Ever thought about using tech for a better night's sleep? The Sleep Show might be for you. Courtesy of the Sleep Show

Tech has affected every aspect of our lives, from the way we get our groceries or order food to how we meet a mate. So, it only makes sense that there is developing technology focused on improving the way we sleep.

This weekend, the Sleep Show is taking over George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, and 28 sleep tech products are competing on Saturday, March 9, for the National Sleep Foundation's SleepTech Award. Here are 10 of the award's semi-finalists that aren't snoozing on innovation.

TimeShifter 

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

Jetlag is a thing of the past if you use TimeShifter before, during, and after your trip. You program your plans in the app, and it offers you advice and recommendations for overcoming jetlag.

SleepScore

Photo via sleepscore.com

Another free app, SleepScore delivers advice and analytics for your regular night's sleep. the program is backed by science and doesn't require the user to wear anything or put anything in their bed. A bedside monitor us also used to detect light or sound in the bedroom for better analytics.

Embr

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

Everybody has their own optimized sleeping temperature, and it's difficult to control it from a larger scale heating and cooling system. The Embr Wave, developed by MIT scientists, is a personal thermostat you wear on your wrist. There's no bright screen either, and users simply press and hold the device if they are too hot or too cold.

Biostrap

Photo via biostrap.com

Another wearable, Biostrap is a sleep and fitness tracker that can provide precise vitals — such as heartbeat — using a clinical-quality PPG sensor, which runs on light-based technology. The data can be used for sleep analysis, heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate.

Kryo Inc.'s ChiliPad

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

The ChiliPad is for sleepers who need to chill out. The blanket, which is the size of half of a queen bed — perfect for couples with different temperature needs — can regulate temperatures between 55 and 110 degrees.

Somnox

Courtesy of the Sleep Show

​Touted as the world's first sleep robot, the Somnox Sleep Robot is your high-tech cuddle buddy and little spoon. It syncs your breathing to that of the machine's and puts you straight into a relaxed state with soothing sounds. You can program your robot for a night's sleep, a quick nap, or just a relaxation period. You also tell the robot how long you want the sleep synchronization for, before it automatically shuts off.

BreatheSimple

Photo via breathesimple.com

Another breathing technology is BreatheSimple, a free app that helps train you to optimize your breathing. The app is currently available on iOS, and will soon be an option for Android users.

Nanit

Photo via nanit.com

Babies need sleep tech too, and Nanit as an over-the-crib monitor made to record, track, and offer guidance for parents on their baby's sleeping. The device was actually named by TIME Magazine as one of the "Best Inventions of 2018".

URGONight

Photo via urgonight.com

You can train yourself to be a better sleeper with URGONight. The headpiece syncs with a mobile app and, in about three months, you'll be a professional sleeper.

SonicTonic

Photo via sonictonic.io

Sounds are so important to humans' ability to relax. SonicTonic aims to help users truly relax their minds for a good night's rest and treat anxiety, depression, phobias, and more.


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Houston researchers report promising first in-human trial for implantable cancer therapy

cancer breakthrough

When it comes to cancer remedies, the treatment can be as challenging for the body as its cause. But what if immunotherapy could be localized? That’s precisely what a Houston team may soon make a reality.

Rice University researchers, in partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center, recently published their findings from the first in-human trial of an implantable cancer-fighting treatment in the journal Clinical Cancer Research. The paper details testing of AVB-001, encapsulated cells engineered to release interleukin-2 (IL-2)—a naturally occurring signaling protein that boosts immunity—in the peritoneal cavities of 14 patients. The goal is to avoid the toxicity usually experienced with less targeted treatments, as well as find a solution to IL-2s’ abbreviated half-lives.

“Traditional IL-2 therapy has shown potent antitumor activity, but its clinical use has been limited by severe side effects and delivery challenges,” Omid Veiseh, director of the Rice Biotech Launch Pad, professor of bioengineering at Rice and a senior author on the study, said in a press release. “This platform allows us to localize and sustain cytokine exposure directly where tumors reside while minimizing systemic toxicity.”

