Medical Electronics
Where reliability is key : wearables in the medical industry
Preventing ESD transient ensures the proper performance of potentially life-saving monitoring devices, as James Colby explains
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sn't it surprising that the modern automobiles we drive today provide far more real-time feedback on their operating status than we know about our own health? Today's cars are just loaded with sensors and indicators that monitor and report on everything from engine temperature to fuel efficiency. Furthermore, they not only tell us whether the driver and passenger are wearing their seatbelts, but even inform us of the ambient light and temperature conditions. Unfortunately, we humans on the other hand are limited to relatively few indicators of problems. Most of us can only recognise the signs of a fever, a cough, a sneeze, or pain. Having said that, recognising that a parameter (blood glucose, heart rate, etc.) was "out of bounds" in near-real time would definitely help us to avoid major health issues. In fact, if we had access to this information, we would immediately be able to take proactive steps to bring a critical parameter back under control. But, how can we obtain this type of information without spending our days connected to diagnostic equipment? This level of monitoring would be much too time-consuming and invasive. Until just recently, anyone interested in
receiving even the most basic information would have to visit a medical professional or use an invasive tool such as a lancet to get a drop of blood for use in a blood glucose meter. The costs, time, access/availability, and inconvenience have always made it very difficult to collect physiological data.
Quantified self Here, it is important to note that we are in fact on the verge of a health monitoring revolution. The so-called "Quantified Self" movement promises to help us to "get under the hood" and understand our most vital health parameters at all times.
28 October 2014
Quantified Self is essentially a concept by which electronic sensors monitor our physiological parameters to understand the current state of the body in real time. The end product would then be key information on our heart rate, glucose, hydration, oxygen consumption, sleep patterns, calories ingested, etc.
The main goal is to enable people to act on their physiological information to improve their health, state of mind, etc. Unfortunately, the human body has always been treated as a "black box" in the past that must be responded to rather than be understood in real time. But, a real-time understanding (acquired through physiological monitoring) would allow us to change behaviours to achieve a desired condition such as lower blood pressure, weight loss, faster recovery from injury/surgery, etc. Without this information on one's
current state, however, it is extremely difficult to make plans. If this information were readily available, it would definitely encourage people to work toward achieving their goals faster. Even basic steps like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or drinking water instead of sugary soft drinks would have a measurable impact and thus lead to better health in general.
It might sound surprising to many, but wearable technologies that incorporate physiological sensors are becoming increasingly popular for the reasons just cited. Instead of forcing users to carry blood glucose meters with them, the next generation of monitoring devices will actually be worn on the body (similar to the device in Figure 1). This nearly transparent incorporation of these medical sensors will enable people to monitor their condition in near-real time and help them to collect considerably more data points over the course of a day. Initial examples of
Components in Electronics
Figure 1: The next generation of wearable monitoring devices has already started transforming the way people capture and record data on their current health condition
this innovative, new approach are already on the market. Take wristbands that are capable of measuring how far a person has walked, pulse, etc. for instance. Unobtrusive undergarments (undershirts, bras, etc.) designed to be worn during workouts allow for data to be collected on important parameters such as pulse, breathing rate, posture, and even distance travelled.
Breakthroughs yet to come But as beneficial as these monitoring options are, the biggest breakthroughs are yet to come (Figure 2). For instance, what if people who suffer from diabetes no longer had to prick their fingers several times a day to measure their blood glucose in order to adjust their insulin dose? This would eliminate the pain and make it much easier for them to collect this vital data more frequently. This would then help them to actually control their blood glucose levels more effectively over the long term and postpone or perhaps even
prevent the most serious consequences of this widespread disease. Whereas researchers in Germany have developed a method that uses infrared laser light and a technique called photoacoustic spectroscopy to determine blood glucose levels without having to penetrate through the skin, scientists in Israel and the Netherlands are working on developing wearable devices that use laser light, a magnet, and a camera to measure the blood glucose concentration using the "speckle" effect, the grainy interference patterns that are produced on images when laser light reflects from an uneven surface or scatters from an opaque material. Both methods are non-invasive and could potentially revolutionize the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of diabetes in the future. While the introduction of these new technologies has the potential to improve data gathering and, ultimately, users' health, the fact that these systems are ultimately intended to be worn next to
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