A prototype of a wearable five-channel electrocardiogram chip that can continuously monitor fetal heart rate and mobility was presented by Belgian nanotech company imec at the FutureSummits tech expo in Antwerp this week.
Imec created the BeatleIC chip with the help of its San Francisco-based spinoff Bloomlife, which produces a pregnancy and contraction tracker. The chip — the first of its kind, per imec — can be used to accurately monitor fetal ECG beginning at 20 weeks into a pregnancy.
Once the chip has gone through clinical testing, it will launch as part of a system including a wearable patch, a smartphone app and a risk management platform that will help healthcare providers monitor the data collected by the chip.
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