Movano’s upcoming health ring could potentially offer non-invasive blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring

Looking to the future: CES may look a little shaky right now, given the number of companies pulling out, but that hasn’t stopped others from confirming which products will be on display at the event. One of them is the Movano healthcare company, whose first product, the Movano Ring, will debut at CES 2022.

As you may have guessed, the Movano ring is a health-focused wearable item designed to rival the $ 300 Oura Ring. However, the company stresses that it will be one of the “most affordable health devices,” so it will likely be cheaper than its rival.

The ring will measure a multitude of health data: heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep, breathing, temperature, blood oxygen levels, steps and calories burned. Rather than simply presenting the information as a list of statistics, Movano’s app shows how it relates to the wearer’s overall health. The example shows how users lower their chances of developing type 2 diabetes after exercising for five days in a row.

Movano is also carrying out trials using radio frequency technology in the hope that the ring may eventually monitor blood pressure and even blood sugar. A non-invasive method of measuring the latter would undoubtedly be welcomed by the millions of type 1, 2 and 3c diabetics who wear a constant glucometer (CGM), which measures levels via a needle permanently inserted in the body – they can be uncomfortable, very expensive, and easily knocked over.

Apple and Samsung have long been working on similar glucose monitoring technology for their respective future smartwatches, but the problem with a non-invasive method is that it won’t be as accurate as measurements using blood or interstitial fluid. Accurate readings are essential for people with diabetes to avoid hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

Movano CEO Dr John Mastrototaro, who helped develop the first CGM, said the ring was designed with women in mind; it is smaller and more elegant than the Oura ring. He adds that while the Movano Ring will not have FDA clearances, the goal is to eventually achieve the Class II designation, writes. The edge.

The Movano Ring will arrive in beta form in the second half of 2022. “We are aiming for both a medical and a consumer approach – the intersection of these two areas as opposed to one or the other. We want to have the look, feel and affordability of a consumer device with the precision and reliability of a medical device, ”says Mastrototaro.