Skylabs Blood Pressure Monitoring Ring

South Korean health tech startup Sky Labs has recently obtained the approval of the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for the latest blood pressure monitoring feature on its ring-type health monitoring device.

Worn on the finger, CART-I Plus uses PPG and sensor algorithms to measure and monitor blood pressure continuously around the clock. It provides a range of blood pressure data, including nighttime blood pressure, morning blood pressure, and blood pressure variability.

WHY IT MATTERS

According to Sky Labs, the blood pressure monitoring feature on CART supports treatment decision-making and medication dosage adjustment. It also aids in tracking changes in lifestyle habits, such as sleep, stress management, exercise, alcohol consumption and response to blood pressure medication.

ā€œOur goal is to broaden the scope of hypertension management, including nighttime hypertension, which has recently become more important, and to improve the lives of outpatients beyond hospitals with effective and easy hypertension treatment and management,ā€ said Sky Labs CEO Jack Lee.

https://twitter.com/Berci/status/1641706668907024385?s=20

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Any word on when this ships into the United States. or is there a way to get the Korean version and a hack to get it to work. I have done a lot of work on the various BP continuous measurement rings (claimed) and this technology seems to be the omst real and more into the commercialization cycle.

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It seems like its moving forward, but no news on a commercial US launch.

Here is their website:

The latest news on them:

https://www.fastcompany.com/91033750/sky-labs-most-innovative-companies-2024

Iā€™ll add them to my google alerts so weā€™ll now when they get FDA approval and launch.

Sky Labsā€™ Wearable Device ā€œApollonā€ Ring-based Blood Pressure Monitor Recognized as an Honoree in CES 2025 Innovation Awards

SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ ā€“ Sky Labs announced that its groundbreaking wearable device, Apollon, has been named an ā€œHonoreeā€ in the Artificial Intelligence category at the CES 2025 Innovation Awards. Hosted by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)Ā®, the CES Innovation Awards program annually recognizes outstanding achievements in design and engineering across 33 categories of consumer technology. This prestigious honor marks Sky Labsā€™ second award at CES, underscoring the companyā€™s continued impact on health technology innovation.

CART BP pro(left) and Wearable Device ā€˜Apollonā€™ (right, project name)

CART BP pro(left) and Wearable Device ā€˜Apollonā€™ (right, project name)

Apollon is a pioneering wearable device designed for comprehensive monitoring of vital health indicators. Integrating both a wrist-worn module and a ring-type sensor, Apollon automatically and periodically measures SpOā‚‚, irregular pulse, pulse rate, blood pressure, respiration rate, and skin temperature, while also offering on-demand body temperature measurements. Engineered with hospitalized patients in mind, Apollon supports extensive tracking of health data, providing valuable insights for health monitoring and treatment.

Apollonā€™s innovative design includes a wrist-worn control module with an integrated monitor and a detachable ring-type sensor module, connected seamlessly for optimal user experience. The wristband is crafted from silicone, promoting hygienic use and enabling secure attachment and removal from the control module. Additionally, the single-sized silicone ring around the sensor module provides comfort and adaptability, allowing users of varying finger sizes to wear the sensor comfortably for extended periods. The hardware is streamlined with power, charging, and data transmission connectors on a single surface, optimizing its structure for enhanced ease of use.

In parallel with Apollonā€™s success, Sky Labsā€™ CART BP pro, a ring-type ambulatory blood pressure monitoring device, has been selected as the primary monitoring tool for an ambitious five-year cohort study led by the Korean Society of Hypertension, in celebration of their 30th anniversary. This large-scale CUFFLESS BP Registry-Outcome Study will incorporate CART BP pro to further research into innovative hypertension management strategies. The study aims to evaluate a range of clinical outcomes associated with hypertension and to explore advanced, non-invasive solutions for blood pressure management.

About Sky Labs
Founded in September 2015, Sky Labs is a leading healthcare startup that has developed CART (Cardio Tracker), a ring-shaped medical device designed for disease monitoring using heart signals collected through optical sensors. Following this, the company developed CART BP, a cuffless, ring-shaped device that enables continuous 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, providing valuable treatment information and making a groundbreaking contribution to improving the quality of life for hypertension patients. Sky Labs has signed an exclusive domestic distribution agreement for CART BP with South Koreaā€™s Daewoong Pharmaceutical and is preparing for nationwide sales to hospitals, clinics, and general consumers.

