The Differing Filtration Rates For Respirators, Surgical Masks, and Cloth Masks

Masks as personal protective equipment (PPE) are commonly used in a wide variety of situations from healthcare to construction. However, the effectiveness of masks as PPE varies greatly with the type of mask and the purpose.

There are many claims about the filtration ability of masks. The Zansors team researched this question to guide our knowledge base on respirators, surgical masks and cloth masks. We discovered two definitive peer-reviewed sources: (1) A comparison of facemask and respirator filtration test methods by a team at NIOSH and Nelson laboratories published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (link) and (2) Comparison of Filtration Efficiency and Pressure Drop in Anti-Yellow Sand Masks, Quarantine Masks, Medical Masks, General Masks and Handkerchiefs published by a international team including 3M and Seoul National University in the journal Aerosol and Air Quality Research (link).

The standard bearer for filtration testing for respiratory aerosols in the US is the CDC/NIOSH standard, and the much-claimed NIOSH N95 standard requires that 95% of aerosol particles of a particular size (typically 0.3 microns or below) are filtered by the mask (along with requirements about fit of the mask). This is quite a high standard, with compatible or higher standards around the world including European, Chinese and Korean standards. These masks are highly effective, though not foolproof, and do require proper fit to be effective. Surgical masks (those omnipresent blue masks seen in hospitals) provide 45-55% filtration of aerosol particles, cloth masks around 25-38% filtration depending on the number of layers and material type, and single layer bandanas and handkerchiefs around 3% filtration.

Of course there is a tradeoff between filtration efficiency and comfort. Higher filtration masks, and masks that require a tight fit, like proper N95 masks, are harder to breath in, though not to the extent of being harmful to you. More comfortable masks naturally have higher airflow and hence less filtration efficiency. However, many of the masks on the market have not been tested against NIOSH standards, for particles around 0.75 microns (the average size of the Sars-COV2 coronavirus). Most of these masks have also not been tested for fit to ensure that there is minimal leakage, thus rendering moot the filtration capabilities of the mask.

So what about the mask mandates currently widespread around the world? The crucial fact here is that viruses like the coronavirus are primarily spread through droplets that we exhale through coughing, sneezing or speaking, so preventing the droplets from escaping our personal space helps prevent spread of the virus. There is ample evidence that even cloth masks can prevent the spread of droplets and protect others from getting infected, so they are an effective means of source control alongside physical distancing, as seen from a recent paper in the Lancet (link), and becomes more effective as a greater proportion of a community wear masks (paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society Series A, link). A few neat “popular science” experiments show how well they might work (link1, link2). Note that for source control, masks with vents allow the unfiltered exhalation of your breath and are ineffective for this purpose.

At Zansors, we believe that we should follow the science, and share the knowledge. Masks are one part of the story to halt the spread of viruses, and one part of the story for protecting yourself. Stay safe.

To learn more about masks by Zansors, visit www.zansors.com/mask

New Face Mask Will Save Lives and Resources

“It’s terrifying. It’s indescribable.”

A British doctor recounts to reporters the experience of treating coronavirus patients without essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). There is simply a worldwide shortage of masks, gloves and surgical gowns. As such, doctors have been asked to sacrifice their own safety to treat patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

Hospitals worldwide have been overwhelmed by the surge in patients, and are struggling to contain outbreaks within their walls. It’s to the point that doctors are no longer being tested for coronavirus; they must work even if they’re sick.

A simple face mask takes on enormous value if it’s scarce. According to an Italian ICU doctor, “Every ventilator becomes like gold.” With such limited resources, hospitals are triaging who to save, and who to abandon.

A lynchpin in this situation is the availability of face coverings, surgical masks, and respirators (N95). N95 respirators are considered the highest standard of face protection, but are difficult to obtain due to export bans on the melt-blown material. Countries are stockpiling their own supply of N95 masks to meet local demands.

Traditional surgical masks, such as you might see in a surgical theater or at your dentist’s office, are not enough to protect against a respiratory disease like COVID-19. They only filter 45-55% of fine particles in the air. And, they are not air-tight against the user's face. Health officials state that regular face masks are not effective protection against coronavirus.

Due to shortages, the N95 masks that hospitals have in reserve are being used outside of suggested guidelines. Hospital staff report using their N95 mask three days in a row, when recommended use is only for one day. These masks are uncomfortable to wear at the best of times; their rigid fit and hard outer shell make it difficult for the wearer to breathe. An executive at Singapore's National Center for Infectious Diseases advises, “If you find the N95 mask easy to breathe in and comfortable, you are wearing it wrong.”

Doctors have resigned themselves to contracting coronavirus in their line of duty. Their bravery is commendable, but they should never have been put in mortal danger position in the first place.

Two new types of face masks offer to solve the logistical problems of obtaining enough N95 masks, as well as the problem of inadequate protection with traditional cloth face coverings and surgical masks. The masks have respective product features like being reusable, 98% collection efficiency of small particles, and is comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

Zansors, a leader in breathing technology, has developed the Nano-Shield98TM and the Micro-ShieldTM face masks. Both masks use Cool FabricTM material to give comfort, breathability, UV protection, silver ion benefits, and cooling properties. Nano-Shied98TM shows 98% collection efficiency of airborne particulates based on laboratory testing in USA and South Korea.  Micro-ShieldTM is better than the cotton/cloth face coverings based on a key scientific study: Comparison of Filtration Efficiency and Pressure Drop in Anti-Yellow Sand Masks, Quarantine Masks, Medical Masks, General Masks, and Handkerchiefs (http://aaqr.org/files/article/668/36_AAQR-13-06-OA-0201_991-1002.pdf)

Nano-Shield98TM and Micro-ShieldTM masks are a solution to mask shortages. Both Nano-Shield98TM and Micro-ShieldTM masks can be quickly cleaned by spraying them with an 70% isopropanol alcohol solution, then leaving them to air-dry for 10 minutes.  Both Micro-Shield mask and the mask shell for Nano-Shield98TM can be cleaned using a washer.

Nano-Shield98TM and Micro-ShieldTM are made with polyester and spandex material that are similar to athletic gear made by top sports clothing companies and thus make Nano-Shield98TM and Micro-ShieldTM masks extremely comfortable to wear. Testers have likened the feel of these masks to silk. There are four sizes (XS, S, M, L) of mask available, and the mask straps have adjustable clasps to customize and tighten the fit to prevent air leakage. The Cool FabricTM material is easily breathable as well. A well-fitted, breathable mask would be a welcome change for healthcare professionals from the hard, stifling material of a N95 mask.

There’s another thing to consider when the coronavirus crisis finally passes: what will happen to single-use waste? Disposable face masks will find their final resting place in landfills.

Comfortable, effective, reusable masks are the necessary alternative to the current status quo. Healthcare workers cannot keep endangering themselves in order to care for the sick. They should be able to go about their work protected and comfortable. If we are to be in this crisis for months to come, then a solution is needed quickly.

Zansors is committed to empowering doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, patients, Warfighters and first responders with technology that solves yesterday’s problems. Zansors has carved out a niche in the breath technology space with small yet powerful wearable sensors that detect breathing patterns for sleep apnea patients, athletes and yogis. Our breath is something we take for granted every day, until a crisis like the novel coronavirus puts the importance of breathing into perspective.

The Nano-Shield98TM and Micro-ShieldTM face masks can help save the lives of doctors, nurses, patients, Warfighters, first responders, and civilians. Effective protection against airborne germs can help slow the spread of germs, halting the crisis sooner. Nano-Shield98TM and Micro-ShieldTM masks can allow healthcare workers to work safely and comfortably, which is the least they deserve. The reusable masks will also lessen the strain on the environment that will inevitably come with continued reliance on single-use masks.

We want people to breathe easier, and to breathe safer. Your breath has never been more important.

Respa for the COVID-19 Era

What is Respa?

