Series : 5 digital health trends you'll see in 2015 (1)

Source : StartUp Health

1. Wearables for the ear

 "devices worn on the ear can conduct completely unobtrusive, passive monitoring"

Tired of clip-on trackers and bracelets? Your next wearable device just might be hooked around your ear.

"Due to the proximity to the temporal artery, devices worn on the ear can conduct completely unobtrusive, passive monitoringand offer far more precise measurements," says Dr. Vahram Mouradian, founder and CTO of Sensogram Technologies. "Moreover, they can deliver a wealth of wellness information, including real time blood pressure, respiration rate and oxygen saturation, in addition to the typical readings of heart rate or steps taken."

We've already seen a few of companies introduce ear buds with basic health monitoring, such as IriverOn and FreeWavz. Watch for increasing sophistication in ear-based devices over the coming year.

For example, Sensogram's SensoTRACK — slated for general availability in March 2015 — is an elegantly designed device that fits snugly on your ear, where it measures heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and respiration rate. It also counts steps and calories burned, while sensing your speed, activity level, geolocation, altitude, body posture and pace.

Also keep an eye out for BitBite, the first ear-based device that automatically tracks your eating habits and helps you improve them with real-time dietary advice. The BitBite device fits comfortably in your ear and learns when, where and how you eat. It then analyzes this data and gently nudges you to make adjustments, such as slowing down your eating pace or drinking more water. BitBite doles out its advice either by "whispering" in your ear or by alerting you through the BitBite smartphone app.

BitBite just launched its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign on November 11, with general availability expected in Q2 of 2015.