Company Website:

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Could this smart ring track blood pressure better than cuffs?

January 19, 2025Marko Maslakovic 3 min read

Sky Labsā€™ CART BP smart ring is aiming to shake up the way we monitor blood pressure. By ditching the traditional cuffs and needles, it promises to do all the work from your fingerā€”day and night, without getting in the way of your life. You canā€™t purchase it just yet, but soon you will be able to.


Whatā€™s the deal with CART BP?

Smart rings track all sorts of things but this one is a bit different. Itā€™s a device that claims it can track your blood pressure as accurately as the tools doctors use. That includes the cuff-and-stethoscope setup youā€™re used to seeing at clinics and the 24-hour monitors that require a bulky cuff strapped to your arm all day.

The ring does its thing by using tiny PPG sensors. These sensors shine light into your finger to measure how blood flows under your skin. The data is sent to a cloud system, where smart algorithms crunch the numbers to give you blood pressure readings, all without any extra hassle.

Best of all, the device monitors your blood pressure around the clock, even while youā€™re sleeping. And unlike the usual methods, it doesnā€™t get in your way. No awkward squeezing, no hospital visitsā€”just pop it on and go about your day.

The company is currently seeking approvals from the US FDA and Europeā€™s CE to make the ring widely available.

Read the full article:

Company Website:

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Thanks, RapAdmin. If this ring works as advertised, this could be a game changer. Admittedly, thatā€™s a big ā€œifā€, and the list of ā€˜big promise no deliveryā€™ devices is very long indeed. However, what seems like some grounds for optimism is that this ring is apparently not only widely used in South Korea, but it has some official recognition insofar as being approved by insurance for reimbursement in a hospital setting.

The company has apparently applied for FDA and Europeā€™s CE approval. Unfortunately as we know the FDA can take their sweet time in processing these applications, so as to if and when we might expect it for sale in the US (and the EU) is anybodyā€™s guess. But if this really works based on the South Korean experience, heck, I wouldnā€™t mind importing it much sooner via gray marketā€¦ it sounds a lot more useful than the OURA ring (to me). The biggest draw is the accuracy claim - weā€™ve seen other attempts, but the accuracy with those seems iffy.

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I agree - if anyone finds it online for sale, please post details. This is definitely something Iā€™d be interested in trying out also.

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CART BP obtained approval as a blood pressure measurement medical device from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in March 2023. The company signed a domestic distribution contract with Daewoong Pharmaceutical in June last year and proceeded with the insurance coverage application process with the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.

Sky Labs plans to launch CART BP Pro for business-to-business hospital supply in July, and plans to introduce the business-to-customer CART BP in the second half of the year.

It plans to launch the product in Europe in the fourth quarter of this year. The company also said it expects to obtain product approval for CART BP in the United States by the end of next year.

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Related published study:

Backgrounds and objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the applicability and precision of a ring-type cuffless blood pressure (BP) measurement device, CART-I Plus, compared to conventional 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM).

Methods: Forty patients were recruited, and 33 participants were included in the final analysis. Each participant wore both CART-I Plus and ABPM devices on the same arm for approximately 24 hours. BP estimation from CART-I Plus, derived from photoplethysmography (PPG) signals, were compared with the corresponding ABPM measurements.

Results: The CART-I Plus recorded systolic blood pressure (SBP)/diastolic blood pressure (DBP) values of 131.4Ā±14.1/81.1Ā±12.0, 132.7Ā±13.9/81.9Ā±11.9, and 128.7Ā±14.6/79.3Ā±12.2 mmHg for 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime periods respectively, compared to ABPM values of 129.7Ā±11.7/84.4Ā±11.2, 131.9Ā±11.6/86.3Ā±11.1, and 124.5Ā±13.6/80.0Ā±12.2 mmHg. Mean differences in SBP/DBP between the two devices were 1.74Ā±6.69/-3.24Ā±6.51 mmHg, 0.75Ā±7.44/-4.41Ā±7.42 mmHg, and 4.15Ā±6.15/-0.67Ā±5.23 mmHg for 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime periods respectively. Strong correlations were also observed between the devices, with r=0.725 and r=0.750 for transitions in SBP and DBP from daytime to nighttime, respectively (both p<0.001).

