If you’re wondering where the Kanata North tech park has been making recent headway, the smart health technology sector is certainly a place to look.
Most recently, Kanata North accelerator L-SPARK recently partnered with digital health provider Calian to launch a new program to help healthcare companies grow and bring their innovative health software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions — allowing users to connect to and use cloud-based apps over the Internet — to market by integrating them with the Calian digital health platform.
“The healthcare industry is moving away from the closed, siloed systems of the past to a more open, interconnected ecosystem,” said Sacha Gera, president, IT and cyber solutions at Calian.
“We’re excited to partner with these innovative Canadian companies to solve problems for our customers and increase the pace of digital transformation.”
Kanata North has seen a number of companies making waves in the industry within the past few years. In 2020, more than 1,600 senior care homes adopted healthcare IT company Cliniconex’s automated messaging technology to streamline communication between staff, residents and family, resulting in one million hours of saved staff time.
And, just recently, California-based Semtech Corporation — a leading supplier of circuits used in computing and communications with a presence in Kanata North — announced a partnership with international hygiene group Ontex to develop an Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled diaper tag for seniors. Though Ontex developed and already owns the smart, sensor-filled diaper concept (dubbed Orizon), it’s Semtech’s existing patents that brought their vision to fruition.
Two of Semtech’s networking devices — the LoRa and LoRaWAN, both especially small and energy-efficient — connect the diapers to caregivers’ phones, alerting them via an app when a pad needs to be changed, and can also accurately determine its saturation.
“Improving the quality of life of patients was a key goal in developing the Orizon smart diaper tag and the reason why we choose to utilize LoRaWAN for the solution,” said Annick De Poorter, executive vice president, innovation and sustainability at Ontex.
“Caregivers and patients need the flexibility to move around distances in which LoRaWAN was able to securely provide coverage.”
Ontex and Semtech’s diaper tags come at a lucrative time for the global smart hospital market. According to Statista, the sector is expected to reach a value of $84 billion USD by 2026, with products to increase the quality of care provided outside of hospitals playing a key role in this growth.
“The Orizon smart diaper tag is a strong example of how LoRaWAN is making the world a better and smarter place to live through the improved patient experience,” said Marc Pégulu, vice-president of IoT product marketing and strategy for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group.
“Health and safety should never be overlooked.”