The last few years have seen a huge number of wearable healthcare devices enter the market.  One of the more interesting of these is the smart bandage that was released earlier this year.

The device, which was made by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley uses electrical currents to detect tissue damage before it is visible to the human eye.

The device has been created by printing dozens of electrodes onto a thin and flexible film that is then discharged with a tiny current to create a spatial map of the tissue using impedance spectroscopy.

The team explains how the wall of a cell’s membrane begins to break down as the cell starts to die, therefore allowing electrical signals to leak through what was previously an impermeable wall.

Wearable menstruation devices

Such advances aren’t confined to wound care.  A recent innovation is applying wearable technology to help women cope with their menstruation.

The device, called LOONCUP, aims to help women manage their periods more easily.  It is currently on Kickstarter looking for finance to progress development further.

The device comes in cup form and has a built in sensor that connects up to a mobile app via Bluetooth.  The cup monitors the flow rate, fluid color and fullness of the cup throughout the menstrual cycle, thus informing the user of how their period is progressing.

When the cup is full, or no longer needed, it can be hand washed and re-used again.  The data from each cycle is stored to allow the woman to track both when their period begins/ends and also the form it takes each month.

The device is made out of medical grade silicon, so it’s hopefully comfortable to wear and easy to insert.  It comes with an embedded battery that gives each cup a lifespan of around 6 months.

If the Kickstarter campaign goes to plan, the product will launch to the wider public in January 2016, with the makers also hoping to branch out into other areas if this initial foray proves successful.