Dr. Mehmet Oz has endorsed quite a few products in the past, but his latest venture into the wearable market could help save lives.
The cardiothoracic surgeon, Columbia University professor and host of The Dr. Oz Show helped announce on Thursday, Sept. 29 the launch of a heart-monitoring smartwatch that serves as a lifeline for users who could be facing an oncoming cardiac arrest and be at a high risk for sudden death.
"We lose a million people each year because of sudden death, but the numbers of course don't describe the pain of folks dying in front of their loved ones or by themselves, which is what normally happens," Oz said during a press call on Thursday evening. "And we are optimistic that we can move the needle in this area quite dramatically."
The smartwatch is the first product by the San Francisco-based startup iBeat, the latest business endeavor of Ryan Howard, the former CEO of Practice Fusion (the largest physician-patient platform in the United States). Oz said that when Howard pitched him the idea it was "love at first sight."
"I've been reluctant to get involved in commercial endeavors, but there have been a couple of areas where I really felt passionately that we could make a big difference," Oz, who is serving as an investor, partner and special advisor at iBeat, said.
Called the iBeat Life Monitor, the smartwatch is equipped with medical-grade sensors that monitor aspects of the user's heart health at all times in real time including heart rate, the volume and velocity of blood that's going through the veins and the amount of oxygen in the blood. This functionality is what the company calls "passive alerting."
Since the smartwatch is continuously monitoring heart rate, it is able to detect if there is a "life-threatening heart emergency" such as when the user's heart is irregular, slows or stops, and will then engage with the user by sending a notification asking if they are okay.
If the user taps on "No" or doesn't respond at all, iBeat immediately contacts its dispatch services that are available 24/7, as well as 911 and emergency contacts (via text message with a link to where the user is and the nearest hospital) so that help can get on the way instantly.
Howard revealed the dispatch team facilitates the entire call, staying with the user until "they are safe or in a safe place."
There is also an "Emergency-On-Demand" button on the smartwatch that can be pushed with a thumb if the user needs to contact emergency services right away.
"Part of what attracted me to this is the observation that many people who suffer from sudden death don't have the ability to push a button, they literally go down and you have three seconds to respond. And so, this device will actually call for help, even if you're not conscious. And if you are unable to respond when you're queried, then it's going to assume that there is an emergency," Oz told Tech Times. "There is an accelerometer that will also provide reinforced feedback that you're not moving and you should be, so it's a step up from what's currently out there as well."
Interestingly enough, the iBeat Life Monitor is fully cellular and uses built-in GPS technology without requiring a smartphone, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. There is no accompanying app or need to also carry about a mobile device in order for it to work. It's a digital watch that is fully cellular - perfect for the aging community who aren't tech-savvy.
The iBeat Life Monitor has an attachable rechargeable battery (battery life is between five to seven days, with a one-hour charging time), is waterproof and features customizable watch interfaces. It also has standard watch functionalities like a timer, stopwatch and alarm.
Targeted for consumers who are ages 50 and older who have an increased risk of sudden death from heart-related complications including diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, the iBeat Life Monitor is a more stylish alternative to the Life Alert system (from the "I've fallen and I can't get up" commercials).
Howard revealed that they had found that although many patients were prescribed a Life Alert system by their doctors, they didn't get them because of the stigma surrounding them, with many reporting that it was too much like a dog collar and dehumanized them.
Instead, iBeat made sure the Life Monitor is stylish without it being too techy or flashy while still fitting in with standard models.
"The fashion and style help set it apart," Oz said, "but also when looking at the market, the competitor Life Alert is not doing any bio-sensing."
Since competitors are not detecting what is happening with the user, a family member has a higher chance of finding them when its too late. "Sudden death doesn't sneak up on you, it smacks you," Oz added.
There is also room for the iBeat Life Monitor to one day be used as a preventive tool, as data on the patient continue to be collected over time to make it more than just a real-time tracker.
"Today of course it's ideally going to be used to call for help when there is a problem, but it could one day help predict if a problem is about to happen," Oz said.
Howard added, "We are confident that over time that we can get more predictive."
The iBeat Life Monitor launched on Indiegogo at a limited-time discounted rate of $99 with 12 months of free monitoring.
This is a 78 percent saving on its retail price, with its monitoring service then costing $200 a year, or approximately $17 per month - which Howard said is a third to a half of the cost compared to its competitors in the marketplace today.
Howard revealed that the iBeat has raised about $2 million to date, with the decision to launch on Indiegogo not for funding, but rather to be able to go to market without using up its venture capital. The smartwatch is expected to start shipping in summer 2017.
"This is a product that will save a lot of lives in older Americans," Oz Said. "But even in the mature 50-, 60-year-old range, the hope is that the device is not an emblem of illness or fear, but rather jut a stylish accessory you wear that happens to give you protection."
