In what seems like a game-changer for heart health management, University of Cincinnati biomedical professor Jason Heikenfeld is making waves with a new wearable health device designed to provide real-time insights into your body's vital data, as reported by UC News. This innovative approach to healthcare tech could significantly shift how chronic illnesses are monitored and managed, while current wearables like Fitbits and Apple Watches track physical activity, they can't match the potential implications of continuous molecular monitoring for heart health.
Heikenfeld, noted for his prolific patent record at UC, initially set out to develop wearable technology through sweat analysis, founding Eccrine Systems and securing over $30 million in funding; however, due to complications including the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, this vision derailed, up until 2021 he bounced back with Kilele Health, taking a new angle by almost repurposing tech used in continuous glucose monitors for a broader spectrum of biomolecules such as NT-proBNP for heart function and insulin for metabolic regulation, according to a UC News article.
As Kilele Health moves forward, multiweek wearable trials have begun showcasing the practicality of the monitors, which would communicate vital data like inflammatory markers to patients' smartphones; talking to UC News, Heikenfeld candidly remarked on the pivot to prioritize scalability and market viability while Andrew Cothrel, CEO of Kilele Health, highlighted the pressing need for such technology given the rising rates of cardiometabolic illnesses among the aging population.
Heikenfeld's team, in collaboration with UC's Office of Technology Transfer, has built a robust "patent fortress," ensuring their intellectual property leads the competition, in fact, with over 50 patents pending or issued they arguably have an edge, and with a strategic network of partners including investors and entrepreneurs, there's a concerted push to fast-track commercialization, all of which points to a potential sea change in the landscape of wearable health devices beyond glucose monitoring, as echoed by UC's patent strategists and Kilele's leadership in a University of Cincinnati report.
