Industrial
Enabling next generation MedTech applications
Denis Pasero, product commercialisation manager, Ilika, talks to CIE about the next generation of applications in the medical technology sector
Making patients mobile Across multiple sectors, the Internet of Things (IoT) has already liberated technology from a static role, allowing applications to go mobile. As with consumer products, new connected technologies such as wearable devices and sensors can extend caregiving outside of the hospital boundaries. This can offer greater comfort and for some, increased quality of life, whilst managing long-term chronic illnesses such as arthritis, diabetes, asthma and neurological disorders. There remains one significant barrier to
Denis Pasero, product commercialisation manager, Ilika
I
n the modern hospital, patient care – whilst supervised by doctors and nurses – is almost entirely dependent upon technology, namely physiologic monitoring devices that can track health signs and raise the alarm in the case of an emergency. Traditionally, to access such equipment, patients would need to remain on the ward, ensuring that doctors and nurses had sufficient oversight over their condition in real-time. Until very recently, medical staff have often been required to manually transcribe data to maintain consistent records, sometimes giving rise to serious shortcomings, not only in terms of inefficiency but also the potential for human error.
In contrast, today’s healthcare
environment has been completely transformed by digital technologies, including the automated recording of patient data directly from physiological monitoring systems to electronic health record (EHR) systems. Though this takes some of the pressure off healthcare professionals in terms of data entry; in isolation it is unlikely to increase the overall efficiency of hospital departments looking to reduce waiting times for beds and improve the treatment experience for the patient.
34 September 2017 Components in Electronics
broader adoption, common to the development of mobile device applications - power. Batteries have long been a bottleneck for portable devices in terms of capacity and lifetime and more recently safety. Though top of the line components are achieving greater performance than ever before, user safety has become a make or break concern for device manufacturers and will ultimately decide the next industry leader for energy storage technology.
Solid state energy storage Many consumer applications, including smartphones, laptops and tablets continue to rely on lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, primarily due to their high energy density and performance in medium energy applications. However, recent news involving exploding devices and extreme
harm to users further demonstrates the risks of using this technology in wearable and implantable applications. For small scale devices such as heart monitors, smart contact lenses and neurostimulators, solid state energy storage technology provides greater efficiency, safety, stability and reliability in supporting remote monitoring sensors. These batteries contain a completely solid electrolyte – unlike Li-ion cells – without any inflammable liquids, and as a result, are considerably more robust and safer for use both inside and outside the human body. Needless to say this is positive news for the user, but it also offers multiple additional benefits on the application side. Without the risk of combustion from contact with moisture or mixing of liquid electrolytes, these batteries require far less protective packaging which means the components can be miniaturised, with current models measuring only 1cm2 and less than 1mm thick. In fact, using lithographic techniques, it is possible to make mm-scale devices. Where traditional batteries have been large and cumbersome, solid state cells offer an attractive solution for implantables, which should be as small as possible to reduce trauma and discomfort for the patient. Despite the small size, these cells are more than capable of powering low-energy Bluetooth transmitters that communicate vital health data from the patient to receivers in the home or in the hospital. Rather than being stored on the device, the data would be transmitted to the hospital for analysis and storage in the patient’s health records. Supporting WBAN wireless technology not only provides
compatibility with a broad range of commercially available receivers, it also provides a more feasible networking approach and significantly lowers implementation costs. Solid state electrolytes also offer benefits in terms of efficiency, capacity and the lifetime of the battery. Using an ionic lattice rather than a liquid ion solution, the occurrence of unwanted reactions characteristic of traditional battery types are significantly reduced along with the associated leakage current, which is only one tenth of that observed in leading Li-ion technology. The batteries themselves can continue to power devices for up to 10 years, thereby significantly reducing the need for invasive procedures to maintain or replace the component. Perhaps most promising; with almost negligible degradation and energy leakage, these batteries are able to undergo trickle charging capturing nanoamps either through energy harvested from movement such as the beating of the heart or temperature difference between the skin and the outside world. These batteries can also be recharged inductively for some implanted devices without harm to the tissues. This ensures that patients are able to maintain their health monitors without expensive equipment or a need for additional surgical intervention.
The future of healthcare Remote sensor technologies will be instrumental in driving the evolution of health services to increase operational efficiency and reduce the pressure felt by medical professionals the world over. With mobile wearable and implanted devices remotely transmitting data directly to doctors, patients with chronic illnesses will be able to live more comfortable lives, with little or no disruption caused by the management of their condition and increased quality of life through greater autonomy. The benefits will also be felt by hospitals, where cost savings made in the treatment of chronic illnesses can be reallocated for investment in other areas and the increased resource can provide a better experience for clinical staff and patients alike. As solid state energy storage continues to evolve; increasing capacity and energy output, and more low-power technologies become available, we can expect to see a rise in adoption of this new technology among device manufacturers, confident in the reliability of their products and the continued safety and comfort of the user.
www.ilika.com www.cieonline.co.uk
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