Pasadena Firm Unveils ‘Clinic-on-the-Wrist’ Sensor

A wrist-worn health sensor developed by Rockley Photonics, pictured in an undated photo provided by the company.

[Updateds] Pasadena-based tech company Rockley Photonics announced on Wednesday the development of a new body-worn medical sensor technology it calls “clinic-on-the-wrist.”

Rockley, which specialized in “integrated optical chips and modules” for a vast array of potential uses, has created the wristwatch-like gadget, capable of monitoring biomarkers including core body temperature, blood pressure, body hydration, alcohol, lactate and glucose trends, Rockeny said in a written statement. The device works in conjunction with a smartphone app.

“The wristband will be used in a sequence of in-house human studies in the coming months,” the statement said.

Using the latest technology in mobile spectroscopy, “The sensor non-invasively probes beneath the skin to analyze blood, interstitial fluids, and various layers of the dermis for constituents and physical phenomena of interest,” the statement added. “Such biomarkers have historically been measurable only by using bench-top equipment.”

Rockley Photonics founder and CEO Dr. Andrew Rickman described the unveiling as “an exciting milestone on our roadmap.”

“Our reference designs will significantly aid our customers and partners with the deployment of our technology and accelerate their own scalable, high-volume product delivery,” Rickman said.

“We believe that combining machine learning algorithms with continuous monitoring of an extended set of biomarkers from accessible wearable devices will provide new actionable insights to enhance and transform digital healthcare,” according to Rickman.

Rockley previously announced its intent to go public through a merger with SC Health Corp., which has not yet closed.

More information on Rockley Photonics is available on the company’s website rockleyphotonics.com.