MEDICAL ELECTRONICS
Medical electronics andwearable sensors lead innovation
Ravinder Dahiya, IEEE fellow and professor of electronics and nanoengineering at University of Glasgow discusses the innovation behind wearable sensors and smart bandages
vital physiological parameters. Rich sensor data, combined with intelligent technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) has greatly benefitted the healthcare sector throughout recent years, and especially during the pandemic. Developments within medical electronics, such as wearable devices, have not only enhanced patient care, but they have also significantly improved efficiency for healthcare workers, as more hospitals opt for automated processes. In other parts of the world, where health infrastructure is insufficient,wearable sensor technology can leapfrog traditional bottlenecks to reach remote areas. Innovative technologies within the healthcare industry are expected to continue supporting the growing need for remote medical services without spatial and temporal restrictions. These technologies can also benefit members of society such as senior
M
edical electronics such as wearable sensors have a variety of benefits and can provide an incredibly accurate measure of
citizens, who often suffer from reduced mobility and a lack of access to professional medical services. An example of this can be seen in areas such as Norway, where robots are mimicking consumer products to remind patients when to take medication and control the quantity available. These devices speak directly to patients and communicate information through light and text displays. It is expected that the success of similar technologies within healthcare applications will eventually be governed by the continuous use intention, not just technology acceptance or adoption rates.
Medical electronics revolutionising the industry Medical electronics are constantly being developed and refined to suit the needs of patients and healthcare workers. These devices are designed to operate safely over extended periods of time and provide monitoring, therapeutic or life-sustaining functions for patients. Despite this, without built-in reliability, these technical devices can experience failures or malfunctions that can result in negative outcomes for patients. An example can be seen with an American medical technology company, which developed clinical platform devices used to monitor patient blood pressure and pulse rates during, and after surgery. In March 20192
, the firm informed users of
an issue affecting 11,000 of the devices, after reports of fluids leaking into its power outlet which could cause the device to either stop working or catch fire. Cases such as these are a reminder that failure is simply not an option when it comes to the implementation and utilisation of medical electronic devices. Despite this occurrence and many others, there are numerous reliability checks that take place within the healthcare industry, which are designed to prevent similar failures from ever occurring. For example, component reliability is typically determined by the performance following a suite of stress tests. A stress test is often
30 SEPTEMBER 2021 | ELECTRONICS TODAY
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