Among the more than 3,500 booths at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, only a few focus exclusively on women's health, including a cervical cancer screening device and a wristband to anticipate hot flushes.
South Korea's Aidot presented Cerviray AI, which enables remote screening for uterine cancer with the help of artificial intelligence.
According to the World Health Organization, it is the fourth most common cancer in women with around 570,000 new cases and around 311,000 deaths reported worldwide in 2018.
Yet uterine cancer is one of the easiest forms of cancer to prevent and treat, if detected early enough and treated effectively.
But if the diagnosis is made too late, the outcome is usually fatal.
Aidot hopes to boost screening worldwide with its device, based on a technique known as "VIA" — for visual inspection with acetic acid — described as "simpler, faster and less expensive" than the usual tests, such as the pap smear.
The test "is conducted by a specialist with the naked eye," the company said, underlining that the result is immediate, whereas lab tests require several days or even weeks.
The Cerviray AI, developed in collaboration with gynecologists and South Korean hospitals, also offers the possibility of telemedicine, which could be useful in developing countries, where medical infrastructures are often deficient.
Cooling Mattress
"I’ve seen a little more about babies and women' health, but 70 percent of what you see is targeted at men," said analyst Carolina Milanesi of Creative Strategies.
This should change soon: "The women's digital health industry is forecasted to reach $1.2 trillion by 2027," said Jessica Boothe, Director of Market Research at the Consumer Technology Association.
"This area is ripe for the technology industry."
US company Amira Health is one of the pioneers. It focuses on the menopause, a period in a woman's life that can sometimes lead to significant discomfort, such as hot flashes.
Amira has designed the Terra System, which "predicts and preemptively counteracts hot flashes" during the night, allowing women a better night's sleep with a cooling mattress.
Terra, which works with a sensor-equipped wristband, tracks biometric data that is analyzed by artificial intelligence that establishes the body's natural rhythms and anticipates the onset of hot flashes.
At night, "within seconds of a hot flash being detected, the cooling mattress pad cools down...almost instantly — ensuring you experience shorter, less disruptive episodes for a more restful sleep," the company explained.
The device is due to go on sale in March, for $525.
Well-Being Ring
The Evie ring from Movano Health also aims to ensure day-to-day well-being by establishing, again thanks to AI, the biological conditions in which quality of life is best achieved and then helping its owner maintain it.
Evie does not form a complete ring "to accommodate the swelling of the finger during periods for example," Movano's marketing manager Tyla Bucher told to AFP.
An app tracks data on sleep, activity, calories burned, mood, and other factors, which enables the AI to determine the right combination to be in top form.
The Evie ring is waterproof to a depth of one meter, comes in three finishes and sizes and costs $269.