Feasibility of smart ring-based remote monitoring in hospitalized patients: evaluation of signal transmission latency and data acquisition continuity.

Background: General wards rely on intermittent vital-sign checks, creating blind spots for deterioration detection under staffing constraints. While wearable sensors promise continuous ward-scale monitoring, real-world feasibility remains uncertain because prior studies emphasized signal accuracy rather than the timeliness and low-latency continuous monitoring system. This study addresses that gap by quantifying transmission latency and signal acquisition rate (SAR) of a ring-based system in routine surgical-ward care. Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective analysis of 128 adult postoperative inpatients monitored with a finger-worn smart ring (CART-1 plus) from 23 December 2024 to 20 July 2025. Signals streamed via BLE to a dedicated receiver and hospital Wi-Fi. Primary endpoints were (i) transmission latency (device timestamp→server receipt) and (ii) SAR. Cached burst uploads at 0-1-s intervals were excluded from latency analyses. Prespecified acceptability thresholds were ≤10 min for BP latency, ≤5 min for SpO Results: Mean transmission latency was 7.23 min (BP) and 4.35 min (SpO Conclusion: In real-world surgical wards, a finger-worn ring achieved clinically acceptable transmission latency and high continuity, supporting feasibility for a low-latency continuous monitoring system. Findings identify modifiable environmental and patient-level factors that influence latency and can guide scale-up and integration with early-warning workflows.