From Zero-G to Your Finger: The Ring That's Redefining Blood Pressure

SEOUL, South Korea – December 04, 2025 – In the fleeting moments of weightlessness inside a plunging aircraft, a piece of technology no bigger than a wedding band has quietly made history. South Korean healthcare startup Sky Labs announced that its 'CART BP' smart ring successfully performed continuous blood pressure monitoring in a microgravity environment, a feat that marks a significant milestone for both the future of space medicine and the burgeoning terrestrial market for wearable health devices.

The experiment, a collaboration between researchers at the University of Cambridge and the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences (IIAS), offers a solution to a long-standing challenge for human spaceflight: how to effectively and unobtrusively monitor the vital signs of astronauts as their bodies adapt to the rigors of space.

Zero Gravity, Continuous Data

The validation took place not in orbit, but during a series of parabolic flights at the National Research Council of Canada in Ottawa. These maneuvers, part of the IIAS-02 mission, create brief periods of near-zero gravity (0-0.1g) that simulate the conditions of space. During these intense moments, traditional blood pressure cuffs—which are bulky, interruptive, and require specific body positioning—are impractical for gathering the kind of continuous data needed by researchers.

This is where Sky Labs' device demonstrated its disruptive potential. Worn simply on a finger, the CART BP ring uses optical sensors and photoplethysmography (PPG) signals to measure blood pressure without a cuff. The experimental results confirmed that the device collected reliable, continuous data even as gravity vanished and returned. For astronauts on long-duration missions to the Moon or Mars, such a technology could be revolutionary, enabling constant health oversight without interfering with their critical tasks.

Astronauts Norah Patton and Dr. Shawna Pandya, who participated in the study, were reportedly impressed with the device's simplicity and ease of use. This user-centric design is a critical factor, as technology in extreme environments must be intuitive and robust. As Jack Byunghwan Lee, CEO of Sky Labs, stated, "We are pleased that CART BP's blood pressure monitoring technology has been recognized through significant experiments conducted in a unique environment."

Closing the Data Gap in Women's Space Health

Beyond the technological proof-of-concept, the study carries profound implications for a specific and often overlooked area of space medicine: women's health. The experiment was explicitly part of a larger project focused on understanding the unique physiological adaptations female astronauts experience.

Decades of data have shown that spaceflight affects men and women differently. Female astronauts, for instance, have shown a higher susceptibility to orthostatic intolerance upon returning to Earth—a condition where the body struggles to regulate blood pressure when standing, leading to dizziness or fainting. They also tend to lose a greater volume of blood plasma in space. With women now making up 50% of recently selected astronaut classes, addressing these gender-specific health challenges is no longer a niche concern but a mission-critical priority.

The CART BP ring provides a tool to gather the precise, high-frequency data needed to study these phenomena in detail. By continuously tracking cardiovascular changes in microgravity, researchers can build a more complete picture of female physiology in space, leading to personalized countermeasures and safer mission protocols. The Cambridge researchers noted the study's importance, stating it "would not have been possible without CART BP."

The Commercial Leap: From Spacetech to Street Tech

While the validation in space provides immense credibility, Sky Labs has its sights set firmly on a much larger market here on Earth. Founded in 2015, the startup has raised over $80 million in funding from a notable list of investors, including Korea Development Bank and, interestingly, OMRON, a major player and competitor in the blood pressure monitoring space. This high-profile success is a strategic accelerant for the company's terrestrial ambitions.

In South Korea, Sky Labs' home market, the CART BP has already received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, making it the world's first ring-type, cuffless blood pressure monitor to gain such a regulatory nod. The company has inked an exclusive domestic distribution deal with pharmaceutical giant Daewoong Pharmaceutical, which is targeting cumulative sales of over $53 million in the next three years.

The strategy is twofold: first, penetrate the clinical market by distributing the device to hospitals and clinics, providing medical professionals with a new tool for 24-hour patient monitoring, especially for detecting conditions like nocturnal hypertension. Following this, the company plans to sell directly to consumers online, tapping into the massive and growing demand for personal health technology.

Navigating the Crowded Market for Cuffless Monitoring

Sky Labs is entering a dynamic but challenging market projected to exceed $1.3 billion by 2030. The demand for convenient, continuous blood pressure monitoring is driven by the global rise in hypertension and the consumer embrace of wearable technology. However, the field is rife with competition and technical hurdles.

Key competitors include OMRON's HeartGuide, an FDA-approved smartwatch that cleverly integrates a miniaturized inflatable cuff into its band, and Samsung's Galaxy Watch series, which uses optical sensors but requires regular calibration with a traditional cuff to maintain accuracy. Sky Labs' key differentiator is its promise of a truly cuffless and calibration-free experience, a holy grail for the industry.

However, the path to widespread clinical acceptance is steep. Some medical experts remain cautious, arguing that many cuffless devices are "not ready for prime time" due to concerns over accuracy and the lack of established validation standards for these new technologies. Biomedical engineers face a constant battle to balance miniaturization with sensor reliability, battery life, and data security. By validating its device in the unforgiving environment of microgravity, Sky Labs has crafted a powerful narrative about its technology's robustness and accuracy. This achievement serves as a potent form of marketing, suggesting that if the CART BP ring is precise enough for an astronaut, it is more than capable of serving patients and consumers on Earth. The journey of this small ring illustrates a powerful trend in modern business, where the pursuit of solutions for the most extreme frontiers of human exploration directly fuels innovations that will soon redefine healthcare for us all.