Wearables started off simply as accessories for high end smartphones, after which digital watches quickly gained popularity as compact devices to control apps on handsets. With time these gadgets started getting smaller, and carved out their own space by making life easier via specific tasks that they facilitate.

Following the rise of fitness bands, healthcare has been one of the sectors which have benefited significantly from wearable tech, especially when data is transforming medical care. At a time when sensors are being stitched into apparel for collecting updates on personal health, Emirati investors are backing an American firm which creates stickers for gathering patient data.

BioIntelliSense has received funding from a number of entities including UAE-based Chimera, to strengthen its wearable products that help doctors stay up to speed with the progress of each user. The first among these is a BioSticker, which can relay info about overall wellbeing, continuously for 30 days.

The stickers are also accompanied by BioButtons which are designed for more detailed monitoring of vitals, and send out information including body temperature, heart rate and respiration. These updates are collected through the gadget without interruptions for 60 days, and can be crucial during the pandemic when oxygen levels as well as signs of fever, are indicators of covid infections.

Having wireless access to personal health information of people in real time can also allow doctors to determine if a hospital visit is required. Informed decisions can also be taken for crafting personalised care strategies, while the staff can be better prepared for any emergency.

Ever since telemedicine proved to be a game changer for healthcare during lockdown, devices that gauge well being of an individual remotely have been gaining ground in the Middle East. Some of these even collect information about vital organs from the vibrations created on the surface of the skin, by functioning of the heart and kidneys.

Electromagnetic waves and changes in the voice of a person have also become indicators of infections, to speed up diagnosis.