FEATURE u Medical Equipment & Devices
Henkel partners with medical technology company Smartz for smart adult-care solutions
H
enkel has signed a joint marketing and development agreement with Smartz over digital health products
based on printed electronics. The products will use Henkel´s conductive inks with Smartz’s adult-care Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, to create smart hygiene products that can sense when a wearer needs to be changed or moved, supporting and unburdening medical personnel. With an ageing population and increasing demands for adult care, such solutions provide an effective way to offer improved performance that simplifies the tasks of caregivers. At the same time, it provides dependent people with a less intrusive service and further protection. For Henkel, this supports its growth strategy for the smart solutions and data-driven services market.
SMART SOLUTIONS By offering a full smart adult care solution, conventional incontinence products, such as adult diapers, can be transformed into smart, connected hygiene products. Smartz’s special pod sensor design is a clip-on, reusable device that works in tandem with a sensing interface, which can be integrated within a layer of the diaper. Using conductive inks from Henkel, the sensing material can be printed into the material for the incontinence product at the time of manufacture. This market-ready material is non-invasive and safe for skin contact, and allows the sensors to communicate wirelessly with the caregiver´s software dashboard. Manufacturers can integrate this added functionality to conventional hygiene products within the existing manufacturing infrastructure. Yet, it helps healthcare or care providers to quickly realise cost savings by avoiding unnecessary checking and product changes. This also helps to avoid additional inconvenience or even distress that individuals may experience when action is taken needlessly or when it is delayed. This is especially true for patients unable to communicate their needs. Timely changes and regular repositioning support the prevention of dermatitis, bed sores and urinary tract infections, which are often associated with incontinence patients. The wearer’s status is
24 June 2021 Irish Manufacturing
sent wirelessly to the Smartz app, where it can be monitored via a dashboard of health and wellness metrics, or passed to existing monitoring and call systems to keep all relevant information in one place. All data is securely encrypted to comply with relevant privacy legislation. “We believe in the power of data in the context of medicine. At Smartz we have a decade of experience in building a robust, yet flexible platform to fully realise this vision,” says Michael Spooner, CEO, Smartz. “With Henkel we have found a partner that complements our technology with the target market experience and network, as well as outstanding printed electronics expertise.” Smart solutions as well as data-driven
services for different segments, such as health, but also living, industry and mobility, play an increasingly important role in the company’s portfolio. Henkel is taking steps to increase this role even further in the future.
TURNKEY SOLUTION By creating an integrated platform, Henkel and Smartz are providing manufacturers of hygiene products with a scaleable solution that can be customised to suit the branding and user requirements of their customers. The first commercial product targets the adult care market, with features
Smart adult care solutions unburden both care givers and patients.
including moisture sensing, patient position, environment temperature and fall detection. The software also allows for individual goal setting per patient, such as alarms for caregivers to reposition to help prevent bed sores and additional incontinence-related side effects.
The solution is seamlessly integrated into existing diaper designs without additional expenditure. Furthermore, the turnkey solution ensures that concept, prototyping, calibration and field tests can be rapidly completed within six months. Manufacturers have the access to both partners’ expertise while being able to source the full solution from a single point of contact. In addition to a joint marketing agreement,
the parties have entered into a joint development agreement to support the development of additional features and commercial products in the future extending into adjacent markets like baby care, and more.
Henkel
www.henkel.com
www.irish-manufacturing.com
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