i3 - November/December 2018 - 27

with ADHD or autism. Apps for
everything from depression to stress
management are hoping to replace
drug therapies.

a new
generation of
"hearables" are
THE PHYSICIAN'S
DILEMMA
adding functionality
Medical professionals are feeling the disruption, but ethical, legal
beyond audible
and insurance reasons are conimprovments.
straining technology from an innovative takeover. While orthodontists
make a living on expensive (not to
mention painful) metal braces, companies like Invisalign have raised
excitement by making a faster, more
comfortable alternative that depends
on frequent digital scans of the teeth
(not making molds) and frequent
modifications of a plastic computerprinted invisible brace.
Further, audiologists have learned to
differentiate their services from overthe-counter hearing devices and
Personal Sound Amplification Products
(PSAPs). Those who want to amplify
sound and tune it to their own levels
can choose from offerings from dozens
of companies including Audicus and
Resound. A new generation of "hearables" are adding functionality beyond
audible improvements. Ryan Kaudel of
Valencell, maker of a hearable chip
technology, points to Starkey, a large
hearing aid brand, that recently

announced a hearing aid that
tracks physical activity, cognitive
health, and features Amazon Alexa
connectivity. Valencell also partnered with Sonion to make biometric sensing universal in hearables
and hearing health devices.
Neutrogena's SkinScanner is a
dermatologist-in-a-box, thanks to
the handheld device which has 12
high-powered LED lights, a 30 times
magnification lens and highly accurate sensors to measure above and
below the skin's surface. It captures
the size and appearance of pores, the
size and depth of fine lines and wrinkles and the skin's moisture, and
then gives you an analysis and prescriptive advice.

AI: The New Key to the Kingdom
While consumers are experimenting with
healthcare devices, they are generating an unprecedented amount of data that can be used
to teach computers to make correct medical
diagnosis, tailor personalized medicine and
learn how to treat illness.
Google's Deep Mind, an AI engine, is already predicting certain eye diseases with the
same accuracy as a physician. The FDA-approved software, Viz.ai, analyzes brain scans
and notifies healthcare providers of potential
strokes in patients based on what it learned
from analyzing millions of scans.
Apple's iWatch 4 features an alert for low heart

C TA . t e c h / i 3

rate, an electrocardiogram reader, a gyroscope
for fall detection and Apple offers an open API for
medical apps. These features make it an important collector of mega amounts of health data.
Drug companies, traditionally high-tech
laggards, are moving forward to create personalized health solutions and new pharmaceuticals. CB Insights says top pharmaceutical companies including Novartis, Sanofi,
GlaxoSmithKline, Amgen and Merck have all
announced partnerships in recent months
with AI startups aiming to discover new drug
candidates for a range of diseases including
oncology and cardiology.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

http://www.Viz.ai https://www.cta.tech/

i3 - November/December 2018

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