Gaining insight on a deadly disease with the help of a smartwatch and smart software
In more good news about wearables making a difference, Israeli pharmaceutical firm Teva has partnered with Intel to use a smartwatch to monitor Huntington’s Disease in order to gather more data for treatment.
There’s no cure for the fatal neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects movement and leads to cognitive decline. But with the technology, the companies are hoping to help progress research for future treatments.
Through the combination of Teva’s extensive research into the disease and Intel’s algorithms, the companies plan to track patient movements with smartwatch sensors. The data will sync with a smartphone app then stream to the Intel cloud which will read and score the information in real time to “assess motor symptom severity.”
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No specifics have been detailed about the smartwatch in use, or if it will be developed in-house by either company. Intel does have experience in the wearable department with the Basis Peak watch. Whether it will pitch in hardware along with its software is unknown, especially after the recent Basis recall.
This is isn’t the first time a wearable company has teamed up with researchers. Fitbit is known for offering up its fitness trackers for studies and has participated in many over the years. Apple has its own open source ResearchKit framework allowing researchers to gather data for studies and then even launched CareKit to further glean data.
It’s clear wearables have cemented a place aiding the fight against diseases by providing vital information, and with more partnerships, hopefully researchers will be one step closer to helping those in need.
Via Reuters
