Health. Care. Anywhere. Today.
What if clinical quality medical equipment were available to every consumer in a form factor that was inexpensive, accurate, and easy to use? What if this equipment provided information that previously was un-measurable or very difficult to measure? What if the physiological state of individuals, at resolutions measured in thousandths of a second instead of in visits per year, could be measured easily, making it possible to ascertain caloric intake and expenditure, patterns of sleep, contextual activities such as working-out and driving, even parameters of mental state and health. What aspect of healthcare would not change? We present a system that is available today that enables this vision. This award-winning multi-channel wearable physiological monitor has enabled the collection of more than 90 million minutes of data in natural settings from thousands of subjects engaged in diverse activities. Data modeling efforts are resulting in applications that present meaningful and actionable information in real-time to users and their designated collaborators (physicians, family members, counselors, coaches, etc.) We describe the SenseWear system, its design, and a summary of validation studies, current commercial applications, and ongoing research. This discussion will show how the convergence of design for wearability, advances in machine learning, and improvements in wireless technology will manifest the future of health care as personal, ubiquitous, and collaborative.