94 Time November 30/December 7, 2020
BEST INVENTIONS 2020
MEDICAL CARE
A BEDSORE SOLUTION
Provizio SEM Scanner by Bruin Biometrics
Lying in bed for days or
weeks is deceptively
hard on the body. It
places pressure on the
skin and underlying
tissues, and can result
in injuries known as
bedsores. Every year,
these pressure wounds
cost the U.S. medical
system roughly
$10 billion and contribute
to complications like
infections that kill about
60,000 Americans.
The sores are also
preventable—and the
Provizio SEM Scanner
is all about stopping
them before they start.
Nurses hold the scanner
to a patient’s skin and
wait for feedback about
moisture levels below the
skin’s surface. The data
allows nurses to detect
a sore up to five days
earlier than they could
with visual detection,
when there’s still time
to stop it. The roughly
30 U.S. hospitals already
using the device report
treating up to 90% fewer
bedsores than before.
—JAMIE DUCHARMEEXPERIMENTAL
FUTURISTIC
FASHION
Vollebak Full Metal Jacket
Can a jacket fight a virus? The answer
might be yes— especially if it’s made
of copper, an element proven to kill
particles from viruses like influenza A
and bacteria like E. coli. The Full
Metal Jacket ($1,095), an innovative
garment recently released by
experimental clothing company
Vollebak, may offer a glimpse
into our sartorial future. About
65% of the lightweight jacket’s
total material is composed
of microscopic copper
fiber that, if laid out in
a straight line, would
cross 11 km (6.8 miles).
Although the Full
Metal Jacket isn’t
tested and wasn’t
intended for
defense against
the corona virus,
Vollebak
co-founder Steve
Tidball hopes it
will nonetheless
serve as inspiration
for a day when more
of our clothing is made
of materials that can also
protect us.
—JASON CIPRIANIFITNESS
THE ANYWHERE WORKOUT
Within Supernatural
This subscription-based VR fitness app takes your
workout beyond—way beyond—your four walls.
Supernatural was launched in April by Within, a
company specializing in immersive tech. Paired
with the Oculus Quest or Quest 2 VR headsets, it
transports users to places like the Gálapagos Islands,
or a volcano in Ethiopia, or the surface of Mars. With
the help of a virtual trainer, you strike down targets
with your arms and squat your body into triangles
on the screen, working up a fierce, but fun, sweat.
“I don’t know anyone who runs on a treadmill for
entertainment,” says Within co-founder and CEO
Chris Milk. “We want you to feel a sense of awe.”
A Supernatural subscription costs $19 per month
or $179 per year. —SEAN GREGORY