MEDICAL, MILITARY & INDUSTRIAL From pills to wearables
IDTechEx says wearable technology is threatening to disrupt aspects of the pharmaceutical industry, with the latest technology offering a drug-free alternative to health management. Which of these competing wearable technologies are the promising candidates to lead the healthcare revolution?
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he growing demand for wearable therapeutics is underpinned by the appetite of consumers to take control of their health and circumvent rising costs and staff shortages within traditional healthcare. Established non-pharmaceutical pain relief technologies include heat and electrical stimulation, but more advanced solutions using light therapy and radio waves are emerging.
IDTechEx’s latest wearable technology market report, ‘Wearable Technology Forecasts 2023-2033’, reveals prominent opportunities in wrist-worn technology, skin patches, and smart clothing, along with specific challenges that need to be overcome to realize widespread adoption.
Heated Clothing for Period Pain Heat therapy is a popular non- pharmaceutical method for pain relief that can increase blood circulation and reduce inflammation. While solutions like gels and disposable patches have long been commercially available for localised pain relief, heated clothing has primarily been reserved
36 JUNE 2023 | ELECTRONICS TODAY
for non-healthcare applications such as ski gloves and motorcycle jackets. To date, relatively bulky batteries and control electronics make heated clothing unsuited for comfortable and discreet pain relief, leaving markets for menstruation, injury recovery, and professional sport untapped. Yet emerging flexible electronics technologies could overcome some existing form factor restrictions that reduce wearer comfort. For example, stretchable conductive inks can be printed directly onto fabrics, lowering production costs and increasing comfort relative to the more conventional approach of integrating wiring.
Yet despite advances in printed and flexible electronics, significant challenges remain. Rigid integrated circuits, required for battery management and heating control, must be incorporated (although this can be on a flexible substrate).
Additionally, the high-power requirements for heating are beyond the capacity of flexible batteries currently available. As such, in the near term, a heating patch or clothing requires a rigid battery or wired connection
to another power source, making cheaper alternatives like gels, patches, or hot water bottles more appealing for pain relief. However, as the capacity of flexible or even stretchable batteries continues to improve and stretchable electronics gains traction, e-textiles with integrated heating may offer a compelling reusable alternative.
Light therapy headbands for Alzheimer’s
Light therapy is gaining popularity for its claimed benefits in treating hair loss and reducing aging, but research suggests it could also manage health conditions such as depression, Alzheimer’s, and even Lyme disease. For example, certain infrared wavelengths are thought to increase cellular metabolism through photobiomodulation. Light therapy wristbands have already generated millions of dollars in sales to the wellness market, with headbands offering transcranial light therapy, for example from Cerathrive, now looking to follow. However, the absence of regulation and research regarding photobiomodulation
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