Google is developing a mHealth wristband for pharma clinical trials and drug tests to provide research teams with real-time data on patient vital signs, from pulse and heart rates to light exposure and noise level monitoring.
While the device will be used by patients and lab research participants, it will not be sold directly to consumers, according to Bloomberg.
"Our hope is that this technology could unlock a new class of continuous, medical-grade information that makes it easier to understand these patterns and manage serious health conditions," Andy Conrad, head of the life sciences team at Google, told CNN.
The news comes about three weeks after Google announced it was expanding research into human disease and illness through the second project stage of a health-focused program called Baseline Study. The collaborative effort with Stanford University and Duke University will include a "Study Kit," which will feature software tools for both iOS and Android.
Additionally, Google filed for a patent for a wrist device aimed at killing cancer cells back in March.
The latest Google mHealth wearable could one day be used as a preventative care tool, Conrad added. "I envision a day, in 20 or 30 years, where physicians give it to all patients. Prevention means all the time."
For more:
- read the Bloomberg report
- read the CNN report