COVID-19: GOQii launches smart band with body temp sensors

Smart wearables company GOQii on Thursday launched a new smart band featuring sensors for measuring body temperature and said it has partnered with German health tech startup Thryve to conduct a clinical study in India to detect COVID-19 infections using the device.

The device - Vital 3.0 - has been developed in under two months by the company, and can help users track vitals like body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and sleep apart from step count. The thermal sensor allows continuous monitoring as well as on-demand checking, and has an accuracy of +/- 0.3 F.

"In the current COVID-19 situation, there is an urgent need for development of rapid wearable diagnostics to identify and isolate COVID-19 cases and track and prevent the spread of the virus. The Vital 3.0 provides data around pulse, temperature and sleep, which can be used to analyse whether the user is symptomatic of diseases like COVID-19," GOQii founder and CEO Vishal Gondal said. He added that the US Army had recently called out to tech companies to develop such a device.

"We have shared details of Vital 3 with the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium and are awaiting their feedback," he said adding that Vital 3.0 is only a screening device and not a medical device.

Gondal said GOQii brand ambassador Akshay Kumar has donated 1,000 of these bands to Mumbai Police who are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19. The Mumbai Police department will be able to remotely track and manage the health of its personnel via GOQii's platform, he added. The Vital 3.0 will be available in India in phases and on an immediate basis for the frontline workers, government and private enterprises. Some units will be available for retail sales and the band will be priced at Rs 3,999.

Gondal said plans are underway to launch in the US, the UK, Australia, Japan, UAE, Singapore and other countries. "Following PM Narendra Modi's call of 'Be Vocal about Local', we are evaluating manufacturing options in India," he added. Talking about the partnership with Thryve, Gondal said GOQii will conduct a clinical study in India to check the accuracy of early detection of COVID-19 using the device.

Detection of characteristic changes in body temperature and other vital data enable early detection of COVID-19 symptoms. The preparation for clinical trials are underway and in three-six months, the results will determine the future of early diagnosis and its accuracy, he explained. Gondal said the company is engaged in discussions with a number of companies across sectors including ride-sharing, food delivery, e-commerce and logistics globally for the device. "Combined usage of the detection algorithm and the GOQii Vital 3.0 smart band can help significantly in isolating potential COVID-19 patients and preventing further spread. We are confident that the clinical study will show positive results in predicting COVID-19 infection," he said.