SEOUL -- Sky Labs, a South Korean digital healthcare startup, captured global attention at the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) 2025 in Milan, Italy, with the unveiling of the world’s first ring-type cuffless blood pressure monitor.

On May 25, during a symposium titled “Breaking Boundaries in Hypertension Care: A New Era with Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring”, cuffless blood pressure technology became a central focus of discussion. Professor George Stergiou (University of Athens, Greece) and Professor Hae-Young Lee (Seoul National University Hospital, South Korea) delivered presentations highlighting the current landscape and outlook of the technology.

Both experts emphasized that Sky Labs in Korea is currently collecting the world’s largest dataset of 24-hour blood pressure measurements using a cuffless method, as a potential alternative to conventional ABPM.

This global spotlight follows the rapid clinical adoption of CART BP pro in Korean hospitals and clinics, which became the world’s first cuffless blood pressure monitor to receive health insurance reimbursement in June of last year. Notably, the number of cases in which CART BP pro is being prescribed and used as a formal diagnostic tool continues to grow steadily.

During his presentation, Professor Lee remarked, “Cuffless blood pressure monitors are considered a meaningful innovation beyond convenience. Sky Labs’ ring-type device enables 24-hour monitoring without interfering with daily activities, addressing limitations of conventional cuff-based monitors, such as discomfort and restricted measurement frequency. Its ability to provide continuous, especially nocturnal, readings may support a new approach to hypertension management.”

In a separate session on unresolved challenges in blood pressure measurement, hosted by the ESH Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring and Cardiovascular Variability, Professor Alta Schutte delivered a presentation titled “Are We Ready for the Cuffless BP Device Invasion?” She emphasized that cuffless monitors have strong potential in both clinical and consumer markets, due to their ability to address persistent issues with cuff-based devices, such as discomfort, infrequent measurements, and poor patient adherence.

Building on this momentum, Sky Labs plans to launch CART BP, a consumer-focused version of the ring-type monitor, in September. The upcoming release is expected to further accelerate global interest in cuffless blood pressure technology.