The Wearable Sensor Helping Women Conceive - Claire Hooper

DuoFertility – Monitoring & Advisory Device – Conceive Naturally

UK based company CTC launched in 2006, developed DuoFertility, a £500 monitoring as well as advisory device which aided couples to conceive naturally. The company asserts that couples utilising DuoFertility tend to have 39% chance of being successful when compared to 35% if on an IVF cycle, due to its combination of tech, data together with support 24/7.

 Claire Hooper, CEO of DuoFertility that developed the monitoring and advisory device has a PhD in biochemistry and had earlier served as technology director at PerkinElmer wherein she held succession of senior R&D positions. After becoming a CEO, Claire was hit by the fact that the data collected did not just relate to better fertility treatment.

 In order to measure body basal temperature and recognize ovulation it was essential to collect and compare huge quantities of data, like body temperature besides sleep quality, activity level and significantly patient generated information regarding their sense of health. When these data were analysed together, the data related to things such as pain management, obesity, sleep problem, and much more.However there is a great deal more to do in the capacity of fertility while collecting more data and view new relationships in the data.

Device – Wearable Sensor Worn Against the Skin

A condition, for instance, known as polycystic ovarian syndrome – PCOS tends to affect one in six infertile women and is commonly undiagnosed and when detected can be easily treated. Claire’s role at CTC was the responsibility of expanding DuoFertility in the US as well as developing the company in the other areas of healthcare.

The DuoFertility’s mission statement is to `help women make the most of their natural chances’. The device is said to be a small wearable sensor which is worn against the skin, under the arm of the women and tends to continuously measure the signs and signals of the body pinpointing precisely when to try for a baby. This information is proven to make much of a difference.

If a couple seems to be physically capable of conceiving naturally, which most of the couples undergoing IVF are in fact capable of, they support in maximising their natural chances. The sensors are just a route for the patient and healthcare provider in gaining additional information.

Enhancement in Sensor Technology

The sensor technology together with the wider concept of the measured self is progressing quickly with the acceptance of the patient on the growing consumer market for wearable fitness trackers as well as sleep monitors. There are nanomaterials being utilised in coating sensors in order to make them safe in implanting to gather data from within the patient.

With the combination of these advances, together with big data analytics, we can see a near term future wherein the patient and the health care provider’s relationship can be changed. Enhancement in sensor technology could bring about immense change by giving healthcare provider quantitative data regarding the health of the patient across end number of parameters in real time that they can enquire against bigger data set for better insight.

At DuoFertility, an option is offered to women in monitoring their own bodies and see how their own data could compare to that of other patient groups with women of similar age. This could help them in making more informed decisions which would lead to better results.