Jewellery that recognizes arrhythmias – a Finnish innovation based on artificial intelligence
Heart2Save, Lumoava and Suunto have developed and launched the Awario Gem ECG necklace, which, together with the user’s phone, enables the measurement of a hospital-level ECG (electrocardiogram) at home.
Awario Gem helps identify the four most common arrhythmias, the most dangerous of which is atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation causes about 4,500 strokes in Finland every year. In the design process, special attention has been paid to product design and that the product is easy to use. The consumer price of the necklace is 399 euros.
Awario Gem that is designed especially for consumer use is a medical device and has gone through the same demanding process as devices used in hospitals. The necklace can provide a reliable measurement result unlike most meters that have been added to wellness equipment. The ECG measurement uses Movesense Medical sensor.
ECG monitoring is done by using an application that can be downloaded to the phone (iOS and Android). Arrhythmia detection is performed by using artificial intelligence in the cloud service, after which the analyzed measurement result and ECG report can be read in the phone application.
The inventor of the ECG necklace idea, the founder of Heart2Save and Ph.D. Helena Jäntti tells that the idea originated when, as a paramedic, she regularly encountered stroke patients who unknowingly suffered from atrial fibrillation. Jäntti says that the future of healthcare lies in self-administered technology-assisted measurement that takes place outside the hospital walls.
– Heart2Save’s goal is to develop solutions to medical problems and thereby help save lives and reduce healthcare costs. To date, design has been utilized in wellness technologies such as watches, rings, and bracelets, but medical devices have been less aesthetic and difficult to carry around. The advantage of a medical device that you can take anywhere you want is that the measurement can be made just when the symptom is present, and it helps the doctor to make treatment-related decisions quickly when needed.
The Awario Gem ECG necklace has been designed by the Finnish Lumoava jewellery brand. The design is clear Scandinavian style and pays special attention to usability.
The jewellery is easy to use, pleasant to the touch and aesthetically beautiful. Awario Gem is manufactured in Finland and the materials are Finnish natural fiber composite and recycled platinum-plated silver.
For Lumoava, this is the first step on the road to combining technology and jewellery. Mikko Pessi, CEO of Saurum Ltd that manufactures Lumoava jewellery, is satisfied with the result of the product development cooperation.
– It is great to be involved in developing technology that can bring medicine into people’s daily lives and thus also save lives. It has been possible to develop such a solution only by combining high-level medicine, technology, and design expertise.
Jussi Kaasinen, Director of Suunto’s Movesense unit, says that participation in the development of the medical device has been important also to Movesense:
– Working with Heart2Save has been essential to us in gaining medical approval for the Movesense sensor. Awario Gem is a great example of an innovation that our partner companies can implement based on the open Movesense platform.
Awario Gem necklace can be purchased from the awario.global online store and, from September, also from well-stocked watch and jeweller’s shops all over Finland.
