The big annual tech show in Las Vegas is all about your health
(AFP) – Pillows to improve sleep, toilets to analyze urine at home, holograms to help surgeons: many innovations presented on Tuesday at a preview of CES, the main electronics trade show in Las Vegas, are designed to take care of our bodies.
Technology analyst Avi Greengart says that with the pandemic, health will be a key topic at the next event. “We need to see really interesting health devices that monitor or improve our well-being,” he says.
– Urinalysis at home
There is no need to go to the laboratory for certain urine tests: the French company Withings has invented a device called U-Scan, which is placed in the toilet bowl like a deodorant block.
Pee at home as usual. A thermal sensor detects the urine and identifies which member of the household it came from, which prevents visiting friends from being analyzed as well.
The liquid is then filtered into a cartridge that holds up to 100 tests and lasts for about three months. The results are sent to the phone and can be shared with the doctor.
Withings has developed two versions: one designed to track women’s hormonal cycles, and another for nutrition with information on hydration, PH or vitamin C levels. The company may offer dietary modifications depending on requests.
The third version is also designed for research projects, for example, for people with kidney stones.
Mathieu Letombe said, “Having these data on a daily basis will allow the user and the doctor to understand the health of the person, because these will not be measurements that we take once a year or every two years.” Withings.
– Anti-snoring pillow
The South Korean company 10minds has developed an inflatable pillow with a sound sensor for those who snore, wake up their partner or are worried about their own voice.
“When you start snoring, our system will detect it,” said Daehyun Kim, a representative of the company, adding that the machine can distinguish the sounds from a possible partner or dog.
The four airbags inside the pillow will then deploy or deflate almost silently to “turn your head to the side.”
Airways open, snoring stops.
– Medical massage chair
For those complaining of neck or back pain, South Korea’s Bodyfriend has a $9,500 massage chair that focuses on the back of the neck and holds the head in place with a headband.
The machine also radiates heat to the back and emits pulsed electromagnetic waves to reduce muscle pain. The body is surrounded by a reclining chair, with the legs and calves also enclosed.
Changjoo Kim, the company’s North American manager, notes: “Our technology helps solve the problems that technology creates: spending time on your phone and other screens can cause back issues.
– Augmented reality for surgeons
French company Abys Medical wants to help orthopedic and trauma surgeons operate with software and an augmented reality helmet.
Before moving, the medical team can plan the intervention by bringing together all X-ray and other medical images on one platform, thus recreating the patient’s skeleton in 3D as a “digital twin”.
In the operating room, the surgeon can access this information in the form of a hologram at any time using his helmet, including, for example, an image of the spine, which he can view from several angles with a simple movement of his fingers. .
The tool can be especially useful for less experienced surgeons, says company co-founder Arnaud Destainville. It can also prove that the caregiver planned the intervention correctly.
