Chronolife Unveils Smart T-Shirt Capable of Predicting Heart Failure Episodes, Files for IPO
Data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that more than 5.7 million adults in the United States have congestive heart failure (CHF), with medical costs associated with treating this condition reaching $30.7 billion. Individuals with diabetes or hypertension are at risk of developing CHF, and approximately half of diagnosed patients die within five years of diagnosis. For patients with chronic or congestive heart failure (CHF), accurately predicting the timing of the next disease exacerbation would significantly improve their quality of life.
At the 2019 CES, Chronolife, a French digital health company, brought good news to heart disease patients by launching a machine-washable smart T-shirt capable of closely monitoring vital signs.
Image source: Chronolife official website
Chronolife is a France-based digital health AI company dedicated to predicting and preventing congestive heart failure (CHF) through subtle, comfortable devices, thereby helping people improve their quality of life. The company’s proprietary technology features a unique neuromorphic algorithm called HOTS (Hierarchy of Time Surfaces), which continuously analyzes multiple data streams to characterize patients’ clinical profiles.
Chronolife’s smart wearable device—the Smart T-Shirt—integrates various sensors to continuously monitor the wearer’s physiological data. Biometric data collected from the wearer is transmitted via Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) to their smartphone application. The app employs HOTS technology for data fusion and analysis. Users can grant healthcare institutions access to this data through the application.
Image source: Chronolife official website
The Chronolife T-shirt is made of cotton and Lycra, ensuring the garment’s elasticity and comfort, and it supports both machine washing and hand washing. Notably, the Chronolife T-shirt does not require an internet connection, as it closely monitors the user’s body, with automatically generated data stored in a secure cloud service. It also does not need charging. When washing, users do not need to remove the embedded sensors and other electronic components.
Chronolife stated that this T-shirt can measure six key physiological metrics in real time (electrocardiogram, abdominal breathing, thoracic breathing, lung impedance, physical activity, and body temperature). Combined with machine learning technology, the product is expected to predict the timing of the next heart attack.
The estimated retail price of the Chronolife T-shirt is €200 (RMB 1,374). Chronolife plans to initially supply researchers, insurance companies, and healthcare organizations.
Currently, the Chronolife T-shirt has not received approval from any organization. However, Chronolife has stated that it aims to obtain CE certification in the European market by March of this year and secure FDA approval by this summer.
It is understood that production of the Chronolife T-shirt has already begun, and clinical trials for the entire end-to-end solution are scheduled to commence in the second half of 2019. The solution comprises the T-shirt, a smartphone application equipped with the HOTS algorithm, certified servers, and a web interface.
Participants in this clinical trial, conducted in Europe, will include approximately 500 heart failure patients from around 20 major hospitals in France, Denmark, and Germany. The trial will run for one year across Europe, and the collected data will enable Chronolife to validate its patented HOTS algorithm for the detection and prediction of chronic heart failure.
VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that, in addition to this machine-washable smart T-shirt capable of closely monitoring human vital signs, Chronolife is also developing other preventive devices and apparel to predict sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), epileptic seizures, and medical conditions associated with sleep apnea.