On April 1, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an innovative and pioneering contactless multi-parameter measurement system for heart and respiratory rate.

The system stems from research conducted by a research group from the University of Valencia’s Department of Optics, named Opto-Electronic Processing Image Group (GPOEI), led by Dr Javier García Monreal. Together with a research group from the Bar-Ilan University (UBI) in Israel, led by Dr Zeev Zalevsky, they developed a device in 2007 that can identify sound and vibrations at a distance with high accuracy.

This research was protected by a patent between both institutions under the name “Motion detection System and method”. The patent led to a family of derived patents, some of which focus on remotely estimating blood glucose concentration and monitoring intra-ocular pressure.

In 2015, the company ContinUse Biometrics Ltd (CU-BX), which has Dr Zeev Zalevsky as one of its founding partners and Dr Javier Garcia Monreal as a scientific advisor, acquired the exploitation rights of this technology. Five years later CU-BX started the parent company Donisi Health, which focuses on digital health and bases its business in the application of optical systems, algorithms and artificial intelligence that can detect health changes. FDA approval has been one of its most recent successes.

This success story shows that R&D opens the door to breakthroughs and innovations that not only boost the economy, but also help solve social challenges, especially in the current climate. That is why the University of Valencia highlights the importance of knowledge transfer from universities, through patent licences or founding spin-off companies, as a factor that has a direct impact on society.