Medical device company Empatica said on Friday that it will supply its wearable plus algorithm for the early and presymptomatic detection of COVID-19 to the US Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) under a partnership between the parties.

According to the company, the aura algorithm delivers the risk indication of a person suffering from COVID-19 on a daily basis using physiological data read by its medical smartwatch, EmbracePlus. The focus is preventing outbreaks through early detection and warning. The wearable and algorithm will detect COVID-19 and alert individuals of the potential presence of an infection.

The USAMRDC project is divided into several phases and starts with the clinical validation of the the company's algorithm in healthy participants at risk of developing SARS-CoV-2. The approval will be submitted to the US FDA and the project will end in a virtual clinical trial with participants ready to test and validate the entire platform.

In addition, the company's EmbracePlus is a medical device in a smartwatch form factor, with highly sensitive sensors that measure heart rate, heart rate variability, temperature, respiratory rate and electrodermal activity. The device monitors a person's vital functions and sends application-internal warning messages in the event of patterns that indicate a COVID-19 infection, allowing self-isolation.