FDA Clears “Smart Thermometer” That Connects to Smart Phones

After a successful crowd-funding effort through indiegogo.com, from which it raised $52,000 last year, Kinsa Inc. has gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its new smart thermometer that connects to smart phones to provide a temperature reading. The company is currently taking pre-orders on its website at a $15 price point.

The device, which is being marketed as “the Kinsa,” is designed to connect to a smart phone either physically or wirelessly. The device is programmed to contribute to a real-time health map that tracks the spread of illness such as flu and strep throat. According to a report in MobiHealthNews last year, the app will supplement the data it generates with public third-party data, such as that from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, as well as other private sources.

When connected to a smart phone, the display screen shows graphics that are designed to be fun and attractive for children as well as adults. A video released by Kinsa shows how a smiling face icon indicates that the thermometer is in place, and if it slips out of place, a sad face appears.

Kinsa Smart Thermometer – Product Demo 2 from Kinsa on Vimeo.

“Over time, we’re going to be able to create a device that’s less expensive than the current non-connected analog,” Kinsa CEO Inder Singh told MobiHealthNews in April last year. “The thermometer is the first thing people use. The idea is with just a few simple additional tools, you can track your child’s history, communicate it with a doctor and it’s on you at all time, on your phone. We’ve designed this for parents and families first, because we know how hard it is to take care of a child.”

Other features Kinsa hopes to incorporate are the ability to locate nearby healthcare facilities and a one-touch nurse call button.