Respa is the next generation breath and motion sensor developed by Zansors. It is the first acoustic breathing sensor developed for athletics and sleep monitoring that acts as a clip-on coach. It can provide detailed information about your breathing and motion in a easily comprehensible mobile app, providing information and insight about your experience.

The need for Respa during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory illness, though other clinical manifestations like fever, stroke, rashes, and loss of taste and smell, do present. Most of the hospitalized cases require ventilation due to lung involvement, manifesting as shortness of breath, poor oxygenation, alveolar damage and, in extreme cases, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)[1]. Thus breathing difficulties are one of the primary clinical signals of deteriorating COVID-19 presentation. Some people, especially with those with co-existing conditions like diabetes or bronchitis, or people who are older, can deteriorate quickly to require hospitalization and ventilation support. This deterioration is characterized by changes in breathing patterns and increasing fatigue. The ability to monitor breathing and activity continuously at home is thus very important, especially given the general need for social distancing and stay-at-home orders during the pandemic and reduced availability of community medical services.

Respa is your first choice to keep track of your health during this pandemic, and it should be the first choice to keep elderly and vulnerable members of your family safe. Respa is the first acoustic breathing sensor available in the market. It has been validated against gold standard measurements in NIH-sponsored trials, and provides the means to accurately monitor breathing patterns at home using an easy-to-use clip-on sensor and a mobile app. Respa can not only monitor regular breathing patterns, but can also track coughing, wheezing and other characteristics of labored breathing. The novel combination of breath and motion sensing also allows Respa to monitor activity levels, so it can detect when the user is more fatigued as well. With a comprehensive view of breathing and activity, Respa can flag deteriorating symptoms that may require medical attention. Data and graphs provided on Respa’s mobile app can easily convey your situation to physicians during face-to-face or telemedicine visits, providing your physician with real-time data about your experience. Respa provides information as well as peace of mind during these difficult and isolating times.

[1] “Here’s the damage Coronavirus (COVID-19) can do to your lungs”. Cleveland
Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/heres-the-damage-coronavirus-covid-19-can-do-to-your-lungs/

The Science of Silence, And Why It's Essential for True Mindfulness

Silence has become a rare commodity in our daily lives. From the moment we wake up, to the moment we fall asleep, there are countless distractions looking to take up a fraction of our attention. It’s little wonder that a counter-movement has emerged from the cacophony. Mindfulness, the act of tuning into ourselves, is the simple antidote for our overstimulated brains.

While grabbing for our phones may feel like second nature, humans have been living in a distracted culture for a relatively short period of time. In the remote Himalayan mountains, Buddhist monks live the highest example of mindfulness. By practicing silent meditation, these monks remove the psychological barriers between themselves and the outside world, achieving a state of “oneness.”

So, how can we experience some of these benefits at home? The good news is that you don’t need
to devote your life to spiritual practice to reap the powerful benefits of mindfulness. Mental health and meditation experts recommend performing a mental “cleanse” periodically to calm racing thoughts and to improve focus-related task performance. Even ten minutes per day of silent meditation can bring marked improvement to your mental and physical wellness.

Why is silent meditation so important? Scientists have been surprised to find that silence is a key factor in creating a healing environment for your brain. Here are some of the ways that silence boosts your brain’s superpowers:

• Give your brain a break - Most of the brain’s energy is put towards automatic functions, such as maintaining awareness of our surroundings and developing cognitive associations. Comparatively little brain energy is put towards complex tasks, such as advanced arithmetic. Much like the way our body metabolizes calories, most energy is burned through our body’s natural functions, not by working out hard at the gym. Meditating in a still, silent place allows the brain to optimally conserve its energy. In this period of mental relaxation, the brain can allocate energy towards “house cleaning activities,” which are essential for the preservation of existing neurons.

• Tap into your brain’s default mode - Scientific studies have revealed distinct modes of the brain: the Default Mode Network and the Task-Positive Network (other brain networks have also been observed, such as the Resting State Network). The default mode is activated when we are at silent rest, ideally with eyes closed. During this state, the body supplies more blood to the frontal lobes, which is generally interpreted as increased brain activity in that region. The
  default mode is also associated with increased introspection, a notable benefit in the practice of mindfulness. In this mode, the brain does the work of amalgamating the conscious and subconscious minds, helping us set new skills into muscle memory, digest new academic concepts, or absorb therapeutic work.

• Support neuroplasticity - Neuroplasticity is newly making its way into popular jargon. There have been stunning case studies in which patients who experience chronic neural pain or degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, tap into the power of their own neural networks to develop compensatory mechanisms to relieve their symptoms. Research shows that mindfulness facilitates the brain’s reorganization, giving it space to effectively heal itself (Doidge, 142). Studies involving mice have shown that silence, rather than music or white noise, promoted new cell development in the hippocampus. This area of the brain is associated with memory formation and sensory perception.

• Truly self-reflect - Being silent with ourselves gives way to noticing subtle signs within our bodies: breathing patterns, digestive noises, and any musculoskeletal imbalances. Silent meditation is a valuable time to take internal inventory. In the practice of mindfulness, greater self-insight can be found by embracing silence and simplicity.

• Process suppressed thoughts and emotions - One of the intimidating factors of silence is it takes away coping mechanisms for suppressing painful thoughts and emotions. By filling our lives with distractions, we’re able to evade processing deep trauma. Suppressing thoughts
  and emotions long-term keeps the brain in an elevated level of stress and prevents its systems from working properly. When we don’t consciously process trauma or negative thoughts, they tend to emerge in self-destructive habits. Doing the hard work of sitting in silence and allowing latent thoughts and emotions to come to the surface is temporary pain in service of long-term
  wellness.

• Boost creativity - The brain in a silent environment can be likened to a blank slate. In a distraction-free space we are able to notice every idea that appears in our mind’s eye. Silence, even boredom, puts us into a seeking state, forcing us to choose what is most fulfilling for us to work on. Instead of being burdened by unproductive distractions, silent meditation peels back non-necessities. The phenomenon of writer's block is most aggravating when the writer wracks his or her brain for a shred of creativity. The medicine is to simply stop trying; let your brain subconsciously do its work, and it will gift you an idea in due time.

The power of silent meditation is truly compelling. Its effects on mental wellness and competitive performance have caught the attention of elite sports teams and major corporations. A simple practice, requiring nothing but time and space, can bring about measurable benefits for already high-performing individuals. Instead of a jumbo coffee in the afternoon, a short meditation break is all that’s required to reboot your innate capabilities.

So, embrace a bit of silence in your day. You’ll be reinvigorating your brain, protecting against degenerative diseases, and taking another step closer to monk-like oneness. A bit of silence is a much-needed salve for the stressed, distracted brain.

Introduction to Pranayama and Breath Control - Part 1

Introduction to Pranayama and Breath Control - Part 1
Part 1 of a series providing a beginner’s guide to pranayama and breathwork.

By: Amalia Briggs

Photo by Esther Driehaus on Unsplash

Anyone who has taken a yoga class before knows the emphasis put on bringing yourself back to your breath. Breathing is an important piece of any good yoga practice, but the importance of your breath goes far beyond the time you spend on your yoga mat. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali defines yoga as being made up of eight distinct parts. What we typically think of as “yoga” is only one of these eight parts (asana). The fourth step on Patanjali’s eightfold path of yoga is pranayama, more commonly known as breath control.

The word pranayama is comprised of the word prana, or ‘life force’, and ayama, which means ‘extension’ or ‘expansion’. So a more comprehensive definition of pranayama might be “the extension or expansion of our life force.” From a yogic perspective, the purpose of pranayama is not to increase the amount of oxygen we take in, but rather to use the breath to enhance the flow of prana throughout the body.

Scientifically speaking, our breath plays an essential role in every single one of our bodily processes. It is through respiration that our body produces the energy that makes it possible for our cells to function. Most adults tend to breathe by taking in shallow and rapid breaths, meaning we are not taking in as much oxygen as is necessary for the optimal functioning of our body and mind. Pranayama helps condition our respiratory system, making our breaths longer, deeper, and more rhythmic, and thus increasing our oxygen intake and fueling our body.

