Google X developed a new fitness wristband, plans to deploy it as a medical device

Every so often, Google officially comes out and tells the world about a project they’ve been working on inside Google X. In recent years we’ve heard about the glucose contact lens for diabetes patients, Google Glass, the self-driving car, and more. Now, Google has debuted (via Bloomberg), a new health-tracking wristband capable of monitoring heart rate, heart rhythm, skin temperature, and other useful information such as light exposure and noise levels…

Unfortunately for consumers, this isn’t a smartwatch. Google is being clear that, rather, this device is a health and activity tracker intended to have medical applications for patients and clinical trials.

“Our intended use is for this to become a medical device that’s prescribed to patients or used for clinical trials,” Andy Conrad, head of the life sciences team at Google told Bloomberg in a telephone interview. “I envision a day, in 20 or 30 years, where physicians give it to all patients,” he said. “Prevention means all the time.”

Andy Conrad says that Google is now pursuing regulatory clearance so that the company can use the device in the United States and Europe. Additionally, Google is planning to possibly pursue a manufacturing partner and plans to start testing the band over the summer.

Interestingly, this device actually surfaced at the FCC earlier this year. At the time, many believed it to be some future version of Google Glass thanks to the design of its FCC e-label, but other information surfaced shortly after suggesting that it was instead a “smartwatch-esque health and activity tracker codenamed ‘capicola’ designed for use in conjunction with internal Google Life Sciences studies.” It looks like this is the “CAP1” in the flesh.