KYOCERA @ CES 2020

• 01Features

  • - World’s first healthcare device to estimate carbohydrate metabolism by analyzing pulse-wave patterns
  • - Gyro sensor*2 quickly and conveniently measures radial arterial pulse-wave by pressing the sensor against wrist
  • - Compact, simple design with non-invasive sensor
  • - Currently in clinical trials (Research director: Dr. Shirou Minami, Professor of Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences, Nippon Medical School)

  *2 Kyocera patented technology (US patent #10390761)

  

• 02Applications

  • - General diet-based health management
  • - Carbohydrate restriction diet management
  • - Pre-diabetes health management

  

• 02Specifications

  • - Estimation method: Pulse-wave augmentation index
  • - Pulse-wave measuring sensor: Gyro sensor
  • - Required measurement time: 8 seconds
  • - Battery powered: Will run for approx. 1 year of operation with a button type battery

  

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  *For the above product information panel

• Interview

  Kyocera Article - Diet Monitor

  Kyocera’s Worlds’-first Gyro-based Carbohydrate Monitoring System

  “Without taking a blood sample, this device has the potential to make it possible to measure your sugar metabolic status.” Hiromi Ajima, of Kyocera’s Medical R&D Center, introduces the exclusive world’s-first*1 innovation from Kyocera, which was developed by his team: a carbohydrate monitoring device that replaces the discomfort of needles and pinpricks with the convenience of a precision gyro sensor and a smartphone app.

  Health is one of the biggest factors in quality of life, and many of us are looking for new ways to monitor, manage, and improve our own health. Recently, smart devices have made it easier than ever for us to take detailed measurements of our bodies, track them over a long period, and analyze the results for potential health effects. With their new Carbohydrate Monitoring System, Kyocera is hoping to give people a powerful new health management tool. This world’s-first development exclusively from Kyocera will give users the ability to monitor carbohydrate metabolism levels quickly and easily. The engineers behind it hope this will become an important new tool in monitoring our diets and maintaining better health.

  

  From Smartphones to Smart Health

  The Carbohydrate Monitoring System works by making use of the same gyro sensor that exists in your smartphone. Mr. Ajima explains, “these sensors were once extremely expensive instruments only found in airplanes or other advanced devices. Once smartphones started using them for camera stabilization, however, the cost fell very quickly, making them easily available. This spurred innovators like us to think up new applications for this technology that would have been impractical just ten years ago.”

  Fast and Easy to Use

  Mr. Ajima explains how easy the Carbohydrate Monitoring System is to use: “one hour after you eat, just hold the device to your wrist to begin. It will link with your smartphone via Bluetooth and start monitoring your pulse. As it does this, it will sense the minute patterns in pressure.” as sugar level rises after eating, the size of the radial artery changes slightly, which produces slight shifts in how the pressure of your blood-flow rises and falls with each heartbeat. Within about ten seconds, the measurements are complete, and the online app will then analyze the results, presenting them in detailed graphs and comparing the data with your past history. The monitor can help you to determine if the amount you ate was sufficient or not, enabling users to better regulate their food intake, and assist with dieting and weight management.

  

  A Chance Discovery

  The Carbohydrate monitoring system is actually the result of an accidental discovery. When smartphones started being equipped with gyro sensors, Mr. Ajima originally was inspired to try to use the smartphone itself as a health monitoring device, noting that they were sensitive enough to detect a pulse when the phone is laid against the wrist. To get a better fit and obtain more reliable data, he soon opted for developing a separate device in which the sensor could be mounted on a spring for greater sensitivity. “My original goal was to create a blood pressure monitor, but something happened during the early testing phase,” he says. “When I tried calibrating the device, I just couldn’t get consistent readings after meals: some days I would get one reading, then after a different meal the result would be significantly different. Once we started investigating why this was happening, we discovered that it was detecting the changes in sugar metabolism from one meal to the next, and that this could be an even more important application.” This discovery led him and his team to change the focus of the monitor from blood pressure to sugar metabolic status, leading to the device he was now demonstrating.

  

  While other makers have tried different methods, “using a gyro sensor to monitor sugar levels, which is a Kyocera-exclusive innovation, provides much more accurate results.” The Carbohydrate Monitoring System will be of great help to people with pre-diabetic symptoms manage their nutrition and health more easily. It will also be of great use to diet-conscious users who wish to better control their weight. “Looking toward the future,” Mr. Ajima adds, “we hope to expand its capabilities to monitoring fat and cholesterol.” This will be an important addition to Kyocera’s product line-up, and one which has the potential to make a positive impact on all of our lives.

  * World’s first radial arterial pulse wave gyro sensor. Based on research by Kyocera (as of October 28, 2019)

  

Related News

• The Best Health Tech at CES 2020 (CNET)

  https://www.cnet.com/pictures/the-best-health-tech-at-ces-2020/7/

• 01Features

  • - SOFC Cell
    Simple structure for high efficiency and reliability has been realized with flat tube cells
  • - SOFC Cell
    Stack design is not only for gas flow design and high electric efficiency, but also provides reliability on heat cycles

  

• 02Specifications

  • - One stack unit is installed in the 700 W “ENE-FARM Type S” – the world’s highest efficiency (53.5%) SOFC system
  • - Half-sized stack unit is installed in the 400 W “ENE-FARM Mini” – the world's smallest high-efficiency residential cogeneration system

  

• 03Applications

  • - Core of the SOFC system for residential use
  • - Expected to apply our SOFC to other fields by realizing higher levels of efficiency:

    ・Portable, emergency, and backup power supplies by reducing size and improving performance

    ・Commercial use for power plants

    ・Powerful micro-power system with PV

    ・Deployment for global energy saving tools

  

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• 01Features

  • - Rapid cooling and heating

    ・-10°C ⇔ 120°C (max.)

  • - High equilibrium heat characteristics

    ・Within ± 0.1°C

  • - High reliability by original element design

    ・Over 2x usage lifetime compared to conventional products (in-vehicle cycle)

  

• 02Mechanism

  • - Temp. difference caused by Peltier effect; heat transport from N-type and P-type thermoelectric semiconductor element junction
  • - Temp. controlled by current direction using thermoelectric semiconductors
  • - Modularization increases heat absorption; adjustable through the junction logarithm

  

• 03Applications

  • - Improved usage lifetime and safety for HEV batteries
  • - Rapid cooling and heating for automotive seat temperature control
  • - Drink temperature control in automobiles
  • - Precise temperature control of various analyzers, e.g. temperature control of ± 1°C for blood tests

  

• Click here to download (3.0MB)

  *For the above product information panel