Baby Monitor Grabs Attention Of Medical Care Centers In Fight Against COVID-19
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - In her Minneapolis home, KDWB morning radio personality Falen Bonsett had the typical new parent concerns.
"I remember her crying and looking at her and thinking what if she stops breathing and at night being stressed and do the look over and check on her," she said.
But Falen and her husband have some high tech peace of mind. That's because of a device that is now staring down into their daughter Olive's crib. It is called, Miku, a wireless camera that never blinks but does so much more.
With the help of a computer processor, the camera also monitors a baby's breathing in real time.
By using the Miku smartphone App, she can see the video image while also observe a respiration waveform. Just a couple of the modalities measured by the device's multiple sensor design.
"If something were to happen I'd get an alert," said Falen.
The high tech monitors are sold by major retailers and online. The company's co-founder, Colt Seman, said "every time they get in, we sell out."
Seman and his partner, Eric White, discovered a few months ago that their baby monitor could also help medical care centers in the fight to control Covid-19.
"Since our device is contactless and measures real time breathing, with high accuracy to see breathing patterns, we started to get a lot of hospitals reaching out," said Seman.
Suddenly, medical centers from New York to California are finding Miku a cost-effective way to communicate with patients and monitor a patient's breathing.
And because it is completely wireless, it helps further limit staff interaction with patients, protecting both from possible exposure to the deadly virus.
"Elderly care facilities and any other facility was looking for any kind of equipment that could help them." said Seman.
They found it in a product designed to help young parents.
"My mom said, I wish they had that when you were a baby," said Falen.
A baby monitor that is bringing yet another high tech tool in the fight against Covid.