Yet another clinically-focused, activity tracking wearable
has now been cleared by the FDA, this one aimed specifically at the monitoring
and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The Personal KinetiGraph, from Melbourne,
Australia-based Global Kinetics Corporation, “offers comprehensive,
automated reporting of a Parkinson’s disease patient’s movements so that
neurologists and other
physicians can more easily identify changes in movement
symptoms to assist in decisions to optimize therapy,” according to the company.
“Monitoring changes in a patient’s movement symptoms is a
critical element in the treatment of Parkinson’s and many other movement
disorders, but it can be difficult for both patients and healthcare providers
to identify and assess changes in movement symptoms effectively,” Andrew
Maxwell, managing director and CEO of Global Kinetics Corporation, said in a statement.
“The Personal KinetiGraph provides clinicians with a clear and accurate
assessment of the patient experience outside of office visits and
examinations.”
The wrist-worn device is already in use in Australia, but
has previously not been cleared for sale in the United States. The device
can be prescribed to a Parkinson’s patient by their physician; the patient then
takes the device and wears it at home. It can collect and store up to 10 days
of movement data. That data is then downloaded by the physician, who can
use it to obtain a more accurate assessment of the patient’s mobility than they
could get from an office visit.
The device can also serve as a medication adherence
tool in conjunction with the Parkinson’s symptom management medication
levodopa. The wearable can be set to vibrate at preset times to remind
patients to take the medication.
Like most movement tracking in clinical settings, the status
quo is in-lab tests and patient self-reporting, a vexing situation as
Parkinson’s symptoms vary widely from patient to patient. Neurologists at the
Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in Melbourne developed the
software and hardware in 2007 to try to improve the situation.
“In many cases when we discuss changes in movement symptoms
with Parkinson’s patients, they are unable to recall specific information that
can help doctors understand whether their disease is progressing and, if so,
how rapidly,” Dr. Malcolm Horne, chief scientific officer and co-founder of
Global Kinetics Corporation, who developed the technology with Dr. Robert
Griffiths at the Florey Institute, said in a statement. “This technology brings
clinicians a whole new level of accurate information to support more effective
and timely treatment decisions.”
In February of this year, the FDA cleared two
wristworn activity trackers from British company Camntech:
non-smartphone-connected, but highly accurate devices intended for use in
clinical trials. In July, Australian
company dorsaVi followed suit, obtaining clearance for its
ViMove sensor system for detailed activity tracking. Meanwhile, Orthocare
Innovations, a company that has long held FDA clearance for its StepWatch
device, created a
spin-off company called modus health to market their
device, hitherto used mainly for research purposes, to clinicians.
MobiHealthNews covered the trend in an in-depth
report last month.
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