Serous ovarian carcinoma is especially well-suited to the use of AVB-001 because it tends to spread throughout the abdomen. After a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure, patients implanted with the cells were noted to tolerate the treatment well. Half of the enrolled patients’ cancer was stabilized, with several among them reporting extended signs of benefit. No maximum tolerated dose was reached and there were no life-threatening events tied to the study.

If that sounds like less-than-earth-shaking results, this is only the beginning. The capsules were implanted for about one week because IL-2 activity drops off after that. The researchers now know that further testing should include either higher levels, repeated doses, or a combination thereof, in order to create stronger advances.

The team has already made early headway on this next step. Preclinical studies in nonhuman primates were not only tolerated well, but without added toxicity, the apes had consistent pharmacological effects.

“This is a foundational step,” Veiseh explained. “We now have evidence that the platform is safe, biologically active and potentially scalable. The next phase is optimizing dosing and exploring combination therapies to unlock its full clinical potential.”

The combination would also include a checkpoint inhibitor, which might improve AVB-001’s tumor-fighting power. “What is exciting is that we are not just delivering a drug, we are programming a microenvironment,” added Dr. Amir Jazaeri, professor of gynecologic oncology at MD Anderson, member of the Rice Biotech Launch Pad’s clinical advisory board and a senior author on the study. “This opens the door to combination strategies that could amplify immune responses in ways that have not been feasible before.”

Houston startup raises $6M to scale home-based healthcare platform

fresh funding

As healthcare systems race to expand care beyond hospitals and into the home, investors are placing bigger bets on the infrastructure needed to make that shift possible.

This month, Rosarium Health announced it has raised $6 million in seed funding led by Kalos Ventures, with participation from ResilienceVC, Rock Health Capital, Symphonic Capital, Black Tech Nations Ventures and others.

The investment will help the Houston-based startup continue to build its platform, which features a national network of 800-plus clinicians and 3,000-plus contractors to coordinate home accessibility upgrades and modifications for seniors and people living with disabilities.

For founder and CEO Cameron Carter, the company’s mission grew out of firsthand caregiving experiences.

“From my own personal caregiving experiences, I realized that the benefits exist on paper, but not in reality,” Carter said in a news release. “Families are being left to figure out the paperwork and installations all on their own, which shouldn’t be how this works.”

While Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans have expanded coverage for home-based services and accessibility modifications, the logistics behind delivering those services often remain fragmented.

Rosarium’s platform coordinates the entire process, from clinical assessments and referrals to contractor management, documentation, reimbursement and installation.

“A clinician can document that a home isn’t safe and a plan can approve a benefit, but there’s no one that’s responsible for making sure the work actually gets done,” Carter says. “We built the missing piece.”

The company was founded in 2021 as Rose Health and was a 2023 participant in the Texas Medical Center’s Accelerator for HealthTech program. It has scaled quickly, building a network of more than 800 clinicians and 3,000 contractors across 34 states.

Rosarium is currently in-network for 1.2 million Medicare and Medicaid lives, with projected coverage expected to reach nearly 4 million by the end of the year, according to the release.

“We’re excited to back Cameron because he and the team at Rosarium are building the infrastructure healthcare needs right now to make the home a safe and comfortable place of care,” Kate Ballinger, investor at Kalos Ventures, added in the release.

As part of the recent investment, Ballinger will join Rosarium’s board of directors.

With eyes on the future, Rosarium plans to grow its partnerships with Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans, including CalViva and Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley, strengthening its presence in California while expanding access to underserved communities.

Additionally, Carter predicts that home-based healthcare will be part of a broader transformation happening across the industry.

“There’s a growing recognition that health outcomes are shaped by what happens in the home,” he said in the release. “The future of healthcare isn’t just treating people after something goes wrong. It’s creating environments that help prevent those problems in the first place.”