No one knows what Apple's iWatch looks like or what it entails, but according to a report from
9to5Mac. they are hiring people with expertise in developing medical sensors.
Mark Gurman from 9to5Mac, says Apple has
added (at least) two new people who should help with Apple's iWatch. One of the hires include Nancy Dougherty, who was in a stealth startup called Sano Intelligence. Sano was working on a patch that could constantly monitor your blood.
Ariel Schwartz at Fast Company
used the Sano patch in 2012: "The needle-less, sensor-laden transdermal patch is painless (I handled a prototype, which felt like sandpaper on the skin), and will soon be able to monitor everything you might find on a basic metabolic panel--a blood panel that measures glucose levels, kidney function, and electrolyte balance."
Dougherty was solely responsible for electrical design, testing, and bring-up as well as system integration; managing contractors for layout, assembly, and mechanical systems for the Sano patch. Sano's loss, Apple's gain.
Then, Apple also poached Ravi Narasimhan from a company called Vital Connect, which develops wearable biosensors. Vital Connect makes the "HealthPatch" which is worn on the chest and monitors a user, sending data via Bluetooth.
Vital Connect's
description of its product: "The HealthPatch biosensor is the first solution of its kind capable of capturing clinical-grade biometric measurements in a continuous, configurable and non-obtrusive manner using a small yet powerful patch worn on the chest."
All this poached hires leads everyone to believe that the anticipated iWatch is going to include a brevy of monitoring sensors. Odds are that the iWatch is only going to be launched early next year though, according to multiple sources and speculation.
Stay tuned for more.
[Image of iWatch concept by Todd Ham]