Conclusions: The CART-I Plus device, with its unique ring-type design, shows promising accuracy in BP estimation and offers a potential avenue for continuous BP monitoring in clinical practice.

Open access paper: Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Ring-Type Blood Pressure Measurement Device Compared With 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Device - PMC

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So from this article, it looks like they expect it in the US by the end of this year, 2025. Thatā€™s a long wait, and Iā€™m not getting any younger, lol. And you know how it is with product launch schedules, delays are practically always to be expected. So if all goes well, I expect it sometime in 2026 at the earliest. Yeah, if thereā€™s an opportunity to get it earlier, Iā€™m gonna take a chance on it - BP is a super important biomarker, anc according to many longevity studies, the most actionable and important next to blood lipids. Itā€™s worth nailing your correct BP sooner, rather than later.

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I agree!

As @RapAdmin said, if anyone finds it, Iā€™d be interested too, because a ring is much more desirable for me than a bracelet.

Maybe there will be an opportunity for a group buy? Not for a discount but to reduce the pain and suffering of trying to import it.

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I donā€™t want to be a hater, but I have zero hope for a usable BP reader from Apple Watch. The watch in general has not impressed me as a health monitor. Iā€™ve seen articles where even functions like HR are very unreliable when measured by AW. I was offered the AW from the first series for free, back in the day when it first came out, and I passed, because in general I thought the tech was not ready for prime time. I figured Iā€™ll wait until the tech matures enough to actually be useful to me. All these years later, Iā€™m still waiting. Iā€™m still waiting for a good enough reason to wear a clunky bauble on my wrist, that I have to charge nightly and tend to. The use case for me is not there so far, but Iā€™m glad for all those who canā€™t live without it. YMMV.

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I canā€™t find a way to buy the Sky Labs CART B ring. Nothing on their website, nothing on Korean websites. Did I miss something? Isnā€™t this weird?

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I used google translate on the Korean version of their websiteā€¦ It seems we would need a friend in Korea to get a prescription, and buy it for us at a clinic and ship it out.

CartBP is scheduled to be used in medical settings starting in July. Director Park said, ā€œIt may vary depending on the type of medical institution such as a hospital or clinic, but the patient burden for 24-hour blood pressure monitoring with CartBP is expected to be around 5,000 to 6,000 won.ā€

Lee Byeong-hwan, CEO of Sky Labs, said, ā€œThe insurance coverage of CartBP is the first step toward commercializing wearable devices in the healthcare industry in Korea.ā€ He predicted, ā€œIf various data is accumulated through CartBP in the future and AI big data analysis is conducted, the era of wearable devices for blood pressure management will arrive not only in Korea but also around the world.ā€

Kartvipi signed a domestic distribution contract with Daewoong Pharmaceutical and began distribution to domestic hospitals. In March, it signed a business agreement with Omron Healthcare, the number one blood pressure monitor manufacturer, and is aiming to expand overseas. Director Park said, ā€œWe are planning to expand into the US and Europe by the end of this year at the earliest, or by next year at the latest,ā€ adding, ā€œWe are also in the process of making large-scale increases for overseas approvals.ā€ Reporter

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Excellent detective work!

Ok, who knows this person in Korea? And would it be possible for one person to get multiple prescriptions (I donā€™t know the laws there)? 6000 won is equivalent to $4, according to perplexity. Iā€™m happy to contribute to paying this person for their efforts, especially because this thing is almost free (which I feel must be a mistake!)

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Beth, Iā€™m with you. If thereā€™s a group buy, Iā€™m in :blush: - I donā€™t fancy waiting on the FDA for who knows how long.

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While I love my Apple Watch, I donā€™t need it to read my blood pressure. I do appreciate it heart monitor function. At work I find the info from Apple to be superior than from Kardia.

I find checking my pressure every 6 months or so at the doctor is enough for me.

You make a good pointā€¦ i have always had good blood pressure.

I guess I have elevated heart attack risk and am getting to that age, so I feel itā€™s time to start strapping stuff to myself to give me an early warning

I measure my blood pressure going to bed and waking up. I did try aktiia, but it did not seem to produce reliable figures.

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