Canadian firm Myant has announced the development of what it says will be the world’s first cuffless blood pressure monitoring technology for apparel. Launched as the latest addition to its SKIIN Textile Computing platform, Myant’s smart garment is said to offer continuous blood pressure monitoring to eliminate the need for frequent check-ups.
Launched at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Nevada last week, Myant has developed a polo-shirt which integrates sensor and actuator technologies that are able to measure biometric data. Said to be machine-washable, the SKIIN smart shirt has been developed in-line with the company’s smart underwear which will also be launched this year.
The SKIIN smart underwear uses sensors and machine learning to analyse metrics like heart-rate, stress levels and sleep stages. Additional features include a temperature sensor, BIA sensors, an accelerometer and gyroscope – these, similarly, transfer information to a smartphone app to allow the wearer, or a medical professional, to assess information such as body temperature, water content and step count.
Future additions to the SKIIN platform are said to include slip and fall detection, driver fatigue, ovulation and a suite of chemical sensing markers. “Myant’s vision is to build a new platform for human-computer interaction that helps individuals manage and anticipate their health and wellness 24 hours a day, across all life stages,” explained Tony Chahine, Myant CEO.
“The addition of cuffless blood pressure monitoring to our SKIIN Textile Computing platform is a major step forward in empowering continuous monitoring in a comfortable garment,” he added.
