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| Kinsa Health's smartphone-connected thermometer--Courtesy of Kinsa |
With flu season arriving this time of year, Kinsa Health's smartphone-connected thermometer will now be available at Apple ($AAPL) and CVS stores across the U.S.
Cleared by the FDA in January as the first-ever mobile-connected version of a thermometer to get the regulatory nod, the device uses a headphone jack to connect to a smartphone that sends data via a companion app.
The digital thermometer can record a user's temperature at the time it is taken, and tracks other data, including what illnesses and symptoms are going around a specific area, the company said in a press release. It also can send that information to a physician or medical technician ahead of a visit. For children, the app displays animated pictures on a smartphone screen, which can distract or calm a fussy child.
The Kinsa thermometer, which retails for $29.99, can be used in all the traditional methods: orally, under an armpit or rectally. It's also available online at Amazon, Apple.com and the company's website.
The New York-based startup, which participated in online fundraising sites like Indiegogo, has said it wants to distribute at least 10 million of the devices in the next few years, which will grow the real-time database on the spread of disease. Additionally, the app will supplement data from sources like the CDC and private data partners.
In the future, the company plans to integrate their device into Apple's HealthKit platform.
Right now, the medical apps market is hot. In October, med tech giant Philips ($PHG) unveiled a pair of apps for at-home care that allows physicians to track patients' vital signs and prompts users to follow a therapy regimen, and San Francisco-based AliveCor is also hard at work on its patient monitoring apps.
- see the release