MC10 has unveiled a wearable patch designed to deliver objective physiological data to researchers. The flexible body-worn sensor is equipped with electrodes to monitor electrocardiac activity, plus a gyroscope and accelerometer to keep track of the movement of the body.
Unlike many wearables, MC10's BioStampRC is pitched squarely at healthcare and clinical research, sectors with more rigorous demands on data quality than the consumer space. MC10 has responded to these pressures by incorporating an accelerometer and gyroscope, both of which have three axes, that deliver inertial sensing with 6 degrees of freedom. By sticking multiple BioStampRCs to different parts of the body, researchers can keep track of how study participants are moving their arms and legs in between site visits.
MC10 advanced BioStampRC into beta testing several months ago, resulting in it gathering some positive early feedback from users. "The system appears to be an ideal platform for many of our clinical research projects," Dr. Paolo Bonato, director of the motion analysis laboratory at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, said in a statement. "The sensor is unobtrusive, very comfortable to wear and it reliably collects data for extensive periods. Charging the sensor's battery and checking the quality of the data being collected is simple."
Battery life has proven to be a key consideration for companies at the forefront of advancing the use of wearables in clinical trials, a fact that was exemplified by Medidata's ($MDSO) selection of the Garmin vivofit for its studies. The standout feature of vivofit is its one-year battery life. If the ease of charging BioStampRC's battery means patients continue to wear their devices throughout the study, researchers will have access to a continual stream of data. Patients that take off devices and forget to put them back on are far less useful from a research perspective.
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