Cambridge, Mass.-based wearable med device firm Empatica is preparing to launch its Embrace seizure-tracking wristband this week, according to MIT News.
Empatica’s Embrace is designed to detect and monitor stress signals and detect seizures that could potentially be deadly, MIT News said.
“If somebody goes to check on a person during or after they have had a grand mal seizure, then they are less likely to die. In some cases, simply saying the person’s name or turning them over (gentle stimulation) might save their life. Anybody could do this potentially life-saving action, they just need to know to go check on the person — don’t leave them alone right after a seizure,” MIT scientist and Empatica co-founder Rosalind Picard told MIT News.
The wrist-worn Embrace looks like a fitness tracker and is equipped with temperature sensors to detect changes in body heat, gyroscopes and accelertometers to detect movement and an EDA sensor to detect electric changes in the skin, according to MIT News.
The device is designed to vibrate when it detects a seizure so the wearer can respond. If the wearer doesn’t respond quickly and becomes unconscious, the Embrace can send an alert to a designated individual or caretaker.
Users without seizure issues can use the wristband to monitor stress, something co-founder Picard said is important for good health. Chronic stress has been linked to numerous health issues such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
“Stress signals reach every organ of your body, so these stress signals are potentially influencing everything. Sometimes you don’t realize [you’re stressed] until you get that just-in-time notice,” Picard told MIT News.
Last August, MassDevice.com spoke with Empatica co-founder Picard and heard her story of how teaching computers to recognize emotions led to a potentially major breakthrough in medical technology.