Electronics
Some sensors focus on capturing physical signs, while chemical sensors, for example, can be targeted to measure electrolytes.
here too. Though GPS can do a reasonable job of calculating your daily step count, for instance, distinguishing hiking and dancing from morning strolls is rather trickier. That reflects broader technical limitations. Though they’re good at detecting specific variables, after all, sensors struggle with causation. To explain what he means, Dincer offers the example of diagnosing Covid-19. Imagine, he says, that a sensor detects that a subject has a high temperature. The problem with such an approach, the academic stresses, is that sensors alone can’t tell whether such symptoms are caused by the coronavirus or just a regular cold. Canali, for his part, emphasises the challenges sensors pose to medical philosophy. Especially for trial conveners – but also, to an extent, for regular doctors – clinical evidence is valid if gathered in formal settings. But placed on flesh-and-blood subjects going about their daily lives, wearable sensors are by their nature informal, with none of the double-blind tests or placebo controls inherent to other spheres of medical research. Altogether, stresses Canali, that can make some researchers “struggle” with the concept.
Wearing thin $83bn
The size of the global wearable devices sector by 2026.
Statista 74
Combined with related problems of getting patients themselves to employ wearable devices properly – especially around taboo issues like alcohol consumption, some subjects may artificially decrease their intake, distorting the data sensors receive – and it’s no wonder that both Canali and Dincer are unsure about the future of wearable sensors. Notwithstanding the sector’s headline growth, that’s reflected in practice. In February 2024, to give one example, the
FDA warned against smartwatches that claim to measure blood sugar levels without piercing the skin. Underlying these technical questions, meanwhile, is the question of data management. Beyond the usual worries around cybersecurity, which could soon be solved by relying on blockchain and other innovations, Canali fears that tech giants may hoard the data their sensors produce. “In some cases,” he says, “scientists have problems accessing the data themselves – even in research settings – because the data collected by technologies are proprietary algorithms from Google or something like that. I think the discussion on protection and privacy is crucial, and should also align with discussions of who’s the owner of the data, who keeps the data – and where the data is kept.” Fortunately, there are signs the sector is taking these concerns to heart. In the EU, for instance, the European Health Data Space is a new initiative aimed, it says, at supporting “individuals to take control of their own health data” while also creating a shared set of rules around how that can occur. For its part, the FDA is publishing similar guidance. Apart from the obvious strengths these devices offer generally, there are other causes for optimism too. As an example, Dincer envisages a world where sensors are gamified, and users are encouraged to boast on social media if they keep their calorie or drink intake to healthy levels. That dovetails, Dincer adds, with the pressures of an ageing population. As he explains, using sensors to understand how we get old “may allow the users to improve their lifestyle, leading to subsequent healthier ageing”. Given the broad potential of wearable sensors, such an eventuality wouldn’t be surprising. ●
Medical Device Developments /
www.nsmedicaldevices.com
frantic00Shutterstock.com
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