635 - Vital Signs Monitoring Reimagined: Predictive, Not Detective, and Ahead of the Alarm

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Andy Hurt, Head of Strategic Accounts at Ericom, and Sam Yang, Co-founder and CEO at Xandar Kardian.The discussion focuses on contactless, continuous vital signs monitoring using impulse ultra-wideband radar technology, exploring how this approach differs from traditional wearables, cameras, and threshold-based alarm systems.The conversation covers practical applications in health and aged care, palliative care, mental health, and correctional settings, along with regulatory considerations such as FDA and TGA clearance.Andy and Sam discuss data-driven care models, the role of individualised patient baselines, and how longitudinal data can reveal deterioration days before it becomes clinically apparent.They also touch on the cost and system-wide benefits of early detection, the importance of integrating this technology into existing clinical workflows, and its emerging potential in low-resource and global health settings.Throughout, the episode highlights the impact of predictive baseline data on prioritising clinical resources and improving patient outcomes.Key Takeaways🔎 Contactless radar-based monitoring addresses privacy and compliance issues found with cameras and wearables🩺 Continuous monitoring provides longitudinal health data to inform clinical workflows and early intervention💡 The technology assists rather than replaces clinicians, supporting prioritisation and proactive care🌏 Regulatory approvals in multiple countries, including FDA (US) and TGA (Australia), underpin adoption🚑 Early detection reduces hospital admissions, ambulance use, and overall costs, with use cases in remote and resource-limited environmentsTimestamps02:31 - Radar-based, contactless health monitoring explained07:02 - Clinical and aged care use cases11:06 - Early intervention and POBC method13:00 - Regulatory pathways and global expansion14:50 - Impact on healthcare system and cost savings18:51 - Handling alarm fatigue and baseline deviations22:34 - Integration into health facility workflows25:15 - Broader global and low-resource applicationsCheck out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.If you’re enjoying the show and want access to exclusive healthtech discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealth.tech/solo_shownotes.And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.Mentioned in this episode:Join THT+ Solo to connect with other people working in or moving into digital health through members-only events, deeper content and the Talking HealthTech community hub: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus.