FDA Approves $249 Smartwatch That Detects Seizures

Empatica’s Embrace smartwatch isn’t like other wearable devices. Sure, it can tell you what time it is and analyze your sleep patterns, but it can also do something that almost every other smartwatch can’t. The Embrace is capable of sending the user an alert if it thinks that their body might be going into a seizure. The FDA has approved this $249 smartwatch which means it can now be sold to the public.

Embrace relies on artificial intelligence to detect for signals indicating the possibility of the user’s body going into a “grand mal” seizure. If it detects one is coming, it will send an alert to a designated family member or caregiver. Grand mal seizures are generally associated with epilepsy and are characterized by severe convulsions and a loss of consciousness, they can last up to three minutes.

This smartwatch actually went on sale in Europe back in April last year but it was held up for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which has finally given it the nod, allowing the company to sell this $249 smartwatch in the United States.

Those who are interested in buying one can now head over to Empatica’s website to purchase the Embrace smartwatch for $249. They should keep in mind that it requires a $9.90 subscription and in order to receive seizure alerts, customers in the United States also have to be enrolled in the company’s clinical trials.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Gadgets, Medical
Tags: Smartwatches