According to MyScience, The University of Waterloo’s Engineering researchers are working on a wearable medical device that fits on a finger. Their ring would have an antenna that would be small and flexible enough to form around a person’s finger without discomfort and be able to collect and transmit health data over time.

While wearable technologies are not a new concept, the researchers are looking to keep the device for medical use, meaning the connectivity frequency used would have to be protected. They go into more detail in their report on IEEE: “A Miniaturized Wearable Finger-Ring Antenna for Medical Sensing at 2.45 GHz ISM Band”.

As with most devices, battery life is a constant concern with wearables, and it is unclear if the researchers have reached that phase of development. Considering that wearables for collecting health information should have a battery robust enough to ensure the wearer complies in wearing the device as needed.

The new Samsung Galaxy Ring, slated for a potential release in July 2024, claims to be able to track sleep cycles, heart and respiratory rates, even monthly cycles (Forbes). If the University of Waterloo researchers hope to get their device out of the lab and onto patient’s fingers, they’ll have to consider a lot more than just the hardware involved.