to use. It extends cardiovascular disease prevention and care from hospitals to homes.
iSmartweaR measures physiological conditions including heart rate and respiratory rate using washable conductive fabrics and non-contact nanosecond pulse near-field sensing (NPNS) technology. The system detects signals from up to 20 centimeters, different from existing smart textile technologies requiring contact with the wearer's skin. It has been verified for hospital night care with high accuracy. Medical workers can access the real-time information delivered by Bluetooth to a mobile app. iSmartweaR’s applications include healthcare or medical management for the elderly and it offers new business opportunities in the smart healthcare market.
iDarlingWeaR is a wearable innovation for infant healthcare featuring ITRI's harmless low-power radar sensing technology. It helps protect infants from dangers such as sudden infant death syndrome and accidental suffocation. Caregivers and parents need only attach the device to the baby's blanket for continuous heartbeat, activity and respiratory monitoring. iDarlingWeaR also detects whether the baby is asleep or awake and sends alerts if it detects abnormality. Unlike other infant monitoring technologies, iDarlingWeaR does not require contact with the infant's skin. It is easy to operate and carry, and deviation in average heart rate per minute is less than 5%. In addition to home care for infants, it can be used in postnatal and childcare centers, reducing the burden on caregivers.
ITRI’s CES 2021 online press kit is available here: https://ces.vporoom.com/ITRI.
An image, a fact sheet, and a video of iCardioGuard are available here.
About ITRI
Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world’s leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan’s industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. To address market needs and global trends, it has launched its 2030 Technology Strategy & Roadmap and focuses on innovation development in Smart Living, Quality Health, and Sustainable Environment. It also strives to strengthen Intelligentization Enabling Technology to support diversified applications.
Over the years, ITRI is dedicated to incubating startups and spinoffs, including well-known names such as UMC and TSMC. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in the U.S., Europe, and Japan in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote international cooperation across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.itri.org/eng.
