CES 2022 and Digital Health: What stood out?
I always like to track CES and see what new gadgets and products companies are propositioning for market entry. Of course not all products will be a mass success, but I think they stand out in terms of what is playing favorably in discussion, hence I suppose, the influx of discussion around Web3, NFTs, and the metaverse. Now, I wont spend my time on those topics, but lets focus on the digital health space which always has some interesting news.
First Healthcare Company to Keynote
Now this was quite interesting, as we saw Abbotts CEO Robert Ford get up and give the keynote, a first for CES with a speaker representing a healthcare company with his talk "Human-Powered Health: Unlocking the Possibility of You." This was a pleasant surprise for me initially, but then when I think about the recent updates to the American Diabetes Association guidelines supporting CGM technology, the success of Levels and other companies, and the whole push for biowearables as a means to leverage the digital biomarker space and all there other products (Binax, CardioMEMS, LVAD) -- then maybe I shouldn't be surprised.
And what does Abbott have to announce? A new line of biowearables they are calling Lingo.
What is Lingo?
Well, there is a video that they put out! So let's break it down:
It looks like the same style and delivery mechanism as a Freestyle Libre 2. Which I wonder would be replaced once the Freestyle Libre 3 System comes to the US in a few years.
It's aimed at: athletes, exercise enthusiasts, those interested in monitoring their health and nutrition. I'm getting biohacking vibes here again.
Will track: glucose, ketones, lactate, and possibly alcohol levels
The fine print: "The Lingo Portfolio of products are under development and not intended for medical use..." Ok, that is worth discussing. Now.
I think many of us in the digital health space has watched how CGM is exploding and has enormous potential. But, direct-to-consumer companies trying to use CGM for people without diabetes have the difficulty of needing telehealth solutions to get these things prescribed and then dispensed from a pharmacy. I mean, the business works, but from a scalability factor... it's lopsided. How much do people that want to track their glucose actually require a medical-grade CGM device?
So, if Lingo comes into the market, has a decent app, or just an API to integrate with others (Apple Health), and then you can just go into a pharmacy and buy this stuff off the shelf.... yeah, I think this could be a gamechanger. It's not changing things for people with diabetes, but I myself, who have wondered if I should test some of these products, may be swayed to say, well, let's just use Lingo, so I don't need another third party to get me these devices.
Then we factor in other possibilities, alcohol would be interesting; get a warning on a night of drinking that you can't drive? Maybe it syncs to the car electronics and won't let you drive. I can also see a case where a person argues over a possible DUI that they have this device and were not at a specific BAC as well. I'd be interested if Abbott looks towards detecting certain drugs, then this could let you know if you just had your drink spiked, for instance. Ketones and lactate levels is going to play into athletes and a huge sector, but I can see us start spotting these devices widely in the sports world. I would also expect a vast third-party market that develops bandages or related to secure them in place, etc.
But at the end of the day, I think this really demonstrates how much of the wellness field of digital health is going to have substantial changes this decade. I think there is a significant amount of money and innovation we are just on the cusp of seeing if companies like Abbott start really taking a consumer health mentality.
Other Interesting Products
Whew. Ok, well, let's move on to some other products that were talked about that caught my attention:
Omron is showcasing a newish product called VitalSight (which had been on social media a little pre-CES), which is basically their remote patient monitoring (RPM) platform (here's a video). Though it seems they are really focused on hypertension. Hey, I LOVE RPM, and I LOVE the idea of PHARMACISTS doing this. But... again, they will probably focus on the physician market first, and see how to get into their offices. They should really take a look at what Oschner Health is doing... I'm really convinced all these RPM companies are just gonna overload a clientele that may not pan out.
Owlet is back after having a run-in with the FDA for its earlier smart socks. Now it has the Dream Duo as a monitoring system using their new wearable sock monitor and camera connected via a smartphone app to help aim to improve your baby's sleep. Retailing for $399, I imagine it will be something that parents are going to chew on.
Circular is new to me, and looks like the Oura ring. I will spend some time on this, as I think the wearable health fashion scene is going to have another surge, similar to the early 2010s (I miss you Misfit Shine).
I think home hubs are gonna go 2.0, such as what Samsung is pushing. I want to see how this integrates in broader health systems. Imagine being in your home, but having to be in the hospital, and the hub still knew you and your preferences etc. Beats having to argue with the TV in the hospital room to see what's on. Smarthome is on the way up, now how do you bring it with you?
WITHINGS HAS A NEW SCALE. And this time it does, EKG, weight, etc. But they also have a nerve activity detection unit? Ok, so... diabetes neuropathy. Check. Yeah, that could be something of interest, and I am interested in what claims or how it communicates to a user what is going on. Like, does it say I am at risk of getting foot ulcers, for instance? Depending on ability, this could have some serious uptake in the diabetes market (which I still haven't seen come to fruition).
If I see more, I will add it here! Drop a comment if there are others to add!