Sensor Technology Aims to Improve Medication Adherence
Sensors and devices being developed by nGageIT Digital Health Solutions can track patient use of oral solid-dosage or injectable drugs.
Nano-enabled technology and sensor platforms from nGageIT Digital Health Solutions will allow verification that medications are ingested or injected correctly, and on schedule, using a smart phone, said the company in a March 12, 2018 press release. Technologies include a nanoparticle that can be added to oral solid-dosage drug coatings as well as devices that measure drug injections.
The sensor technologies monitor when patients take either oral medications or give themselves medical injections at home. These data are automatically uploaded to the cloud through the patient’s smart phone and can be tracked in real-time by healthcare providers and in clinical trials, which will lead to better compliance with medical advice and medical device use. Patients can automate complex dosing schedules, and physicians can use medication usage data to precisely customize therapy.
The company’s NanoSmart oral encoding platform includes encoding particles and the NanoSmart Biosensor. The biosensor detects digitally encoded nanoparticles from the patient’s breath using a detection device called the Noz. The NanoSmart encoding particles can be integrated into current oral dosage coatings.
The company has also developed smart injection devices called iSenz and InsuloSenz that safely and non-invasively detect that proper doses of medication have been injected. The device scans and detects that medication has been injected below the skin, confirms the proper angle of the injection, and verifies its quality.
The InsuloSenz Smart Injector for insulin delivery guides the diabetic patient to inject insulin through flashing blue for the correct angle of injection or red for an incorrect angle. By proactively correcting the injection angle, sub-optimal dosing can be prevented. The sensor is also being developed to help diabetics determine the best place on the body to inject to prevent complications and poor absorption.
“Low medication adherence is arguably the most significant problem in our healthcare ecosystem,” said nGageIT cofounder, Dr. Jennifer Murdoch, in the press release. “The faster we get this out on the market, the more people we can help.”
nGageIT Digital Health Solutions is currently evaluating strategic partnerships with major pharmaceutical manufacturers to commercialize its technology.
Source: nGageIT Digital Health Solutions
