HKSTP Incubatee Belun Technology Develops Real-Time Health Monitoring System in the Face of COVID-19

Dr. Lydia Leung, CEO of Belun Technology, displays the prototype of the Belun Ring Real-Time Monitor System and the monitoring interface for healthcare personnel.

(Hong Kong, 12 May 2020) – Belun Technology Company Limited (Belun Technology), an incubatee of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), has successfully developed the Belun Ring Real-time Monitoring System, which remotely monitors body temperature, pulse, and blood oxygen level in real-time to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The system would relieve the pressure on local frontline healthcare professionals and systems and is currently being tested by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority as well as some hospitals in the United States, for approved use in hospitals or quarantine sites.

Under HKSTP’s Incu-Bio Programme, Belun Technology had previously developed Belun™ Ring, a medical-grade wearable device to assess sleep apnea risk and overall sleep health. Being the first medical-grade wearable device in the world, Belun™ Ring has already obtained certification from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while also winning the Hong Kong Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Grand Award in 2018 and international recognition with a Red Dot Design award in Germany.

As travel and entry restrictions begin to be relaxed across Hong Kong and other countries, it becomes even more critical to improve the capability for ongoing monitoring and testing for new COVID-19 infections to prevent new waves of community or imported infections.

The Belun Ring Real-time Monitoring System uses Belun™ Ring as the core device and incorporates a “Hub”, which serves as a data transmitter connecting the Belun™ Ring device to a temperature probe under the armpit. The setup is simple and suitable for all adults. It allows users to move freely while providing health data in real-time to the cloud through a 4G network and then to the terminal monitoring centre which then monitors users’ physical condition for any changes.

According to a WHO report, blood oxygen level is an important indicator for the diagnosis of COVID-19. Adults and children with blood oxygen levels lower than 93% and 90% respectively who do not have the assistance of oxygen equipment are advised to seek medical attention immediately. The intelligent real-time monitoring system developed by Belun Technology accurately measures the blood oxygen level of the user, which specifically helps identify patients with asymptomatic infections, who otherwise would remain undetected using normal monitoring methods.

Compared with using single-use thermometers or other standard thermal imaging equipment, the Belun Ring Real-Time Monitor System allows healthcare personnel to assess in real-time the condition of patients in hospitals, people at home or individuals under quarantine, providing accurate 24/7 monitoring. When a user’s body temperature, blood oxygen level or pulse becomes abnormal, the intelligent real-time monitoring system will alert healthcare personnel to follow up immediately.

The system helps monitor existing COVID-19 patients and provides an optimal method to identify potential infections and helps prevent further spreading of the epidemic. In addition, the system can also be used in isolation wards to continuously monitor a patient’s dynamic physiological condition, effectively assisting healthcare personnel to accurately assess the patient's condition and make rapid treatment decisions. The remote monitoring function also helps minimize close-contact situations between front-line medical personnel and patients, further reducing the risk of infection.

“Once we discovered that blood oxygen level is an important indicator of COVID-19, we started to develop this intelligent system based on Belun™ Ring technology, hoping to use the technology to help contain and monitor the epidemic,” said Dr. Lydia Leung, CEO of Belun Technology. “We raced against time and completed the prototype within just two weeks. This technology product is developed and produced locally. We look forward to seeing the product in use in Hong Kong and overseas soon.”

Many people in Hong Kong are concerned with cases where patients have positive tests even after recovering from earlier COVID-19 infections. This intelligent real-time monitoring system can also help healthcare personnel closely monitor the health conditions of recovered patients remotely and efficiently. Currently, Belun Technology is constantly working to improve the system based on the latest test results and is soon expected to start mass production for local and overseas use.