WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BodyMedia, the leading developer of wearable body monitors, plans to collaborate with Qualcomm Life, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated to utilize the new 2net Platform for its BodyMedia FIT LINK Armband. The wireless health collaboration will enable BodyMedia Armband users to share wireless health data, such as calorie expenditure, activity, and sleep patterns, with designated healthcare providers and service companies through the 2net Platform as part of a broad initiative to help improve health outcomes. The collaboration was announced at the third annual mHealth Summit, being held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
Initially, data will be available from the BodyMedia FIT LINK Armband, a Bluetooth-enabled on-body wellness monitor that tracks calories burned, physical activity levels, steps taken and sleep efficiency using a proprietary four-sensor system to capture over 5,000 data points per minute for proven accuracy. With the consumer’s permission, that data - currently delivered to the user’s smartphone via Bluetooth and available on the BodyMedia web interface via USB upload will soon also be enabled for wireless transmission onto the 2net Platform.
Additional BodyMedia-collected wellness data is expected to be made available as the company introduces new types of body monitors and expands its support for machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity. Future applications will address a broad range of therapeutic conditions and special populations.
Expansion Strategy
BodyMedia’s planned participation in the 2net Ecosystem marks the newest chapter in an expansion strategy that was highlighted earlier this year with the release of an Application Programming Interface (API) designed to encourage the use of BodyMedia technology beyond the company’s core weight management business. That API has sparked the development of a variety of new applications including a health and wellness management system available on Panasonic VIERA Connect IPTVs, a rewards-based program through Earndit, and a prototype fitness game designed to combat childhood obesity. Qualcomm Life’s 2net Platform will provide another important use for BodyMedia data.
“With two-thirds of all adults and roughly a third of all children and teenagers in the U.S. alone considered overweight or obese, multiple clinical studies have shown the promise of using mobile health technology in combating the obesity epidemic and related health problems. Our body monitors, in particular, add an extra level of information available to patients and healthcare providers,” said BodyMedia CEO Christine Robins. “The 2net Platform will give us a means of delivering the data we collect directly to third parties, such as healthcare providers, to help track wireless health data status. This will allow BodyMedia to add value by combining our data with key health indicators from other wireless devices, and accelerate our planned expansion into therapeutic areas beyond weight management.”
Supporting the 2net Ecosystem Vision
BodyMedia is among the first medical device manufacturers to embrace Qualcomm Life’s vision of building the largest wireless health ecosystem of medical device and service companies for the purpose of seamlessly sharing biometric data. The 2net Platform makes that possible through a technology-agnostic wireless device and application connectivity strategy that removes the burden of working with multiple mobile carriers and managing disparate device and storage algorithms.
Biometric data is transmitted to the 2net Platform’s data center through the 2net Hub, a connectivity gateway that plugs into a standard electrical wall outlet. The cloud-based data center has been designed to meet HIPAA security requirements for data storage. The data is then made available to healthcare providers, payers, service, pharmaceutical and informatics companies to provide insights that can assist in individual health management as well as healthcare support services.
“The wireless health space is forecast to grow rapidly as more patients, physicians and caregivers use wireless technology in other aspects of their lives, but that can happen only if there is a wireless mechanism to deliver medical device data quickly and easily to end users,” said Rick Valencia, Vice President and General Manager of Qualcomm Life. “BodyMedia immediately recognized the value of the 2net Platform in providing those capabilities, and we are excited that they want to play a role in building the 2net Ecosystem.”
About BodyMedia, Inc.
When your body talks, BodyMedia listens. BodyMedia has been unlocking and deciphering secrets of the body since 1999. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, BodyMedia is the pioneer in developing and marketing wearable body monitors that equip consumers with information they can use to make sweeping changes to their own health and wellness beginning with weight management and soon to include management of other conditions affected by lifestyle choices. The BodyMedia platform is the only system of its kind that is registered with the FDA as a Class II medical device and that has been clinically proven to enhance users’ weight loss by up to three times.* For more information, visit www.bodymedia.com.
*Data on file.
Qualcomm is a trademark of Qualcomm incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. 2net and Qualcomm Life are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.
SOURCE BodyMedia, Inc.
