From RYAH Medtech Inc., the same company that developed a stat-tracking medical cannabis vaporizer, comes a wearable Smart Patch that will allow patients to control and track doses of medicine from their mobile phones.
According to a statement, the new information technology device is made of two parts: a disposable slow-release patch that can contain several plant-based or synthesized treatments, and a re-chargeable “brain” that controls the dosage via a smartphone app.
The company says it expects a pre-order launch in Q2 and a commercial release in Q3 2020.
Similar patches have been developed for patients with diabetes to control insulin doses, but RYAH device is one of the first to dose plant-based medicines.
Read more: Stat-tracking cannabis vaporizer passes key international safety tests
The patch works by gently heating the skin to increase the medicine absorption rate into the bloodstream, RYAH said. Then the data can be used by doctors, clinics and patients to track the effects of each use to learn which patches and dosing regimens are the most effective.
The patch will be eight millimetres thick and have a battery life of over 24 hours. RYAH also said the water-resistant device can be worn discreetly throughout the day in both the shower and the pool.
As an illegal substance, cannabis research has suffered under prohibition, which has left the medical community with a dearth of information on how to prescribe it.
RYAH’s head of product operations Jordan Medley said the patch’s data integration will help patients and doctors to get more predictable results from plant-based treatments.
“By incorporating a temperature controlled, Bluetooth-enabled “brain” into our patch, users can create a dosing schedule directly from their phone to increase or decrease their dose on demand, while also keeping track of which product and dose works best for them,” he said. “This dosing feedback, all of which is HIPAA-compliant to protect our users’ privacy, will give doctors and researchers the tools to help them unlock the secrets behind plant-based transdermal medicine and make smarter, more personalized dosing recommendations in the future.”
The smart patch brain is a one-time purchase and is anticipated to launch at a much lower price point than other delivery devices, which RYAH says will enable emerging market economies and lower income demographics new accessibility to its products.
RYAH is a private company, but said last year that it has plans to list on the Canadian Securities Exchange.
Top image of the Smart Patch courtesy of RYAH and PotBotics Inc.
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