HMicro, STMicroelectronics Offer Wearable Wireless Biosensor Platform

HMicro, Inc., a wireless solutions developer of innovative products engineered to address the requirements of wireless peripherals and complex biosensor applications, and STMicroelectronics launched their cooperation to create the industry’s first single-chip solution for clinical-grade, single-use disposable smart patches and biosensors. The product, HC1100, targets the 5 billion wired wearable sensors, such as those for vital-sign monitors and electrocardiogram leads, utilized annually. 
 
The HC1100 chip is based on the WiPoint technology and a purpose-built silicon platform jointly created by HMicro and ST. HC1100, the first product based on WiPoint, embeds three ultra-low-power radios for Wi-Fi, Ultra-wideband, and Medical Band (MBAN), multiple sensor interfaces, an ARM Cortex M0 application processor, 352kB of RAM, and power-management circuits on a single chip.
 
The dual-core ARM Cortex M0 architecture leverages ST ultra-low-power design technology and wireless-connectivity IP to ensure long worry-free operation. The multi-sensor interfaces support monitoring of heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and respiration, as well as the capability to interface to MEMS microphones and motion MEMS sensors that could be used to monitor and detect patient behavior via activity recognition.
 
The WiPoint technology and the HC1100 employing it are the first results of the close cooperation between HMicro and ST. The companies’ next step is the deployment of this technology platform for other high-volume clinical and industrial IoT applications.
 
“Disrupting the current wired protocols of multi-monitor use is where we believe the IoT can be most effective in the medical and industrial settings,” said Surendar Magar, CEO and co-founder of HMicro, Inc.
 
The HC1100 is already in high-volume production and is available from HMicro.