With COVID-19 dominating the narrative across the globe, it comes as no surprise that health tech is poised to emerge as one of the top areas of focus at CES 2022.
For the first time ever, a health care company will deliver a major keynote at CES (previously known as the Consumer Electronics Show), with Abbott Laboratories CEO and Board Chair Robert Ford delivering the closing presentation. While Abbott is delivering a valuable service to the show by providing complimentary rapid COVID tests to all registered CES attendees, the Illinois-based health care giant is only one of an estimated 100 health-focused companies to share the spotlight at the show.
A stroll through the Las Vegas Convention Center North Hall provides CES patrons with a broad cross section of health care products, accessories, analytical systems and service providers, all tied together under the title of Digital Health Marketplace. With booths profiling vendors large and small, the lineup of exhibitors also includes representatives from several health systems, including Ascension, Providence Health and Massachusetts General Hospital.
In many ways, COVID is both the show’s nemesis and a catalyst for much of what companies intend to showcase throughout the week. COVID has demonstrated the capability for dozens of health care providers to leverage virtual care, while also providing companies ranging from medication monitors to pain sensors to air purification manufacturers an opportunity to highlight how they deal with issues, both pandemic-related and otherwise.
While much attention has been directed to the big-name tech companies that have withdrawn from CES because of the pandemic, med-tech companies are still fighting the good fight, with no more than a handful abandoning their on-site presence. In addition to Abbott, such major players as Dassault Systèmes, SleepScore Labs, Keeson Technology, Satisfyer and others have remained in the show, joined by dozens of other, smaller enterprises whose relative recent emergence qualifies them to exhibit at the show’s Eureka Park Marketplace for startups and emerging entities.
Several of these companies appear to offer truly innovative deliverables, many of which are first-to-market within their genres. The most notable among them include:
Vivoo: Powered by advanced image processing and machine-learning algorithms, this at-home wellness tracker analyzes the user’s urine to deliver personalized, easy-to-understand lifestyle and nutrition advice, helping individuals make smart health decisions. The product tracks a wide range of parameters crucial for optimal health: hydration, urine pH level, magnesium, calcium, vitamin C, UTIs and organ wellness, among others.
The Y-Brush: A patented Y-shaped toothbrush, developed by dentists, is set to revolutionize the world of oral health care with a product that simultaneously brushes all upper and then lower teeth through vigorous vibration in just 10 seconds
Cubtale: A care coordination platform that uses palm-sized smart buttons called Cubs delivers a simple way to track and manage your baby’s daily care activities, such as breastfeeding sessions, bottle amounts, medicine intakes, sleep durations and more.
Care Wear: This wearable therapeutics product, registered with the FDA and approved by the European Union, deploys light therapy for pain management, treatment of soft tissue injury, wrinkles and acne. When paired with a digital health infrastructure, the product allows clinicians to select treatment parameters and outcome indicators to issue real-time reports through a mobile application.
Every Dose: This digital health company was created after the founder noticed a loved one struggling with medication management. Every Dose’s AI-powered platform helps patients stay on track with their medications while driving lower costs, better outcomes and higher quality measures for health care stakeholders.
Humetrix: This AI-powered technology platform has supported the national response to the pandemic. The Humetrix ETL and Analytics platform is a powerful Precision Public Health platform that has enabled the identification and local mapping of populations at higher risk for severe COVID-19 and monitoring of the vaccination program.
“Technology improves our lives in so many ways, and that is especially clear in the health sector,” said Gary Shapiro, Consumer Technology Association president and CEO. “While the pandemic spurred rapid innovation from digital health companies across the globe who continue to find ways to make our lives safer, happier and longer, the overall health care technology revolution continually empowers people to actively engage in their own health. We’re thrilled with health technology’s strong presence at CES 2022 and look forward to its continued growth in the years ahead.”
Steve Winter and Kenny Fried are WTOP contributors who work for Brotman|Winter|Fried, a division of Sage Communications.
