It’s hard when you are hindered by illness and unable to feel normal in your daily routines. Sensor worn technology is at a point where it can be utilized to guarantee health and wellness transparency from the inside out. biotricity is a prominent start-up impacting the WT | Market. They will be exhibiting their work at the one and only WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2016 USA. This is exciting because their patient monitoring devices are disrupting the healthcare industry by aiding the self-management and prevention of chronic disease. Below is an interview from biotricity CEO and founder, -Waqaas Al-Siddiq. He explains the pieces to biotricity and how it connects into a system of constant monitoring, improving healthcare and collecting real-time -biometrics from the body.
- How is Biotricity enabling technology to be more connected to the body?
biotricity’s focus on collecting clinically relevant information incentivizes physicians and individuals to utilize our solutions. By developing devices that make contact with the body and collect clinical grade biometrics, individuals become more willing to wear/connect devices to themselves. biotricity’s focus on diagnostics and chronic illnesses uniquely positions us to promote the value of body connected technology.
- What is Bioflux? How is it changing healthcare?
bioflux is an intelligent arrhythmia detection solution that is poised to change healthcare by making a better MCT (Mobile Cardiac Telemetry) diagnostic tool more available to physicians. The bioflux solution consists of three components (1) ECG monitoring device (2) software (3) access to a monitoring center. bioflux will monitor a patient’s heart rhythm and provide real-time feedback to the physician if a cardiac event occurs via the monitoring center. This greatly reduces patient risk and physician liability and increases the quality of care.
- What is Biolife? How is it different from Bioflux?
biolife is a medical grade continuous monitor designed for at-risk individuals or patients suffering from cardiovascular disease. It will give patients the same medical grade information their doctor uses to monitor their heart health. biolife is designed to be a health and lifestyle solution, that goes beyond monitoring ECG to also measuring health vitals such as respiration rate, calories, temperature and physical activity – giving a holistic view of one’s health.
Unlike bioflux which is meant for physicians, biolife is intended as an illness management tool for individuals at risk for and/or diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.
- Who are your ideal customers?
For our cardiac products, bioflux and biolife, our target customers would be General Practitioners, Cardiologists and Electrophysiologists and patients suffering from arrhythmias and cardiovascular disease.
However, our primary goal is to provide remote patient monitoring solutions for both physicians and patients suffering from various chronic illnesses. With this in mind, we are looking at ways to innovate and develop solutions for other chronic illnesses which will enable patients to maximize their health potential and live healthier and happier lives.
- What makes Biotricity stand-out in the healthcare and technology industry?
We are a remote patient monitoring company that focuses on extending healthcare beyond the physician’s office into the hands of patients for disease management. We believe in patient empowerment and remote patient monitoring tools, such as bioflux and biolife, will allow for this. biotricity’s focus is on preventative care. Rather than looking at solutions for just the post-diagnostic market, we aim to develop solutions that target both the pre- and post-diagnostic markets. By focusing on preventative care, we believe that patients will have better outcomes and be able to live fulfilling lives. Not only will our focus on preventative care positively impact the lives of patients, the healthcare system will greatly benefit from this shift as well. With astronomically rising healthcare costs, the healthcare and technology industries must direct its attention towards prevention of illness and disease.
- Why did you choose to be a wearable?
Wearables have become quite a popular tool in fitness and general health tracking. Over the past few years, there has been a rise in the development of wearable technology, particularly in those realms. Monitoring consumer fitness and bio-related statistics have become much easier and convenient due to wearables.
Although there are a variety of wearables in both the fitness and health tracking markets, the utilization of wearable technology as a tool in healthcare is lagging. There is great potential for wearables to address pressing healthcare issues such as chronic illness, by enabling patients to be remotely and continuously monitored. This will allow patients with high risk to be effectively treated in a timely manner.
At biotricity, we see the potential in wearable, remote patient monitoring solutions to transform healthcare and the way people view and manage their health. Wearables make it easy for individuals to take a more proactive stance. In fact, there is consensus that individuals are in favour of utilizing wearable technology to self-manage their chronic conditions. We believe that this is the only way individuals will be willing to utilize monitoring devices on a long-term and continuous basis.
- What advice would you give a common person on how to be healthier?
In this day and age, most people understand the importance of healthy living and how unhealthy habits can quickly manifest into disease and illness. People have access to a wealth of information and resources to guide them into making informed decisions about their health. The problem is not lack of awareness, rather people are often consumed with their busy lives that they often fail to consciously incorporate and/or sustain healthy habits.
Eating well, exercising regularly and staying away from preservatives and ingredients you do not understand is imperative for maintaining good health. Apart from this, scheduling regular check-ups with your doctor will also ensure your health is at its best.
- What is your favorite wearable device?
I am noticing a welcoming trend and shift in the types of wearable devices entering the market. More and more companies are coming out with products that try to look at remote monitoring through a medical perspective. Although I do not have a favorite wearable device per se, I am particularly interested in wearables that try to incorporate medical-grade technology into their devices. For example, I believe Owlet is heading in the right direction with their baby monitors through the use of pulse oximetry to monitor a baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels. From a data management and storage perspective, MyFitnessPal’s database for inputting information is comprehensive and easy to use.
We are very happy to have Biotrictiy as one of our exhibitors at WT | Wearable Technologies Conference 2016 USA in San Francisco on July 12 and 13. If you want to learn more about them, please stop by at their table (508). Dont´ miss this highly anticipated event and register now!