The Four Aspects of Pranayama (Breath Control)

Pranayama utilizes a combination of four different types of breath control:

1. Inhalation (Pooraka)

2. Exhalation (Rechaka)

3. Internal Breath Retention (Antar Kumbhaka)

4. External Breath Retention (Bahir Kumbhaka)

Breath retention is commonly regarded as the most important aspect of pranayama. However, much like any other skill development, practitioners need to work their way up to being able to exercise safe and effective breath retention. It’s important that all practitioners first build a solid foundation in basic breath control before trying more advanced practices. Throughout the course of this series, you’ll notice that most of the beginning practices focus more on inhalation and exhalation, giving practitioners the chance to practice acquainting themselves with their breath and expanding their lung capacity before getting into more advanced practices.

Basic Pranayama Practice - Natural Breathing

Before you jump into any controlled breathing exercises, it’s helpful to start by simply acquainting yourself with your own breathing system and patterns. When you put focused attention on your breathing, you’ll notice that your breath naturally slows down and becomes more rhythmic. You can focus on your breathing anytime and anywhere, but you might notice it’s easiest when you’re sitting comfortably or lying down on your back. Start by closing your eyes if it is comfortable for you, and put your attention on your breathing process as a whole—noticing your nose, throat, lungs, chest, and abdomen. Pay attention to the general pace and rhythm of your breath as it enters and leaves your body. Remember to observe your breath without judgment, and without trying to change anything.

Now take some time to give focused attention to isolated parts of your breathing system. First pay attention to the air as it flows in and out of your nose. Notice whether one nostril feels more open or involved than the other. Pay attention to temperature changes as the air enters and leaves through your nose. Next, observe how breathing feels in your throat. Note whether your throat changes at all between inhales and exhales, noticing any feelings of tension or relaxation in your throat as you breathe. Now allow your attention to flow into your lungs and chest. See if you can sense the air as it fills your lungs and expands into your bronchial tubes. Pay attention to changes in your chest as your breathe in and out. Perhaps you’ll notice sensations of heaviness or lightness in your chest. And finally, allow your attention to drop down into your abdominal region. Notice changes in your abdomen as your breathe in and out, such as an expansion outward as you inhale, and relaxation as you exhale.

Once you’ve given isolated attention to each part of your respiratory system, bring your awareness back to your whole breathing system, again noticing the natural rhythm of air as it enters and leaves your body. If it helps, you can envision that the air is nourishing or fueling you with each inhale. See if you can practice this natural breathing exercise for at least 7 minutes, but remember that you can continue it for as long as feels right for you.

Our breath is a natural point of focus. Beyond a regular pranayama practice, bringing your attention back to your breath when you’re feeling unfocused or overwhelmed is a great tool for helping you to feel grounded or to regain focus throughout your day. After years of intentionally concentrating on my breath, I’ve noticed that I now automatically direct my attention to my breath whenever I start to feel stressed or unfocused. Breathwork can feel funny or even uncomfortable at first, but the more we attend to our breath, the more it attends to us.

Amalia Briggs, LMSW, RYT is a mental health clinician, yoga teacher, and meditation teacher with expertise in breath and mindfulness.  She is the founder of Great Lakes Mindfulness, which delivers mindfulness-based interventions through mental health therapy, mindfulness coaching, and professional staff development. Through her company, she develops and leads trainings for healthcare professionals on mindfulness and stress management, and contracts with nonprofits, schools, and government agencies to teach breathwork, yoga, and other mindfulness exercises to a variety of populations. Amalia also manages the clinical content delivery for online self help programs offered through companies including The Great Courses and Yoga International. After receiving her clinical training from the University of Michigan, Amalia spent years working at a nonprofit organization as a clinician and clinical supervisor. Amalia has since received extensive training on breath and mindfulness-based interventions both nationally and internationally, and is now excited to educate on the power of effective breathwork as a Thought Leader for Respa Better Yoga.

This Secret to Stress Reduction is a Breath of Fresh Air

A therapist’s take on how harnessing the power of breath can change your life.

People start seeing me for therapy for a variety of reasons, but their reasons typically boil down to one thing… an overload of stress. This comes as no surprise, seeing that stress was the most googled symptom in a fifth of all states in 2018.

Everyone knows what it feels like to be stressed, but many of us are so used to being constantly stressed that we don’t even notice we’re stressed anymore. We are so used to working our way through an endless list of expectations, mindlessly moving from one activity to the next, and not really paying attention to the toll our stress takes on our body and mind.

Simply put, stress is a natural byproduct of disconnection from ourselves. It’s a combination of all of the emotions we suppress and the needs we ignore as we push through our day. Stress is our body asking to be cared for.

No matter what causes someone’s stress, there is one tool that I recommend to everyone I work with, and it is as old as life itself—our breath.

Breathing Basics

You don’t need to look farther than your smartphone to see how breath has worked its way into the modern health landscape, with apps on breathing available for download, and some even built into our devices. But why is something as simple and automatic as breath making such headway in the world of health and wellness? And why is it my go-to tool for the people I work with in therapy?

First of all, as unrealistic as it sounds, most adults have forgotten how to breathe. Think about how a baby’s body moves when it breathes. Its whole abdomen rises and expands with each inhale, and slowly falls with each exhale. It’s a rhythmic pattern of slow, deep breaths. Now take a few moments to pay attention to your own breath. Chances are it’s much more shallow and rapid than the baby’s breath I just described. And unfortunately, shallow and rapid breathing—the way most adults breathe—can actually increase our stress.

It’s quite ironic that during childhood, when we’re busy learning how to become functioning humans, we forget how to use one of our most basic human functions. It makes sense that this happens though when you consider that our society teaches us to hold everything in. Not only are we socialized to hold ourselves in physically (Who here hasn’t ever sucked in their gut for a picture?), but messages we receive as kids like, “Don’t cry,” and “You’re okay,” condition us to hold everything in emotionally, as well. And what’s the first thing that happens when we try to prevent ourselves from crying? We hold our breath.

The Power of Breath

Time and time again, research shows the numerous health and stress reduction benefits we get from taking long, deep breaths. Let’s look at these benefits in real human terms to see exactly why it’s so important to retrain ourselves how to breathe, and how focusing on the quality of your breath can change your life::

1. Breath teaches you to let go

An exhale is literally the physical manifestation of letting go. It is well-documented that our bodies store our emotional pain (think shoulder tension, headaches, and lower back pain). Some of us have been holding on to our hurt for years or even decades. Taking long exhales is an easy way to start learning how to relax and let go. And when we let go, not only do we release stress and pain, but we open up space to receive and grow.

2. Breath allows you to just be

When we’re constantly on the go, it can be easy to forget that we’re not human doings, we’re human beings. Our ability to breathe is the essence of being, considering that breath is the most basic human function that is under our control. When we focus on our breath, we are momentarily relieving ourselves of pressures from the outside world. This allows us to pause, reset, and live in the present without any expectations. Regular practice of simply being in the present moment gives our body time to restore its calm, which, over time, can help us get through our day with even more vitality and drive.

3. Breath connects you to yourself

Focusing on your breath grounds you in your body. When you turn your attention inward, it reconnects you with your feelings, emotions, thoughts, desires, and aspirations. Most importantly, your breath connects you to the part of yourself that is unchanging. The way we breathe changes, but our breath is always there. Similarly, our thoughts and emotions are always changing, but who we are underneath that is always there. We feel pain, but we are not our pain. That means there is an unchanging piece in all of us that has never been hurt and is always okay—no matter what is going on in our lives. Breath can help you access that.

Getting in touch with your breath is paramount to stress reduction and healing. Breath keeps you present, keeps you calm, and reconnects you to your body, your emotions, your experiences, and the part of you that is unchanging throughout it all. The full benefits of breathwork don’t happen overnight, but a long term investment in your breath is worth the time and effort. After all, your life literally depends on it.

