Biorithm pioneers next-generation maternity care with remote monitoring technology

• Biorithm is empowering expectant women with a first-of-its-kind connected care solution that can provide personalised insights into maternal health and detect pregnancy complications early on

• Zühlke works closely with Biorithm to future-proof the application, ensuring its scalability in a high-traffic hospital environment

• Zühlke plays an active role as a trusted technology advisor with deep expertise in Software-as-a-Medical-Device (SaMD), accelerating Biorithm’s product roadmap and time to market

Revolutionising maternity care with connected technology

Every day, complications from childbirth claim the lives of 800 women globally. Early prenatal care is key to detecting and preventing pregnancy complications, but such support is often inaccessible or unaffordable for patients.

Biorithm is a Singapore-based medtech start-up blazing a trail for new standards of prenatal care. Spun off from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, Biorithm aims to end preventable pregnancy complications through its comprehensive connected care solution.

Dubbed femom, this first-of-its-kind technology enables clinicians to remotely monitor the health of mother and baby through a wearable foetal monitor. The monitor records key bio-signals such as foetal heart rate and uterine contraction, drawing on predictive analytics to turn the data collected into advanced clinical insights.

Healthcare providers can access these personalised insights through a proprietary web and mobile app, empowering them to identify pregnancy risks early and deliver a more effective prenatal care experience.

Given its potential to revolutionise maternity care, femom rapidly drew interest from healthcare institutions across different countries. As Biorithm prepared to bring its product to market, they needed to ensure their software architecture was ready to scale and handle large numbers of users in the hospital context. The ability to scale would make or break the commercial viability of their solution.

To accelerate their time to value, Biorithm brought in Zühlke as a strategic partner with deep expertise in medical device innovation. Zühlke’s experience in Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) development was just what Biorithm needed to scale and future-proof its product while ensuring that their software architecture is compliant with complex regulatory requirements in new markets.  
 

Optimising for scalability and security

To understand the current state of the femom app, Zühlke performed a comprehensive architecture assessment on Biorithm’s source code. This included a review of their system availability and scalability, evaluating the app’s readiness to meet a huge uptick in patient demand.

Cybersecurity was another key concern for the femom app given the sensitivity of patients’ medical data. Zühlke conducted a thorough security review of the system’s data, codes, and APIs, testing them against OWASP application security standards, hardening the system’s resilience against potential cyber threats and ensuring compliance to industry security best practices.

To accelerate and streamline the development process, Zühlke then built a CI/CD pipeline and implemented full test automation to support both the iOS and Android versions of the app, resulting in significantly reduced time-to-market for app updates and ensuring consistent quality across different platforms.

Finally, Zühlke conducted a usability audit of the femom app in close collaboration with Biorithm’s product team. Through in-person workshops, Zühlke identified various pain points and new requirements requested by app users. The team then proposed recommendations to enhance the app’s usability and accessibility.
 

With Zühlke’s support, Biorithm was able to build a highly scalable and commercially viable app that is well-positioned to succeed in healthcare ecosystems of the future. 

The CI/CD pipeline implemented by the team, along with the app’s enhanced architecture, has helped ensure that femom meets the highest standards of quality, reliability, and safety required for patient care and regulatory compliance. The new pipeline allows for scalability and reliability, enabling Biorithm’s team to handle larger healthcare projects and take on increased workloads with ease. 

Overall, the implementation of automation has been advantageous for Biorithm’s in-house product and development team, allowing them to quickly identify and resolve issues in the development process. 

Having completed clinical trials with healthcare institutions in Singapore and the United Kingdom, Biorithm now plans to expand its clinical trials to other key markets. The start-up has also recently secured USD 3.5 million in Series A funding to advance its maternal care vision worldwide. 

The femom app is set to be a game-changer for enhanced maternal care around the world – paving the way to a future where every expectant mother can have access to proactive, personalised medical support throughout her journey.

Looking to create medtech solutions that deliver impact at scale? Zühlke’s interdisciplinary experts can help you navigate complexities and find the most efficient route to product launch. Learn more about Zühlke’s healthcare and medical device services here.