The startup Oura is finalizing the details of its third-generation smart ring that has seven temperature sensors and a pulse sensor for oxygen. This device has a green LED light that tracks your heart rate in real time.
Harpreet Rai, CEO of Oura, explained to The Verge that this ring stands out for a peculiar function: the prediction of the menstrual period. According to Rai, this object analyzes temperature changes and its wearer’s comments to predict when it will have the period up to 30 days in advance .
It should be noted that body temperature varies during the menstrual cycle : before ovulation it increases and at the beginning of menstruation it decreases. This interest in menstruation and fertility is a factor with which the company wants to differentiate itself from others: ” It is an area little invested in wearables .”
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed digital birth control company Natural Cycles to use Oura’s smart ring. With their temperature monitoring , people can find out which days they are most likely to get pregnant.
In addition, according to a study conducted with researchers at the University of California, San Diego, this Oura ring can identify pregnancy nine days earlier than a pregnancy test through temperature changes . However, pregnancy prediction is not yet enabled on the device.
Another feature of the third generation smart ring is its ability to monitor blood oxygen. This feature will be available to Oura users in 2022 and Rai believes it will be useful, especially for athletes or for specific medical situations, such as sleep apnea.
“It does n’t necessarily mean we have to predict, diagnose and treat from day one,” Rai explains, “ but over time, this means we can potentially start saying, ‘hey, something’s wrong, you might want to go see a doctor ‘ . “
Likewise, Oura is considering the possibility of creating a membership plan for its app that would cost $ 5.99 per month. This way, those who upgrade their old ring to the new one will have a discount on hardware and a free membership forever.
