Purdue invests $500K to boost PhysiQ in use of AI with wearable sensors

A new program at Purdue University aims to improve health outcomes by applying real-time physiological data from wearable sensors.

Researchers are using multiple-axis accelerometers, which are smart watches that measure patient movements such as standing, walking, walking speed, the gait and the patient lying down.

The project is funded via a $500,000 investment from Purdue Research foundation’s Foundry Investment Fund, used to advance medical technology and attract interest in Purdue-affiliated life sciences companies, which could include ties with Purdue’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.


A software product called PhysIQ, developed by Gary Conkright, a graduate in Purdue’s College of Engineering, gives providers tools to engage at-risk patients while also offering pharmaceutical companies data to demonstrate the effectiveness of their products using real-world data.

The Purdue investment is a show of confidence in the developing technology, Conkright says. “The foundation’s support will help us continue to lead the way in how healthcare is developed and delivered through FDA-cleared physiology analytics.” This form of analytics, he explains, deals with the functions and activities of living organisms.

Using physiology analytics and patient data supplemented with wearable devices that give 24x7 insights into a patient’s physiology, along with artificial intelligence, gives deep insights into the well-being of a patient, according to Conkright.

“We are all physiologically different, and data and AI can show how each of us is different, which can help providers move from practicing reactive healthcare, where a patient goes in the hospital, gets better and is discharged, to moving into proactive healthcare, in which patient-wearable devices can let clinicians know the present state of a patient at any time, enabling proactive care and personalized medicine.”