NU 2016-169
INVENTORS Nabil Alshurafa Aggelos Katsaggelos*
SHORT DESCRIPTION A device that can in real-time monitor the quantify of food intake
ABSTRACT The global market for wearable health and fitness devices is estimated to be at about $2 billion dollars with an ever increasing demand for new technologies and devices. Northwestern researchers have developed a new wearable device that can actively monitor food consumption by an individual and can reliably estimate its caloric content based on a novel methodology. In addition, the device can also estimate the caloric needs of an individual that is based on physical activity of the user and provides a personalized overview about the total caloric needs. While current fitness tracking devices require user intervention and can only estimate the calories burned by a user, this new technology resolves these limitations by combining a robust image processing algorithm with passive sensing of eating gestures by the user. The novel technology can be used in management of obesity as well as undernutrition. Further, the device may be further developed to alert users of potential food allergens. A prototype has already been developed, and initial testing reflects positive early results.
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ADVANTAGES
IP STATUS A US and PCT patent application have been filed.