Smart eyewear to monitor patient health

DEMAND for healthcare products and services continues to rise as the population ages and more people have lifestyle-related diseases such as high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome. This has propelled a market for wearable devices that can easily monitor a wide variety of biological data around the clock. In particular, much expectation revolves around developing a 24-hour brain sensing device. 

 

In response to the growing demand for sensing technology in the healthcare market, Japan’s JIN Co. Ltd. and Omron Healthcare Co. Ltd. will launch a joint project to develop new solutions based on JINS MEME smart eyewear and aim for a new product launch in spring 2016.

 

 

JINS and Omron Healthcare will work together to adapt Omron’s bioinstrumentation/assessment/analysis technology and develop scalable products based on JINS MEME smart eyewear that will create new value within the healthcare sector. The goal is to create a wearable platform to monitor the senses and help identify potential diseases and injuries, and promote active health management.

 

JINS MEME is the world’s first sensing eyewear developed to let you see yourself. While maintaining the shape and function of fashionable eyewear, JINS has patented three-point electrooculography (EOG) and six-axis accelerometer and gyroscope sensors that capture unique bio-data (DEEP DATA) such as sleepiness, concentration and body balance, which was not possible with traditional wearable devices.

 

Omron has long seen the potential in wearable devices as one method to seamlessly acquire healthcare data in people’s daily lives. JINS MEME provided a great value because of the following factors: 

1) The ability to capture brain biodata from the eyes and head, which is much more accurate than a wearable on the arm or leg; 

2) The ability to continuously sense data for up to 16 hours; and 

3) Since people are already used to wearing glasses each day, it isn’t disruptive for them to use MEME, making smart eyewear a seamless way to capture data. 

 

The earpiece end of the smart eyewear is not just where data-tracking components are located but also has a scalable interface which can be connected to various other devices. The three-point electrooculography (EOG) sensor and the 6-axis sensors will connect to Omron devices which gather biodata but in the future, will also work with third-party peripherals.