EarSwitch

When something isn’t working well, let’s seek a better alternative. Healthcare is constantly evolving, and there’s always room to improve the quality of care we deliver to our patients. Take vital signs monitoring, for example. The current methods, while widely used, often fall short in accuracy and efficiency, especially for minority populations. Differences in skin tone can affect the effectiveness of these tools, leading to suboptimal care outcomes. It’s up to all of us in healthcare to actively pursue new methods and solutions that ensure everyone receives the highest standard of care, regardless of background or skin colour. #healthcare #digitalhealth #healthmonitoring

Vital signs monitoring shouldn’t be a complicated, intrusive, or painful process. That’s why we believe the inner ear canal may be the ideal location for capturing reliable indications of a patient's health: It’s discreet, convenient and can be used in devices like hearing aids and audio earbuds. By integrating advanced sensors into these everyday devices, we aim to enable seamless monitoring of vital signs such as oxygen levels, heart rate, and respiration patterns, prioritising both accuracy and equity. In-ear devices are not only comfortable for long-term wear, making them ideal for remote health management, but they also offer manufacturers a unique opportunity to differentiate their products by potentially adding advanced health monitoring capabilities. Find out more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e7JKjgiS #healthcare #digitalhealth #healthmonitoring

Attending the Health Innovation West of England Conference today? If so, why not stop by the Innovation Zone where the EarSwitch team will be showcasing our unique, end-to-end biometric sensor and control technology that aims to provide a new standard of medical monitoring? We are seeking to develop a better alternative to vital signs monitoring. By harnessing the potential of in-ear monitoring, we aim to empower people with better ways to manage their health and interact with the world. Stop by to meet our Co-founder, Dr. Nick Gompertz, and learn more about how we intend to provide a gateway to better health for all. #healthcare #digitalhealth #healthmonitoring

When something isn’t working well, let’s seek a better alternative. Healthcare is constantly evolving, and there’s always room to improve the quality of care we deliver to our patients. Take vital signs monitoring, for example. The current methods, while widely used, often fall short in accuracy and efficiency, especially for minority populations. Differences in skin tone can affect the effectiveness of these tools, leading to suboptimal care outcomes. It’s up to all of us in healthcare to actively pursue new methods and solutions that ensure everyone receives the highest standard of care, regardless of background or skin colour. #healthcare #digitalhealth #healthmonitoring

EarSwitch began with a clinician's vision to change lives, and we have grown in ways we never imagined. Our founder, Dr Nick Gompertz, was inspired to help patients with motor neurone disease who struggled to communicate. He envisioned a non-intrusive, in-ear device to assist people with neurological impairments. Today, EarSwitch has expanded far beyond its original mission. Our team of doctors, scientists, and engineers is pioneering in-ear biometric control and sensor technologies to deliver powerful health insights for healthcare teams and patients alike. To learn more about how we aim to set a new standard in patient care, contact us today➡️ https://lnkd.in/e7JKjgiS #healthcare #digitalhealth #healthmonitoring

Pulse oximeters are the go-to device for monitoring oxygen levels, used by healthcare teams globally – but is it time for a change? The technology used in these devices – which shines light through a patient's skin to detect key vitals – often generates inaccurate readings for people with darker skin tones. While the FDA is working on new guidelines to improve device accuracy, it's clear we need more accurate, more inclusive solutions. The current alternative, arterial blood gas tests, is invasive, painful, and uncomfortable. This places an unfair burden on patients and isn't practical for routine monitoring. The ear canal offers a promising alternative for pulse oximetry and could provide a more reliable site for accurate readings across all skin tones. It’s also easily accessible for clinicians and painless for patients. It’s time to develop pulse oximeters and other non-invasive solutions that ensure equitable care for everyone. Accurate readings shouldn’t depend on skin colour. Find out why we urgently need new approaches to vital signs monitoring ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ePnhJyAv #healthcare #digitalhealth #healthmonitoring

The ear canal can be a window into a person's core vital signs – and one of which medicine has yet to fully take advantage. Not only is the ear canal close to the body’s core blood supply to both the brain and heart, making it likely to be a highly reliable location for measuring oxygen levels, but the consistent skin tone of the inner ear-canal across all people allows for more accurate blood oxygen measurements. Through in-ear monitoring of key biomarkers, we aim to be able to address issues around accuracy often seen with measurements taken from other areas of the body. This would help to enable pulse oximetry that is reliable, accessible, and equitable, improving patient outcomes. Find out why the ear is the future of vital signs monitoring ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e7JKjgiS #healthcare #digitalhealth #healthmonitoring

The upcoming FDA guidelines for pulse oximeters, while a step forward, may not go far enough to address racial bias in healthcare. Research shows pulse oximeters are three times more likely to miss dangerously low oxygen levels in Black patients than in white patients, leading to delayed care and worse outcomes. This disparity was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when Black Americans faced higher mortality rates and delayed treatment, a trend also seen in the UK. Although the FDA plans to recommend testing oximeters on diverse populations, it may not require testing under real-world conditions that affect accuracy, such as poor circulation, which is more common in Black communities. Without this, oximeters could continue to fail those who need accurate readings the most. To truly solve this issue, the healthcare industry must prioritise developing more accurate, alternative vital signs monitoring tools that serve all patients equally. Only then can we ensure fair, reliable care for everyone. Read more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eBMG6J8K #healthcare #digitalhealth #healthmonitoring

It’s time to demand a new standard for medical monitoring… As the urgent need for accurate, inclusive health monitoring grows, EarMetrics® aims to close the gap with real-time, reliable in-ear biometrics directly from the inner ear canal across all skin tones—something conventional wrist and finger sensors struggle to achieve. This isn’t just about technology; it’s about addressing critical gaps in healthcare. EarMetrics® is developing advanced monitoring and diagnostics with the goal of being accessible and equitable. In the future, we hope to provide medical-grade insights that align with real-world needs. With seamless integration into hearing aids and wearables, users can expect to benefit from continuous monitoring without disrupting daily life. For clinicians and patients alike, this aims to translate to better-informed decisions, timely interventions, and improved health outcomes. We’re creating a more inclusive future for healthcare. #EarMetrics #healthequity #wearables #patientcare #healthtech

We’re pitching EarSwitch at the Plug and Play Health EXPO on 22nd October! Marking the finale of the Health Accelerator program, powered by Plug and Play UK and the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator - WMHTIA , we'll be taking to the stage to explain how EarMetrics is creating a new standard for medical monitoring to address health inequity and improve healthcare for everyone. If you'd like to join us and the 12 other finalists in Birmingham, there are still some tickets available :arrow_down: https://lnkd.in/en9ZjPBm We look forward to seeing you there! #healthinnovation #healthequity #healthtech #healthexpo24 #birminghamtechweek