EarlySense, a contact-free, health sensing and analytics company, and Herman Miller-Nemschoff, a healthcare furniture company, have announced a comarketing partnership that will allow customers to acquire Herman Miller chairs preenabled to accept EarlySense contact-free sensor-based monitoring. Once enabled, the chairs will allow caregivers the ability to monitor patient’s heart and respiratory rates, status in the chair (in or out), and motion for things like a chair exit alert.

Several different chair models will reportedly be available to accept the EarlySense technology. Once embedded, the monitoring technology is virtually invisible, according to the companies. Early user feedback suggests that the monitoring-enabled chairs will be particularly useful in facilities where therapy is delivered, such as infusion therapy centers and dialysis treatment areas.

“EarlySense is very excited about this comarketing agreement with Herman Miller-Nemschoff to enhance the ability of caregivers to monitor patients continuously in a noncontact manner, while patients are receiving critical therapy,” said Tim O’Malley, president of EarlySense. O’Malley noted that there is growing evidence regarding how continuous, non-contact monitoring can help avoid adverse events. He reported that the company believes that expanding into clinical environments where monitoring has not historically been possible due to technological limitations will continue to build evidence around the benefit of combined technology on patient care and outcomes.

EarlySense recently showcased its contact-free continuous patient monitoring technology at the Healthcare Design Expo & Conference in Washington, DC.