The most important health tech of CES 2021

We've seen home healthcare devices at CES for years now, but they've probably never been more important than they are this year. The 2020 coronavirus pandemic forced us all to stay home for months and switch from seeing our doctors in person to telemedicine appointments. For doctors, being able to monitor their patients vitals from home wasn't just convenient, it was essential. 

At CES 2021, there are health tech devices for all sorts of medical concerns, from heart health and neurological disorders, to sleep and allergy relief.

At CES 2021, Fluo Labs debuted Flō, a device that stops your body from releasing histamines when pollen, dust and other allergens enter your body. Rather than popping an allergy pill, you insert Flō into your nostril and let it run for 10 seconds and repeat in the other nostril. 

Flō uses red and NIR (Near Infrared) light at a precise balance of wavelength, dosage, power and pulse structure to stop the release of histamines and reduce inflammation. The device is backed by years of research and has no known side effects.

The product is currently going through the FDA approval process to be sold over the counter and is slated to be available in late 2021. It'll cost $100.

HD Medical has managed to fit a seven-lead ECG, a temperature sensor, a pulse oximeter, microphones to record heart and lung sounds, a heart rate monitor and a blood pressure sensor into a device that's smaller than a GoPro camera and easy enough for anyone to use, whether they're savvy with technology or not.

It's called HealthyU and it's designed for remote patient monitoring for people with heart issues to keep tabs on their health every day and send that info to their doctors. Just simply hold the device to your chest and rest your thumb and forefingers on the front sensors to get an ECG reading, plus other vital signs.

HealthyU is seeking emergency use authorization from the FDA so that patients in the US can use it to monitor their heart health, so you won't be able to buy one just yet. HealthyU and devices like it are a big trend at CES 2021, in response to the growing need for home health care since the onset of the pandemic.

Omron is trying to make it easier than ever before to take your blood pressure at home and send that data to your doctor. The company's new Omron VitalSight kit comes with a blood pressure cuff, scale and a secure modem-equipped data hub that automatically uploads your blood pressure readings to your doctor.

Read more about Omron VitalSight.

Wesper (Formally Tatch) is bringing a sleep study into your own bedroom. It's a wireless wearable sensor that attaches to your stomach and chest to monitor your respiration rate, snoring and restfulness while you sleep. 

The sensors can tell what positions you sleep in, what percentage of the night you slept in those positions and how your sleep was impacted by those positions. For instance, if you fall asleep on your side, but wake up on your back, it'll tell you how long you slept on your side and if your sleep got better or worse when you switched to your back.

While it cannot yet detect if you have sleep apnea, the company says it is working on advanced versions of the sensors that can.

All of the data is gathered into a report that you can then share with a sleep specialist that Wesper connects you with. They can provide greater insight into your sleep habits and make suggestions to sleep better. 

You can sign up for Wesper's pilot program now and get two patches for $60.

Today's electric toothbrushes do far more than just clean your teeth -- they actually know how well you're brushing. At CES 2021, Philips launched the Sonicare Prestige 9900 toothbrush with sensors that detect how much pressure you apply while brushing, the movements you make with the brush and how well you actually clean each part of your mouth.

If you push a bit too hard while brushing (which can irritate your gums and make your teeth sensitive), the brush automatically adjusts the intensity of the vibrations to compensate.

And what smart toothbrush would be complete without an app? The Prestige syncs with the Sonicare app to give you real-time guidance as you brush.

You'll be able to buy the brush in April 2021, pricing is to be announced.

An electroencephalogram (or EEG) is used in doctor's offices and hospitals to detect electrical activity in your brain to diagnose all sorts of neurological disorders, such as epilepsy and dementia. 

iSyncWave brings that process home with a portable brain-mapping helmet that can detect early signs of Alzheimer's dementia and provides LED therapy for dementia, Parkinson's disease, PTSD, ADHD, depression and other neurological issues. 

Unlike traditional EEGs, which require adhesive electrode patches attached to your scalp or electrode helmets filled with gel, iSyncWave is supposed to just sit on top of your head and doesn't require gel. 

iSyncWave is still being developed, so it'll be a while before you can purchase this for yourself.

First there were Life Alert necklaces, then there was the Apple Watch and now, there's an overhead lamp that detects when you or a loved one falls and needs help. The Nobi lamp is full of sensors that know if you're lying in bed, sitting on the couch or have fallen down. 

If it detects a fall, the lamp will ask if you need assistance. If you don't reply, it will send alerts to family or caregivers and the two-way mic allows you to communicate with the person who needs help.

The lamp has more features than I have room to describe here, so check out all of the details of Nobi in our write up.