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If used daily, the device will indicate when a patient needs to seek medical attention, potentially heading off dangerous episodes and preventing costly emergency room visits and ambulance rides, the inventors said.

Luca Pollonini, a post-doctoral fellow at UH who worked with the team, called the device "intuitive."

"The design of Blue Scale is inspired by two everyday actions: stepping on a bathroom scale and riding a bicycle. Since everyone is familiar with these simple actions, the usage of Blue Scale is seamless," Pollonini said.

Rajan, who, like Xu, is a research associate at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, said the device has received good reviews from patients involved in preliminary clinical testing, which will make convincing investors that much easier.

"I am excited about the marketing presentation, even with limited experience with investors, because I look forward to telling our story, which I firmly believe is compelling and important to changing the way we deliver health care in this country," he said.

Xu and Rajan both said they were emboldened when their product landed them at the IShow.

"When we were accepted, it was truly an exciting moment, because, while we believe in the technology to our core, sometimes we need to hear it from someone else who has no vested interest," Rajan said.

The device was developed at the Abramson Center for the Future of Health, a joint partnership between UH's College of Technology and The Methodist Hospital Research Institute.

"A central mission of the Abramson Center is to improve chronic disease management," Rajan said. "We are developing technologies for diabetes and asthma management as well, but the BlueScale is the most advanced technology. During the course of the initial clinical trial, I spoke to many patients with h
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