Amalia Briggs, LMSW, RYT is a mental health clinician, yoga teacher, and meditation teacher with expertise in breath and mindfulness.  She is the founder of Great Lakes Mindfulness, which delivers mindfulness-based interventions through mental health therapy, mindfulness coaching, and professional staff development. Through her company, she develops and leads trainings for healthcare professionals on mindfulness and stress management, and contracts with nonprofits, schools, and government agencies to teach breathwork, yoga, and other mindfulness exercises to a variety of populations. Amalia also manages the clinical content delivery for online self help programs offered through companies including The Great Courses and Yoga International. After receiving her clinical training from the University of Michigan, Amalia spent years working at a nonprofit organization as a clinician and clinical supervisor. Amalia has since received extensive training on breath and mindfulness-based interventions both nationally and internationally, and is now excited to educate on the power of effective breathwork as a Thought Leader for Respa Better Yoga.

Measuring Our Breathing

Breathing is a fundamental activity for sustaining life. Beyond that, how and how often we breathe can provide insight into our health, how hard we are physically working, how calm we are, and generally how we feel. So much of our emotions are also tied to how we breathe; we say “we can’t breathe” when we’re anxious or nervous or claustrophobic, love or excitement or amazement can “take our breath away”. Understanding how we breathe through objective recording, signal processing, statistical analysis and pattern recognition, and correlative associations can provide a unique vantage point to how we are doing.

With Respa, we’re not just recording breathing sounds. We’re trying to understand patterns of breathing by looking at breath rate variability (how regular or irregular is our breathing) and breathing intensity (how deep or shallow is our breathing), and relating it to situational awareness of what we are doing at the time (also objectively recorded). We can achieve this through modern signal processing methods using both time- and frequency-domain methods and peak-finding algorithms that allow us to accurately identify each breath both in timing and intensity, which then allows us to look at how we breathe. Alongside this, we use data science to identify correlative patterns between breathing patterns and different activities. The activities could range from athletics and yoga to meditation, rehabilitation, and preparing for a big event; it could even help quantify if you’re recovering from an illness. Real-time breathing pattern analysis can guide you in whatever activity you are doing to enhance, optimize and maximize performance, whether you are a high school athlete, a yoga enthusiast, a weekend warrior, a public speaker or in a high-pressure occupation.

World's first breathing sensor Respa by Zansors is now available to order here

Abhijit Dasgupta, PhD, is Co-Founder and Chief Data Science Officer of Zansors. You can follow him on Twitter @webbedfeet

Breathing: A New Frontier in Wearable Tracking Technology

A medical colleague of mine likes to say, “Breathing always wins”. No matter an individual’s physical endurance level or functional capacity, they fundamentally need a way to breathe. Under periods of physical exertion, the body will find ways to maximize oxygen intake through breathing and in doing so sometimes even compromises other systemic or structural functions. Envision the long-distance runner after their race, standing bent forward with their chest visibly heaving. The runner’s back or arms are not tired but bending forward helps the diaphragm to work more efficiently at a time when they need more oxygen consumption. They compensate posture so that breathing wins.

If breathing is so important, why has it been relatively overlooked in the emergence of wearable technology when we can so easily monitor respiratory rate? Perhaps a deeper understanding of the importance of respiratory rate and recognition of how respiratory data can provide insightful information to enhance performance and function is needed.

When an individual exercises or exerts themselves they eventually get to a point where the level of exertion requires an increase in oxygen uptake to continue the activity. At this point they begin breathing more frequently and/or with greater depth to meet the needs of physical exertion. Ventilatory threshold (VT) is the point after which ventilation begins to increase disproportionately relative to oxygen uptake. This point is often considered a submaximal point for optimal moderate exercise prescription. If a wearable sensor were able to reliably track respiratory rate, and validly identify changes in respiratory rate over time during activity, it is conceivable that VT can be predicted.

Understanding the Ventilatory Threshold also coincides with the point at which lactate threshold (LT) increases. LT provides insight on the level of intensity needed in a training session to improve aerobic performance. LT is helpful for athletes to understand how to avoid overtraining and muscle damage associated excessive training. Knowing this information enables a precision approach to tracking and monitoring athletic performance.

Breathing is a function that can be trained. Strategies that encourage deep, slow, paced breathing help to control respiratory rate changes during activities and are beneficial to extend the duration of an activity prior to reaching VT thereby maximizing the conditioning effect. While important for improving athletic performance, controlling and monitoring respiratory rate can also have significant implications for anyone along the functional spectrum, from the disabled and severely deconditioned, to the individual exercising for health maintenance purposes.

Breathing strategies using real-time monitoring can help an individual maximize time to reach VT which optimizes training and endurance and mitigates stress response on the body. In deconditioned and compromised populations this may be a critical physiological pathway to optimizing weight loss, increasing lean muscle mass, and reconditioning endurance. This has relevance to chronic conditions like obesity, sarcopenia, diabetes, cancer treatment-related muscle wasting syndromes, severe fatigue and deconditioning and more. Furthermore, the use of respiratory rate to predict VT allows customization of any exercise program and promotes optimal performance for achieving conditioning and improving health.

Nicole Stout, DPT, CLT-LANA is Vice President of Medical Affairs at Zansors. Follow Nicole on Twitter at @NicoleStoutPT   

Springtime at Zansors: Patents, Drinking & More

With the official announcement of the spring season, we at Zansors take time to assess how we are faring towards our mission of helping people take charge of their health. Continuing our tradition, here’s the springtime roundup of what we were up to in the past one year…

Leading the Way with Innovation

It was a milestone year for Zansors in terms of building our intellectual property (IP) portfolio. Zansors had two utility patents issued around our wearable biosensors! Securing IP is not an end in itself for us. Our utility patent for wearable patch is critical to supporting Zansors’ goal to provide personal health analytics tech wearables that are accessible and affordable to consumers. With our utility patent for wireless electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) sensor, Zansors is opening up a future that allows patients the same accuracy of readings on their smartphone that they currently can only experience in a clinical setting.

Zansors Labs is making exciting progress in building not just our IP portfolio but also our innovation portfolio through cutting-edge R&D. Zansors Labs developed a prototype sensor patch to detect blood alcohol from your sweat. Last year we completed the proof-of-concept “clinical” study; outside of clinic, by the way— that’s the future of clinical studies— in the wild! Imagine going out for drinks, slapping on a sweat sensor patch, and being able to quietly check how you’re doing on your smartphone. No one need know, and you get to stay safe on the drive home.

We shouldn’t forget our tiniest patients though. Zansors Labs, in collaboration with George Washington University, is working to create blood glucose monitoring sensors for babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Zansors’ continuous monitoring sensor patch is designed to monitor glucose constantly under the skin, instead of via occasional heel sticks; thereby reducing amount of blood collected and pain caused to babies. We are proud to be working on new frontiers in the wearable sensing and mobile health tech world.

Follow us @Zansors to keep updated about the latest innovations coming out of Zansors labs!

Spreading Ideas with Thought Leadership

Zansors was fortunate to be offered reputable media platforms in the past one year to spread the ideas we believe in. And of course, it always feels good to have your efforts being recognized.

We were excited to be featured by Discovery Channel in a segment on on-demand health and the future of wearable tech last year! It was especially noted how Zansors is working on building sensors and apps that are medical-grade. In case you missed it, you can watch the web segment here.

Discovery Channel shoot at Zansors office

It is exciting, at the same time, to be recognized by a reputable authority in the field itself. We were honored by featured by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) in their column titled “In-home, Over-the-counter Sleep Apnea Sensor on the Horizon”. Zansors also got recognition in a market research report published by Tractica where Zansors was listed as a key industry player in health wearable space alongside of companies like Abbott, Medtronic, Philips and Qualcomm Life.

