The WT | Wearable Technologies 2015 Market Assessment on Smart Patches
WT | Wearable Technologies has assessed the current status of the Smart Patches market. WT has analyzed the product development of 40 pioneering wireless wearable patch companies. The conclusion of this assessment has led to the development of a progressive visual that categorizes individual patches by function and technology. 2014 recorded nearly 70,000 wearable patch shipments within the United States. The price for these patches ranges from less than $10 to over $500. Not all of the pioneering companies are global distributors yet; however their technology and application will influence the future of personal awareness to wellness with wearable technology. WT | Wearable Technologies predicts the smart patch market to compromise 30% of the overall healthcare, sports and fitness wearable market. By 2020 the global smart patch market will be worth $4.4 billion in sales.
WT | Wearable Technologies has divided the smart patch market into three trending categories: transdermal transmission, monitoring and electronic stimulation. You can see in the visual below that the majority of companies are creating monitoring patches. Nonetheless there are many open opportunities for new products. For example there is still no “intelligent” patch, which would encompass the entire ability of all three categories.
[quote author=”Christian Stammel”]The champion products within the future market of wearable technologies will not be the wrist worn devices, it will be a product category that is not on everyone’s radar yet – Smart Patches. They will represent 30% of the wearable technologies market by 2020.[/quote]
The table below features 40 wearable patch companies with their product name, desciption, price, certification approval and market availability. The price of the individual patch is not always available, mainly because some insurance companies cover the majority of the cost. As well, monitoring patches that are designed to increase wellness do not need to have FDA approval. Not all of these companies are global sellers, thus explaining why some products no not have CE or FDA approval.
| Company | Product | Description | Price |
Approval
CE | FDA |
Available? |
 |
FreeStyle Libre | Small round sensor- worn on the upper arm for a maximum of 14 days. Measures glucose every minute with a small filament held in place by the adhesive. Hold the reader near the patch to receive your glucose level. | $77 | Yes | 2016 | 2014 |
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Smoking therapy | Transfers nicotine into the system to help reduce smoking urges and pair with mobile app for bahavioral support. | Yes | 2017 | 2017 | |
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PAQ | 3 day insulin delivery with a micro-needle for people with type 2 diabetes. | Insurance | Yes | Yes | 2012 |
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CUR | TENS patch to relieve pain for 30min to 1 hour. | $499 | 2016 | 2016 | 2014 |
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e-Patch | Cardiac monitoring through 3 channels for 72 hours. | Yes | Yes | 2011 | |
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G5 Mobile | Continuous glucose monitoring with Bluetooth to send all data to your smart device. | Yes | Yes | 2015 | |
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dermoPatch | Cosmetic patch for rejuvenation and spot treatment. | Yes | No | 2014 | |
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AmpStrip | Cardiac monitoring, Respiration functions, and activity tracking. | No | NA | 2016 | |
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G-tech Patch | EKG for the Gut. Data collected is sent to a smart device for a physician to analyze for accurate diagnosis of gastrointestinal disorders. | No | Pending | 2017 | |
 |
Fever, Fitness, Skin Care, Pain-free Diabetes Monitoring, Drug Delivery Patch | 5 different NFC skin patches the monitor the body to improve wellness. The drug delivery patch can use a variety of medications; the smart phone acts as the controller. It is both battery-less and disposable. | No | NA | 2016 | |
 |
Penny Pad | Pain Reducing TENS and EMS patch. Reusable for up to 30 treatments. | Yes | Yes | 2011 | |
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Omnipod | Diabetes monitoring & insulin injection via a micro-needle. Can be worn continuously for 3 days. | $520 | No | Yes | 2010 |
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The Ionto | Serval different patches. One that monitors temperature, a second that stimulates rejuvenation of the skin for cosmetic purposes and lastly a golf monitoring patch for improved performance. | $2 | NA | NA | 2014 |
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The ZIO | Long-term continuous cardiac monitoring for patient management. | Yes | Yes | 2013 | |
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Patient Status Engine (PSE) | A complete platform that wirelessly captures, collects, and analyses patient physiological data in real-time. Can be used in hosptials and at home. | Yes | NA | 2012 | |
| KANGAURAD | Qpatch | Kanguard Qpatch is monitoring patch, the first in its class intelligent patch that is capable of instant detection of cardiac health condition, it also provides long term health development analysis for users. Qpatch is the first patch that provides dynamic blood pressure analysis for users. | Yes | Yes | 2016 | |
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ECHO H2 | Hydration, calorie, and endurance monitoring patch for athletes. | No | NA | 2016 | |
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Leaf Patient Sensor | Wireless patient monitoring for hospital care. | No | Yes | 2013 | |
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Magniware | A flexible patch that monitors and displays health data for an optimized life. | No | NA | 2015 | |
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Bio Stamp | A printed circuit that looks like a temporary tattoo in collaboration with Reebok. No battery, and is disposable. | No | Pending | 2016 | |
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SEEQ MCT System | Continuous cardiac monitoring for up to 30 days. | Yes | Yes | 2011 | |
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Sixpad | EMS technology for tone core muscles. | $300 | Yes | No | 2014 |
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Sugar BEAT | Glucose monitoring with reverse iontophoresis technology. | No | Pending | 2016 | |
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Energizing Eye Patch | Cosmeceutical ingredients that are transferred into the skin for youthful rejuvenation. | $60 | NA | NA | 2014 |
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Body Guardian | Cardiac monitoring for physicians to gain a deeper insight into their patients’ health records. | Yes | Yes | 2012 | |
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Proteus | Diabetes monitoring with a sensor patch and robotic smart pill. | Insurance | Yes | Yes | 2008 |
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Sensor | Golf patch to measure the activity of the golfers swings for better digital coaching. | $10 | NA | NA | 2017 |
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iThermonitor | 2 monitoring patches one is a temperature monitor for children and the second is a fertility tracker for women. | $80 | Yes | Yes | 2011 |
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BioPatch | Biometric sensor for recording ECG that captures atrial fibrillation. | NA | NA | 2016 | |
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Sensium Vitals | A monitoring patch that patients wear while in the hospital. | Insurance | Yes | Yes | 2012 |
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STEMP | Temperature recording patch for children and people who do not enjoy using thermometers. | $50 | Yes | Pending | 2015 |
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Smart Label | A thin flexible Temperature sensor sticker used for monitoring the distribution of goods. | < $10 | NA | NA | 2014 |
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Upright | Posture correction patch that is located on the lower back. Once the wearer begins to slouch, the patch will vibrate to remind the user to sit or stand straight. | $130 | NA | NA | 2015 |
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Valedo | Back patch that is used during training exercises. These exercises are given to the user in the form of a computer game. Using this patch will decrease back pain and improve back posture. | $299 | NA | NA | 2014 |
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HealthPatch MD | Bio Sensor for improving clinical-grade patient monitoring at home or the hospital. | Insurance | Yes | Yes | 2014 |
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Beauty Patch | A printed biobattery for innovative energy efficiency. The beauty patch is used for cosmetics improvements by releasing enzymes into the skin. | NA | NA | R&D Stages | |
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xPatch | A monitoring patch that is located behind the ear. It records head injuries and notifies the user if there is risk for a concussion. | NA | NA | 2012 | |
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EMS Lift Patch | EMS patch for diminishing wrinkles around the eyes. | NA | Yes | 2014 | |
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The Zansors | Personal sensors of health diagnostics over time. | NA | NA | 2014 |