Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the executive director of the UCLA Wireless Health Institute and recent acquirer of GlowCaps maker Vitality, has made a strategic investment in Toumaz, which is developing low cost, ultra-low power wireless technologies for a number of verticals including medical monitoring and internet-connected consumer devices. The wireless technology that Toumaz is building is called Sensium.
“Mobile, wireless monitoring devices are the future of healthcare,” Dr. Soon-Shiong stated in the press release. “The challenge is to make these devices affordable and reliable, with good ergonomics and very low energy needs. Toumaz has all these bases covered, so I am very bullish about the company’s prospects, and am excited to participate with Toumaz’s strong development team.”
CCE and Toumaz will together to bring Sensiu to market for use in sports, while the two will assess the market for using the technology in wireless healthcare applications and others. According to the press release, CCE and Toumaz will “focus on chargeable multi-use devices for the North American market.” Toumaz already has commercialization underway for its disposable wireless sensor for continuous vital sign monitoring in hospital. Toumaz announced the trial’s launch in late 2009. The trial is taking place at St. Mary’s Hospital in London and is in partnership with Toumaz’s American partner CareFusion.
Toumaz’s CE-marked Life Pebble device includes a single lead ECG, skin thermometer, and an accelerometer, which enables it to track physical activity. The device works for up to five days on a single hearing aid-sized battery. The data collected by the system is intended for use by clinicians for analysis. The Life Pebble streams data over a short range wireless link to a Sensium USB Network Adapter.
Last year the company said it was working on a version of the Life Pebble device to be used in professional sports, which seems to be the same area around which CCE is collaborating with Toumaz.
Toumaz launched its Life Pebble late in 2009, and announced plans last year to submit an end-to-end wireless vital signs monitoring system for FDA clearance and a CE mark later in 2011.
Dr. Soon-Shiong’s UCLA Wireless Health Institute has a number of interesting wireless health technologies under development, including MediSens, which is working in the area of peripheral neuropathy, which causes some people with diabetes to lose sensation in their feet, and other health issues related to balance. When Dr. Soon-Shiong first joined the institute in 2009, MobiHealthNews interviewed him (read that article here).
For more on the strategic investment, read the entire press release after the jump:
Patrick Soon-Shiong to invest in Toumaz to develop Sensium for consumer healthcare applications
CCE and Toumaz will collaborate to develop Toumaz’s market leading wireless healthcare and wellness technology, the Sensium platform, for use in sports. Collaboration for other applications, including wireless healthcare, will also be assessed. The two companies will focus on chargeable multi-use devices for the North American market.
Toumaz already has a strategic relationship for the commercialisation of a disposable patch for continuous monitoring in hospitals.
Dr. Soon-Shiong said, “Mobile, wireless monitoring devices are the future of healthcare. The challenge is to make these devices affordable and reliable, with good ergonomics and very low energy needs. Toumaz has all these bases covered, so I am very bullish about the company’s prospects, and am excited to participate with Toumaz’s strong development team.”
Professor Chris Toumazou, Toumaz Chief Executive, commented: “I am delighted that Patrick’s business has not only invested in Toumaz but in a clear endorsement of our technology is working with us to develop Sensium for the consumer healthcare markets. He has tremendous entrepreneurial expertise in the medical devices and technology sector.”
http://mobihealthnews.com/10229/dr-soon-shiong-invests-2m-in-toumaz/
UCLA Wireless Health Institute Vitality GlowCaps
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