Zansors team continued spreading ideas and engaging communities as thought leaders. Abhijit Dasgupta, PhD (@webbedfeet), Co-founder and Chief Data Science Officer at Zansors, was interviewed by Sleep Junkies, a well-known source of what’s latest in sleep tech world. Abhijit is also active in local health industry community. He presented at Health TechNet, one of the most popular, interactive and educational forums for health care technology and biotech companies in the Washington D.C. area where he talked about medical-grade wearable tech. Nicole Stout (@NicoleStoutPT), our VP of Medical Affairs, was quoted in an article in Healthcare Dive, a healthcare industry magazine. As Nicole puts it: “When you are getting into the medical space and getting healthcare providers to use data from digital health technologies and wearables, it’s got to be fairly precise.” Nicole also spoke at 2nd annual ‘Women in PT Summit’, supporting its mission to serve as the catalyst for women in the physical therapy industry.

I would also like to thank our guest blog contributors who shared some amazing content in their blog posts: Meredith McQuerry, Ph.D, Deirdre A. Conroy, PhD, John Pietrangelo and Cherilyn Cecchini, M.D. Check out our blog page to read these interesting posts!

Building Tech for Future

Want a peek into how Zansors’ tech can be applied in the future? One example is our partnership announcement with Blauer Manufacturing Inc. to introduce wearable technology in defense textiles for first responders and the military. A new category of defense garments can capture biometric data, like breathing, motion or ECG, as well as external factors such as determining location or detecting chemical gases! We’re also developing small but mighty wearable sensors that provide important situational analytics for our armed forces giving them a competitive edge in the battle field.

While developing the front-end technologies are important, we also build the back-end infrastructure for integration. To that end, Zansors Labs has built HIPAA-compliant cloud system so that patients or users have a secure way to store or send their personal health data to their healthcare team. In a world of data breaches, protecting your privacy is critical.

Blooming Soon…

Our mission is not complete until the technologies we develop reach masses and help them achieve a better life. Therefore, we’re working hard to bring products to market soon. 2018 will be the year of product launches for Zansors! Stay tuned with us by subscribing to our email newsletter below.

Kashyap Purani is Director of Marketing & Business Development and Product Manager at Zansors. You can follow him on Twitter @puranikashyap.

Weighing the Pros and Cons of Wearables: Time to Invest?

It seems everyone these days is wearing something on their body to collect data about their health. There are numerous types and brands of devices on the market today, and it can be overwhelming to pick the one that will best meet your needs. Here are a few pros and cons to consider when making the leap into wearable wanderlust.

Pro: They can help you to meet your health related goals

If you are motivated by data, wearable technology can provide great feedback about how much progress (or lack thereof) you are making. This can be helpful information to provide at your next doctor’s visit. Dr. Julia Chen, Primary Care Physician at Michigan Medicine, agrees. She has seen an uptick in patients wearing these devices. In her practice, she finds these devices are “helpful in setting a concrete goal, such as number of steps per day or hours of sleep. Patients also enjoy looking at their information over time to see if they are making progress.”

Pro: The technology to track sleep is getting better

Many people choose to purchase a wearable because they want more information about how they sleep. The ability of wearables to measure sleep accurately has historically been fraught with inaccuracies. The number of studies comparing commercial grade wearable devices to medical grade accelerometers (e.g. actigraphy) and to the gold standard polysomnography (PSG) (a sleep study) has skyrocketed over the past few years, but there is still room for improvement. Fortunately, Zansors is leading the way in this area and will likely take wearable sleep technology to the next level.

Con: Be careful of interpreting your data if you have sleep disturbance or depression

If you are a good sleeper, wearables can be accurate for some measures, but may not be so accurate if you have insomnia or major depression. Some devices are a bit misleading when informing the user about how much “light” or “deep sleep” they get, and sleep scientists say that there’s normal motor activity that occurs during the night users are unaware of. Because of this, it’s important to remember that the wearable devices on the market today might underestimate how much sleep you actually get.

Con: Now what? Finding help to interpret your health data

Nicole Stout, DPT, CLT-LANA, Vice President Medical Affairs from Zansors, tells us that health is what happens between our doctor’s visits. Wearables can definitely provide data about our health that can be important to communicate with our doctor. But who should help guide us between visits?

Unfortunately, doctors are strapped for time. Primary care physicians are busier than ever these days and in some cases are only able to spend a few minutes with each patient. It may be difficult to fit in your questions about the data from your wearable, when you also have to discuss other health issues like medications or a new pain you’ve discovered in your side for example. In this situation, finding a support from a health coach or other allied health provider might be helpful. A health coach might be someone to provide support, perspective on your wearable data, or help you maintain your health related goals between doctor’s visits.

Summary

In summary, there are a number of wearables on the market today that are providing individuals with important health data that may improve quality of life. However, technology is evolving. It is important to keep perspective on this data. Focusing on how you feel each day might be the best barometer. Dr. Chen says, “I try to remind patients to focus on how they feel, because the information from wearables is not perfect. The device may show some restless sleep, but if they feel recharged, then that is what counts.”

Deirdre A. Conroy, PhD, Integrative Nutrition and Sleep Medicine, is a sleep psychologist board certified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.  She works as a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, MI.  She also provides integrative nutrition health coaching at Happy Healthy Rested, PLLC. You can follow her on Twitter @hhrhealthcoach.

Disruptive Innovation in a Traditional Industry: Wearable Tech and the Future of Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment

In today’s ever-changing world of constant technological innovations, there exists a gadget, sensor, or electronic to measure, report, and analyze almost any type of data we might desire. As sensor technology has evolved, systems have gotten lighter and less cumbersome, enabling them to fit into our cell phones, watches, wearable devices and even our clothing. Wearable technology involves the use of smart electronic devices that can be easily worn on the body via an accessory or incorporated directly into our clothing. For most consumers, these new tech gadgets are fun and exciting; a “toy” so to speak, that enhances their daily fitness routine. But for others, these devices can mean the difference between life and death; and the implementation isn’t quite so straightforward in some cases.

Take firefighters for example, whether working inside a structure or fighting a wildfire in open geography, firefighters require specialized personal protective equipment (PPE), tools, and technologies to ensure their safety. Many protection and health issues still exist in the fire service industry such as heat stress, cardiac arrest, and exposure to carcinogenic particulates, just to name a few. The risk of firefighter injury and illness could be greatly reduced with the introduction of wearable technology. Measuring real time physiological responses, monitoring health, and tracking location would provide vital, life-saving feedback for the fire service. Some manufacturers have already successfully produced wearable garments for firefighters to track their location, heart rate, etc., however, the technology is still cost prohibitive for most departments who are working on a tight budget. At well over $1,000 for a set of turnout gear, PPE budgets don’t have additional discretionary funds for “fun, tech toys.”

In order to make wearable tech a feasible, realistic option in the fire service industry, multiple challenges must be overcome. First, as mentioned above, cost must be addressed. Affordable, scalable sensors are a must if wearable tech is to be incorporated into structural turnout suits and wild-land firefighter gear. Second, in an industry that is known for its historical tradition and culture, the mindsets of the users must be convinced that the benefits of these disruptive technologies far outweigh the cost, and not just in terms of monetary value. As a population that puts their lives on the line each and every day, firefighters must be convinced that a significant change to their PPE is safe and worth any adaptations to their current tactics and training.

A third, and maybe the most challenging obstacle is creating sensors that can perform effectively and consistently under the extreme conditions in which firefighters often find themselves. In a flashover scenario, temperatures may reach well over 500°C. These environments would require durable sensors that can withstand extreme conditions and repeatedly perform after multiple exposures. Further, these sensors must not cause any decrease in thermal, chemical, or liquid protection; hinder the user’s movement; or cause discomfort. On top of all of the above criteria, the sensors must also be conducive to the laundering process at temperatures above 120°F. To overcome all of the above criteria would be a tall feat, even for the most developed technologies.

To truly enact change in firefighter PPE, all of the above concerns must be addressed not just from an academic or scientific standpoint, but from a practical, daily use perspective. While sensor technology has greatly advanced, there is still much work to do in order to incorporate these valuable, life-saving technologies into the applications where they are most meaningful. For firefighters, being able to track location, movement, heart rate, breathing rate, carbon monoxide exposure, and so much more, could be the difference between them going home to their  families or  an unfortunate tragedy. Sensor technology gives us hope for the future, but much research and work is still needed to create affordable, adoptable, and practical wearable technology for our first responders.

