FDA Approves VivaLnk’s Wearable Device for Continuous Temperature Monitoring

Digital health startup, VivaLnk, has just received FDA clearance for their continuous temperature monitoring medical device, Fever Scout. The soft and flexible wearable device uses the company’s eSkin technology to collect temperature readings and display them on a connected smartphone or tablet.

According to VivaLnk, the device is ideal for remote monitoring of a child’s fever. The wearable device will be available for purchase by consumers at stores like Best Buy, Target and Amazon.

“Driving meaningful innovation to help improve people’s health and wellbeing is a part of our DNA at VivaLnk.  We developed Fever Scout to help take the guesswork out of monitoring and keeping track of a patient’s fever,” said Jiang Li, co-founder and CEO of VivaLnk. “Starting today, consumers can now own a wearable thermometer that is an accurate medical grade device, child-friendly and does its job while the patient is sleeping.”

Fever Scout uses Bluetooth to connect to the product’s app on a smartphone or tablet device. The thermometer patch itself can be stuck to the skin using a medical-grade adhesive, and patients can wear the device for up to seven days before the battery will need to be recharged.

The medical device continuously monitors a patient’s temperature and sends alerts to the app whenever the patient’s fever increases. Fever data collected over time can be submitted to a patient’s doctor along with other symptoms and medication schedules, to provide an overall picture of whether the person’s health is improving.

“It’s no secret in the medical community that the trouble with consumer wearables is that they are not medical grade devices, and have lacked the accuracy and consistency required for patient care,” said Dr. Vernon Smith, Mayo Clinic-trained emergency physician from Avera Medical Group. “The introduction of Fever Scout signals a future where we can one day accurately use wearables to remotely monitor at-risk patients, like the elderly, by tracking baseline temperatures and anticipating when trouble might arise.”

While the design of the Fever Scout is certainly kid-friendly, its use can benefit patients and caregivers of any age. Patients recovering from surgery or cancer treatment and seniors who live with their primary caregivers could also use the Fever Scout for continuous body temperature monitoring.