Japanese firm Kyocera has developed a smart headset that lets physicians monitor patient biometric data while keeping both hands free.

Patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation therapy can wear the headset and a small electrocardiograph (ECG), while physicians wear Vuzix smart glasses to monitor the biometric data. Abnormalities in pulse, oxygen saturation and ECG can be detected visually and audibly, allowing the therapist to assist the patient with both hands free.

Customised software displays various biological information on the smart glasses so it can be grasped in an integrated manner.

The system was developed in collaboration with Tomoyuki Umemoto and his colleagues in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Tokyo Medical & Dental University (TMDU). It combines a Kyocera bone conduction headset with biometric sensing, Vuzix Blade smart glasses, and a small ECG.

By using this system, physicians can acquire and view vital data such as pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and ECG in real time during exercise while talking with patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation therapy. This enables guidance on the amount of exercise to be performed, which is expected to lead to more accurate diagnosis and shorter treatment time.

The evaluation trial currently underway aims to verify the effectiveness of this system for telemedicine and remote rehabilitation, and if it can also be applied to other diseases, ultimately aiming for full-scale introduction in the future.

This system has also been applied to Covid-19. Currently, rehabilitation therapy is provided by direct intervention for severely ill patients, and remotely for moderately ill patients who have recovered to independent walking. By introducing tele-rehabilitation, the aim is to achieve early recovery of patients, reduce the risk of infection for medical staff, and conserve medical resources such as protective clothing and masks.

“Vuzix Blade smart glasses are lightweight, comfortable and completely wireless,” said Paul Travers, CEO at Vuzix. “They’re the ideal form factor for ongoing patient-therapist interaction such as occurs with this rehabilitation system. We are pleased to keep expanding our engagement opportunities within the healthcare vertical and look forward to increasing deployment opportunities across multiple applications and geographies.”