Meredith McQuerry, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Textiles at Florida State University. She has almost a decade of experience working with the fire service industry to engineer better performing and more durable personal protective clothing. Her research interests include clothing comfort physiology for first responder, military, and athletic applications.

Supporting Our Troops with Wearable Sensor Technology

High tech and the military go hand-in-hand. The Armed Forces are often the first adopters of new technology to give them a competitive edge. Dual-use technologies are the same innovations being used in the defense sector and later embraced across other areas of society (e.g. Defense Department’s DARPA invented the Internet). Hopefully, some healthcare technologies used in the military can later diffuse into the civilian sector. Adding to the list of advancements, Zansors is developing small but mighty wearable sensors that provide important situational analytics.

Wearable sensor technologies are a crucial step forward in supporting the health of our troops, changing the way we train and deploy, and maximizing the capabilities of our warriors. Nicole Stout, VP of Medical Affairs at Zansors, elaborates on the potential applications of Zansors’ technology in this video:

With such comprehensive information gathering, the military can operate while minimizing undue risk to personnel. Going into dangerous areas and grappling with extreme external conditions, Zansors’ technology will assist in making sure that every soldier is able to perform his or her best, as comfortably and safely as possible.  

Zansors is committed to creating digital solutions for hitherto unmet needs. The amazing advancements we’ve so quickly seen thanks to technology’s rapid development means that we can help people in ways before not thought possible. By thinking creatively, Zansors continues to innovate real, powerful solutions for the US military mission, changing the way we approach soldier care and empowering the Armed Forces with the personal health analytics that they, more than anyone, require.  

Zansors Tools to Help Veterans with Sleep Disturbances

The fight is not necessarily over when a Veteran returns home. After a tour of duty leaves a solider with a head or spinal injury, the effects of the damage can often reverberate to other aspects of his or her life. Notably, sleep. 

In the previous blog post we examined how sleep relates to Veteran mental health. Many Veterans have incurred head injury, which can lead to or exacerbate sleep problems. This in turn can worsen mental health issues and may put a Veteran at greater risk for crises and suicide attempts. 

In addition to the commonly-known effects of poor sleep such cognitive decline and fatigue, sleep disturbances may also play a key role in neuroplasticity. When someone temporarily stops breathing at night, as Nicole Stout explains in this video, the “apneic event” can lead to an endorphin release that interacts with the different areas of the brain.  

Stout, VP of Medical Affairs at Zansors, goes into detail discussing the research applications of apneic events with the use of Zansors’ wearable technology. See her interview for further explanation regarding the science behind the matter. 

Rather than requiring each at-risk Veteran to set aside the time and money to visit a formal sleep clinic, wearable technology offers a simple and streamlined alternative. The greater population of Veterans will now be able monitor themselves, identifying if and when medical intervention is necessary. Veterans will receive the most personalized treatment possible, their sleep patterns and accompanying symptoms logged in our secure cloud system. The VA health system will be able to turn their attention to the Veterans who need it most, with more complete records for each patient. 

In the below video, Stout explains the premise of the Zansors cloud and the exciting implications it brings to the research table.

The Zansors cloud represents a veritable lake of data that will be a great asset to the VA health system. Doctors and researchers will have the unprecedented opportunity to dive into a robust pool of information to make observations. The individual patients that comprise the data points will yield a more comprehensive picture of sleep issues, associated patterns and how best to treat them. 

Zansors sleep monitoring technology seeks to bridge the gap between what our Veterans need to be mentally and physically healthy post-service and what the VA health system can feasibly provide. By providing Veterans with the highest quality medical technology, they can know themselves, know their sleep, and contribute to an exciting future of research possibilities. 

Sleep Matters to Reducing Veteran Suicides

Getting a bad night’s sleep does more than just make you tired the next day. Many of us have had bouts of insomnia and know the frustration that comes with lack of sleep. The problem is that sleep disturbance has a different meaning for millions of Americans with underlying depression, anxiety or other mental health issues. Lack of sleep magnifies mental health conditions, sometimes to an extreme extent. Suicide attempts and successes have largely been associated with severe sleep disturbance.

22 Veterans commit suicide each day across the United States. These tend to be younger veterans (age 18 to 45) with more recent combat exposure who are more likely to have experienced combat-related head trauma and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If we dig deeper into the underlying factors associated with these conditions we uncover sleep as a common thread.

• Up to 39% of returning combat veterans have PTSD. [Ref1] 
• 58.3% of soldiers report sleep problems if they experienced head injury with loss of consciousness. [Ref2]
• 30% of soldiers returning from Iraq report complaints of sleep disturbances even 3-4 months after returning from their tour of duty. [Ref3]
• Sleep disturbances predict a shorter time to suicide among suicide decedents. [Ref4]
• Currently, sleep disturbance is the second most common reason for referrals to mental health services following post-deployment screening of Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans. [Ref5] 

Sleep is multifactorial and complex. Research supports a number of both biological and psychological factors that contribute to sleep disturbance ranging from breathing disruptions like snoring and apnea (when you actually stop breathing for a short period of time), to stress and anxiety. Therefore, referral to mental health services may only address part of the problem.

Ultimately we need to understand why someone is suffering from sleep disruption in order to optimally manage it, but assessing sleep is complicated. The current gold standard test for sleep assessment is a sleep diagnostic test (polysomnography) that requires an individual to be admitted to a sleep study center and undergo a significant battery of tests designed to monitor sleep and sleep-associated factors. For many Veterans that means taking time off of work and traveling long distances to get to a sleep center, which can further add to the stress of their condition.

Currently, in the VA Health system the average wait time for a sleep study appointment is 8 months. 8 months is a long time to suffer, waiting to get answers, especially in light of the above statistics. Zansors wants to help to support Veterans with wearable devices and mobile apps that can help to track and monitor many of the factors associated with sleep. A wearable sensor device, placed on the body while you sleep, allows tracking of vital breathing habits, snoring, pulse, and can measure other biological factors that tell a story about the quality of sleep. The mobile app asks questions about daily habits, feelings of stress, and activities that might be impacting sleep. Zansors patented technology brings together the findings from the wearable sensor and the information collected from the app and identifies patterns that may emerge to help provide guidance on ways to improve sleep.

Medical interventions and behavioral therapy are both helpful to improve sleep disturbance but today these therapies are typically applied in a doctor’s office or clinic. Zansors wants to enable Veterans to bring those interventions into their own homes, using their own individualized information from the sensor and app to create a sleep improvement plan. The plan can help by providing suggestions to improve sleep, based on clinical research. The plan is designed and personalized based on the information it collects from you. The wearable sensor and app will continue to help to support monitoring and tracking once you’ve started to implement your plan so that you can see real results over time.

Innovation in wearable sensors and digital technology are changing the way health care is being provided. The ability to track and monitor vital sleep-related factors in your own home, privately and securely allows you to make decisions about your own health and empowers you to know that you’re in control of your own care. Innovation like this not only can improve sleep, but it can save lives.

Nicole Stout, DPT, CLT-LANA is Vice President of Medical Affairs at Zansors. Follow Nicole on Twitter at @NicoleStoutPT   

• [Ref1] Capaldi VF, Guerrero ML, Kilgore WDS. Sleep Disruptions Among Retuning Combat Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Military Medicine 2011; 176(8): 879-88.
• [Ref2] Lewis V, Creamer M, Failla S. Is poor sleep in veterans a function of post-traumatic stress disorder? Mil Med 2009; 174(9): 948-51.
•  [Ref3] Hoge CS, McGurk D, Thomas JL, Cox AL, Engel CC, Castro CA. Mild traumatic brain injury in US Soldiers returning from Iraq. NEJM 2008; 358(5): 453-63.
•  [Ref4] Pigeon WR, Britton PC, Ilgen MA, Chapman B, and Conner KR. Sleep Disturbance Preceding Suicide among Veterans. American Journal of Public Health. 2012; 102(S1): S93-S97.
•  [Ref5] Pigeon WR, Edinger JD, Epstein DR, Germain A, Haynes P, Martin JL, Mellman TA, Neylan TC, Raskind MA, Ross RJ, Woodward SW, Zayfert C. Report of the Meeting of the Expert Panel on Sleep Disturbance and Combat Trauma. Rochester (NY); 2010.

