Health tech innovation to watch in 2019

It’s easy to get excited about the latest smart speakers and VR headsets. But in the long run, health tech innovation has a much more important impact. Here are the health devices to watch this year.

• What are the best health tech products? Take a tour through our extensive Health collection to see our top picks.
• How can technology benefit my health? Current devices can test your eyesight, measure your vital signs, and help you adopt a healthier lifestyle.
• What health tech innovation is coming in 2019? Keep reading to see some of the most exciting new healthcare tech arriving this year.

Nothing is more precious than good health. So it’s little wonder that health tech is becoming increasingly popular. Here are the healthcare innovations that have caught our attention so far in 2019.

Omron HeartGuide Blood Pressure Smartwatch

For many people, blood pressure is a significant concern. The new HeartGuide smartwatch offers peace of mind for these souls. The wearable device provides live, medical-grade readings of your blood pressure and heart rate — even while you sleep.

HeartGuide also operates as a regular smartwatch, tracking your activity and relaying notifications from your phone.

Low Glucose Warning by Medtronic and IBM

Diabetes is another condition that affects millions of people. Medtronic makes a wearable sensor that sends live blood sugar readings to your smartphone. Now, the company has teamed up with IBM’s Watson Health unit to add a predictive feature.

Using machine learning and AI, this system can alert you to the possibility of a low-glucose event occurring in the next 1–4 hours.

Oticon Kaizn Smart Hearing Aid

Hearing aid maker, Oticon, has released several innovative products over the past few years. The latest is Kaizn, a smart hearing aid that adapts to the wearer’s preferences.

Different situations call for different acoustics — holding a conversation in a noisy bar is very different from listening to a podcast. By analyzing the ambient sound, Kaizn allows the wearer to choose between various smart audio settings.

HeartBit ECG Smart Fitness Apparel

Hungarian startup HeartBit teamed up with IBM last year to create a wearable heart-rate monitor, aimed at fitness fanatics. In 2019, the company will launch something far more impressive.

HeartBit is bringing to market a new range of fitness apparel which will have ECG technology built in. The garments will collect 10,000 data points every second, allowing the companion app to create a comprehensive heart profile and a tailored workout plan.

Slighter Smart Cigarette Lighter

You might be wondering what a cigarette light is doing on a list of health tech products. But Slighter is designed to help smokers cut down on, and eventually quit, their deadly habit.

The device spends the first week learning your smoking habits in order to create a personalized plan. You can then choose to follow the advice and gradually reduce your daily nicotine intake, or shift the goalposts.

Chronolife Smart Life-Saving Vest

There is no health condition more immediately concerning than a heart attack. While anyone can suffer a cardiac arrest — to use the medical terminology — some people are at greater risk than others.

For those in the high-risk category, the Chronolife vest could be a lifesaver. This garment is packed with sensors, collecting data across a variety of health metrics. The companion app uses this information to predict a heart attack before it happens.

Chronolife’s vest could save your life (Credit: Tyler Lizenby/CNET)

Health tech innovation

Which of these healthcare innovations would you benefit from? Share your ideas in the comments!