MTS, a leading Russian mobile operator and retailer, has announced plans to bring special, radio-enabled wrist straps to the Russian market by the end of this year. The electronic bracelets will help users obtain unaided health checkups and obtain professional medical advice remotely.
This telemedicine-supporting device, called ‘Opeka,’ has been designed by a private-public partnership of developers in Rostov-on-Don, South Russia, and is intended for customers in need of frequent medical checkups, including the elderly, workers at hazardous projects like nuclear power stations, and some other populations.
At the heart of the technology is MTS’ SIM chip, an integral part of the new system that is believed to have a triple service life compared to standard clip-on SIM cards and is able to work in an operating temperature range of minus 40 to plus 105 degrees Celsius.
The strap will read an array of data, including the wearer’s body temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure, blood glucose and oxygen levels and some other critical information, and is expected to use the SIM chip to transmit the data via a mobile network to a control center, which decides if a physician needs to get involved.
Under the terms of an agreement between MTS and Opeka’s key developer, Gradient Research Institute, the partners want to launch across-the-board sales of an inaugural production run of 25,000 straps “by the end of this year.” In addition to tapping medical and social security entities, marketing the new product through “some international medical centers” and MTS retail outlets is a likely option, MTS says.
Telemedicine is assumed to be a substantial M2M market driver in Russia. According to MTS, SIM card sales for such projects skyrocketed 80% in the first six months of 2012.