Design Patent Protection – the Lines Matter

Design Patent protection can be an effective means of preventing your competitors from copying unique designs for your products, for example, your medical devices.  In contrast to “utility” patent protection, which is the type of patent that the person on the street thinks of when the word “patent” is heard, a “design” patent protects how your product “looks,” that is, instead of how your product functions.  Design patent protection may typically be associated with protecting the “artistic” appearance of furniture, jewelry, light fixtures, and the like, but design patent protection can also be used to protect the unique appearance of any product.

In 2016, the subject of design patents became the topic of coffee bar discussions and lunchroom banter when the “smartphone patent wars” between Apple and Samsung became front-page news -  one of the related cases had reached the U.S. Supreme Court.  Though the confrontation between Apple and Samsung included infringement of utility patents, much of the infringement, much of the public discussion, and the Supreme Court case dealt with the alleged infringement of Apple design patents. 

Apple’s U.S. design patents protect the look or appearance of their iPhone®- and iPad® devices, among others.  For example, a figure from one of Apple’s U.S. design patents that is the subject of one of the cases appears in Figure 1 below.  

Figure 1 - Figure from Apple’s US Design Patent 504,889

Contrary to comments you may have read, Apple had not patented “a rectangle.”  No, as described in their patent, Apple patented the unique appearance of an “electronic device” having the unique rectangular appearance shown in Figure 1.  Yes, under U.S. patent law, you can protect the appearance of such electronic devices when this look for an electronic device is indeed “new” and “non-obvious.”  Though the Apple v. Samsung series of patent cases are still pending, among other things, these cases underscore the importance of design patent protection.

Unlike utility patent applications, which can contain tens or even hundreds of pages of text, design patent applications are substantially limited to drawings.  These drawings typically show different views of the invention being protected.  The text in a design patent application (and of the design patent) is typically limited to relatively simple descriptions of the images of the design that are shown in the drawings, for example, a perspective view, a top view, a side view, etc.  What this means is that, in contrast to utility patents, the drawings in the design patent applications are critical to the scope of the protection being pursued.  In fact, without using words, the drawings in the design patent application (and patent) define what specific appearance of the product, or even a portion of the product, is being protected.  That is, the drawings illustrate the appearance of the design that competitors must avoid to not infringe the design patent.

Again, the drawings illustrating the invention, and how the drawings illustrate the invention, are critical.  For example, the lines of a design patent drawing have meaning: solid lines mean the protected design must have that feature; dashed lines mean the feature can be absent and the product still infringes.  What may not be apparent is that including many solid lines in drawings showing many of the fine details of an invention, may better illustrate the invention, but may undesirably “narrow” the patent protection.  That is, too many details shown by too many lines may make it easier for a competitor to avoid infringement, by, for example, not having the features shown in solid lines in the design patent drawings.  Accordingly, care should be taken when preparing design patent drawings to, for example, limit what is shown only to what is “new” and “non-obvious.” 

What does this mean?  As always, it depends on the product being protected.  However, it does mean that you should want to seek help in preparing such design patent applications.

Recent design patents obtained by Zansors reflect the unique, attractive appearance of their products that characterizes the work of Zansors’ engineers and scientists.  For example, Figures 2 and 3 below present images of figures from U.S. design patent No. 771,824 that was recently awarded to Zansors. 

Figure 2 - Figures from Zansors US Design Patent 771,824 for a “wearable sensor.”

Figure 3 - Figure form Zansors US Design Patent 771,824 for a “wearable sensor,” as depicted in a typical placement on the neck of a patient.

Also, Figure 4  below presents a figure from U.S. design patent No. 793, 223 entitled "Retail Package for Wearables" that was recently awarded to Zansors.

Figure 4 - Figure from Zansors US Design Patent 793,223 for a “Retail Package for Wearables.”

Accordingly, design patent protection can be worthwhile for any product that you present to the marketplace.  Design patent projection can also effectively supplement utility patent protection.  However, as I hopefully have made clear above, design patent protection for the unfamiliar can be confusing and sometimes perilous.  Therefore, as with home plumbing and brain surgery, you are better served by those familiar with the landscape and who know how to avoid the pitfalls of the unwary.  Many patent professionals, including patent attorneys and patent agents, are well versed in design patent practice and law, and can help you obtain the commercially significant design patent protection you are looking for.  Obtaining such assistance can help you avoid the roadblocks, the speed bumps, and the outright cliffs that may appear along the way.  

John Pietrangelo is a Registered U.S. Patent Agent who owns and operates Tech Valley Patent, LLC.  Mr. Pietrangelo has spent over 25 years as an in-house patent engineer, as an associate at a patent firm, and with Tech Valley Patent assisting individual entrepreneurs, high-technology startups, and Fortune 500 companies in protecting their inventions in the U.S. Patent Office and around the world. www.techvalleypatent.com

Sensors in the NICU: Glucose Monitoring for the Tiniest Patients

Most health sensors today are built for adult patients. It’s a larger patient population than the pediatric patients who could benefit from sensors - but that doesn’t make sensors any less important for children’s healthcare.

It’s important to remember that children are not small adults, and we can’t simply re-size adult treatments for children. They have specific needs in childhood, particularly in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Zansors, in collaboration with George Washington University, is working to create sensors for pediatric care with grant award (R41HD088142) from Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human and Development (NICHD). With funding from NICHD, Zansors will work to reduce the pain a baby feels from needle prick and reduce amount of blood collected. 

Glucose monitoring is an area where sensors can change the way care is delivered in the NICU today. For many babies, high blood sugar accounts for illness or stress, but for those born prematurely, it’s much more common. This is because the pancreas, which makes insulin, is not fully developed.

Today, we often monitor glucose in the NICU through a tiny blade, that takes a drop of blood from the baby’s foot. Then, this is used to measure glucose in a small test strip.

Source: Fairview Health System https://www.fairview.org/patient-education/88155

If a baby is in an at-risk group, blood glucose will be checked this way at two hours of age, and before the baby feeds, which can be three to five times over the first two days of their life.

Instead of testing every three hours, Zansors is working to monitor continuously through a sensor patch. This alternative continuous glucose monitoring is different because it’s monitoring constantly under the skin, instead of via occasional heel sticks. Not only is less blood drawn, but that blood is drawn less frequently, only once every 24 hours compared to several times throughout the day.

We already use continuous glucose monitoring for adults and children with diabetes, but research is still underway to support the same resolution for preterm infants. Studies show that continuous monitoring is reliable in the NICU, but we need more studies to establish it as the safest way to measure glucose.

Zansors is working to make sensors that can do this. It will reduce pain and help us alleviate stress caused to babies in the NICU by eliminating or reducing the number of heel sticks needed. In addition, if a baby’s glucose levels change, the medical care team will be alerted immediately, not just when testing takes place.

Watch our animation to see exactly how continuous glucose monitoring can make a difference:

Research reported in this publication was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R41HD088142. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Ready to Transform Pediatric Cancer Care? Sensors are the Key

Imagine you are a parent and your child has cancer. You know fever can be an emergency, but you forgot the thermometer at home. He was feeling well, and you had a long packing list of which to keep track.  It was a mistake.

Suddenly on the trip, he develops chills. You think he may have a fever, but you can’t be certain because he is otherwise feeling fine. The chills fade, and he returns to his normal self.  An hour or so later, he again complains of feeling cool and clammy. You start to worry. You need to find a thermometer to measure his temperature. The closest convenience store is 25 minutes away. On your way, you decide to phone the oncologist on call and ask for advice. She recommends that he be taken to the emergency department for further evaluation.

Halfway to the convenience store, you turn around and start driving to the hospital. By the time you arrive, you realize that your son is becoming sleepier. He has a fever to 38.4 degrees Celsius in the emergency department, but you can’t quite remember if that is above the cut-off for fever when converted to Fahrenheit. By the time the labs return, an hour or more have passed. You are told that your child is moderately neutropenic, meaning a subset of his white blood cells or his absolute neutrophil count is lower than normal. This is to be expected since he has been undergoing chemotherapy for his leukemia. You notice the monitors beeping in the background. The physician informs you that his heart rate is elevated and his blood pressure is dropping, He needs to be taken to the pediatric intensive care unit.

Now, pause. You can step out of this scenario. But for many families, this is real life.

What if this could have been prevented? What if there was a non-invasive method that you could use to alert you when your immunocompromised child spiked a temperature in the range defined as fever within the oncologic population? What if there was a way to know if your child’s ANC was moderately low or severely low without them having to undergo another blood draw?

Today’s medical community is building a future where this is possible. For example, Zansors is creating wearable sensors that capture personal health information, and will develop a sensor that conveniently and continuously monitors temperature accurately.

For more on Zansors’ work, listen in to this video (featuring yours truly). There’s an exciting future ahead for pediatric healthcare:

Imagine the relief these parents would feel if they had constant monitoring on their child’s temperature. The validated tool can be applied anywhere on the skin and simply forgotten about. It is programmed to sound an alarm when your child spikes a low-grade fever twice in one hour or a higher-grade fever once, indicating the need for him or her to be evaluated in the emergency department. Beyond this, it also uses sensors to calculate the ANC without requiring that blood be drawn. This avoids a painful procedure and reduces infectious risk while simultaneously aiding the healthcare professionals in the emergency department to reduce the level of risk of serious bacterial infection and tailor the antibiotic therapy appropriately.

There is a critical hour when a cancer patient spikes a fever. In this hour, antibiotic administration is invaluable. Because the sensor alerts the patient and the parent or guardian to the emergency at any time and in any place, care can be delivered as soon as possible. If patients go too long without receiving the antibiotics necessary to fight serious bacterial infections, it places them at higher risk of developing sepsis or septic shock. It can lead to decompensation - which means costly and lengthier hospital stays that could be avoided if patients received antibiotic therapy sooner.

Zansors is on the forefront of saving lives with noninvasive sensors and tools that lead to earlier antibiotic therapy in the immunocompromised cancer pediatric patient. Zansors is building a sensitive tool that is advancing the best practice for pediatric cancer patients.

In the future, sensors will allow patients and parents to live more freely without worry about the inaccuracy of temperatures or the definitions of fever. I can’t wait to see the day it happens. Imagine all those lives changed.

Cherilyn Cecchini, M.D., is a senior resident in general pediatrics at Children’s National Medical Center. She will enter hematology/oncology fellowship at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital this spring. Her research interests include palliative care, communication during end of life care planning, and the concept of returning to normalcy near death.

The Future of Healthcare: What Medical Professionals Can Expect From Wearables

Today when a patient visits their doctor’s office, the information gathered is only a window into that patient’s overall health. It’s what’s happening that day, in that precise moment. 

Nicole Stout, DPT, Vice President Medical Affairs at Zansors says that health is what happens between doctor’s appointments. It’s the life and lifestyle a person leads every day, and it’s constantly changing and evolving.

So how do patients and providers bridge the information gap between visits? Medical-grade wearable sensors and apps will be game-changing for medical providers. In fact, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a reputable peer-reviewed medical journal, just published a column on Zansors’ work with University of Michigan on a wearable device that detects sleep apnea.

“I’ve sometimes been asked by healthcare providers, ‘Do you think technology is going to replace me as a healthcare provider?’ And my answer is that the technology may not replace you, but a healthcare provider who knows how to use technology in more sophisticated and efficient ways—that might be who replaces you,” said Stout.

This is a possible future, but Stout also acknowledges that we’re not there quite yet. Physicians need to rely on valid information, and they need real-time objective data. It’s hard to get that right now for many of the wearable products and apps that are out on the market. The good news is, companies like Zansors are working on medical-grade, evidence-based sensors and apps.

Zansors collaborates with medical researchers, clinicians and biostatisticians to identify and treat real health problems. By leveraging wearable and mobile health technology, Zansors is giving patients the tools to capture, monitor, and track their personal health analytics on a day-to-day basis.

“We want to be able to take that information and data and pass it on to your care team, so that you can work with them in a different way to make better decisions about your health,” said Stout.

By bringing clinical science data collection into the home, patients can control how information is collected, decide how to share it, and learn from it so you can make changes on a personal level.

In the future, Zansors anticipate providers will reshape how they utilize data from wearables and apps. 

“They’re going to be able to rely on the data that they get from Zansors products in a different way,” said Stout. “That’s going to become an enabler for them to change their practice and deliver more tailored, personalized medicine to an individual.”

For more, watch Nicole Stout, DPT, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Zansors:

Sweating Drinks and Staying on Top of It

The National Institute of Health (NIH) and its National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recently awarded Zansors a NIH Phase I Small Technology Transfer (STTR) award under NIAAA’s Alcohol Biosensors program. 

Zansors partnered with Associate Professor Zhenyu Li’s lab at George Washington University to develop a sensor that could detect blood alcohol from sweat. Yes, sweat. Imagine going out for drinks, slapping on a sweat sensor patch, and being able to quietly check how you’re doing on your smartphone. No one need know, and you get to stay safe on the drive home.

We were able to show a proof-of-concept of this idea through this NIH-NIAAA award. We gathered evidence through clinical studies to show that this can be, with further development, an accurate and reliable way to monitor blood alcohol.  This is really exciting for Zansors, since the data and evidence pointed a way forward to success.

Zansors has, as a company, embraced the need to create evidence-based tools to help you know yourself. What this means for you is that you can use Zansors products knowing they are accurate and reliable and backed up with scientific studies and data. So look forward to more developments in this discreet blood alcohol monitoring tool in the coming months.

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R41AA024648. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Zansors Takes You Behind-the-Scenes with Discovery

Discovery Channel is all about science and being on the cutting edge of what’s next. So, we’re pretty excited that they featured us in a recent segment on on-demand health and the future of wearable tech.

The segment

Nicole Stout, DPT, CLT-LANA, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Zansors, talked about the future of wearable tech.

Wearable technology in health is going to change the way we deliver care. Soon, doctors will be able to know how patients are doing even between visits.

Of course, these tools are only powerful if they undergo the rigorous evaluation you’d expect in any clinical study. That’s why we partner with academic institutions to test our tools against the current clinical gold-standard.

Watch the segment here:

http://www.discovery.com/changing-how-we-live/#wearable-tech-healthcare-advancements-within-reach

Of course, not everything makes the cut for a short segment. We could go on forever about the importance of developing clinically valid devices that change patients’ lives. Right now, Zansors is working on building sensors and apps that are medical-grade. That includes monitoring for sleep apnea, as shown in the segment, but also capturing a variety of bio-signals that will include everything from sensing sweat to monitoring heart rate, breathing and more.  

The shoot

What’s it look like behind the scenes with Discovery?  Here’s a peek at the process and the Discovery production team on-location at Zansors’ offices.
 

Shoot prep with the Discovery production team

The demonstration of monitoring in the sleep lab at Sleep Centers of Northern Virginia   Dr. Richard Hoffman opened up his space to us to capture the way sleep studies are conducted, and Sara showed us the process.

Nicole “One Take” Stout, DPT, settles into the spotlight at Make Offices in Clarendon - Zansors Headquarters. Special thanks to our home-base for helping us keep quiet on set!

A rare look at the minds behind Zansors

What else is new with Zansors since then?  Check out our recent patent announcement, plus an update on Zansors over the past few months by our own Kashyap Purani.