IOT (INTERNET OF THINGS)
New trends in how medical devices are made and how they deliver value is fundamentally
changing, devices are moving more and more into the world of the Internet of Things, utilising
highly sophisticated chipsets, processing capabilities and sensors.
They are mobile and connected like never before, delivering solutions in innovative new areas
such as patient-specific devices and ‘Lab on a Chip’ electronic diagnostic testing.
Mobile devices that can track chronic and lifestyle associated diseases such as diabetes is a fast
growing market area and one which responds to the connectivity delivered by the IoT.
Device examples include contact lenses that can detect glucose levels and devices to monitor
calorific intake. A new area of bioelectronic medicine is also emerging, facilitated by the
miniaturisation of electronics.
Here miniaturised devices are implanted in the body may help treat illnesses such as arthritis,
diabetes and asthma by influencing electric signals in nerve pathways.
BIOCHIP
Robotic-assisted surgery; next generation of smart inhalers that track inhaler use, avoid triggers
and warn of asthma attacks, and biometric stamps that act as a ‘lab on a chip’ (LOC) alternative
to reagents and chemicals.
A LOC is an automated, miniaturised laboratory system that can be used inside and outside of a
hospital for a wide range of patient measurements such as blood gases, glucose and cholesterol
levels.
This technology enables fast diagnostics with only small amounts of samples and materials
required.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are rapidly becoming increasingly available,
accessible and importantly affordable.
Both technologies are applied in many areas of the hospital sector, including the diagnostic sector:
the diagnostic imaging technologies currently used are considerably advanced and provide the
possibility of having a broad and clear clinical picture of the patient, without having to operate the
patient to learn more; the evolution in this field, however, consists in the growing opportunity given
by the new devices that "take" not only static images, but also moving so as to give the doctor an
overview of the functioning of the organs in action not only at a precise moment but in an interval of
time.
AccuVein and VeinViewer are two devices that make use of augmented reality to make a
hemodynamic mapping . This The devices allows to the doctors to observe peripheral veins,
bifurcations and valves in real time and evaluate in real time the filling and the venous blood flow
AR and VR can be used as a form of anaesthetic, which creates a sort of placebo effect. Mainly used
in an Australian hospital, the idea is to "immerse" patients undergoing chemotherapy cycles in a VR
world so as to have an escape from reality that is of relief, without having .to resort to other medical
prescriptions
Benefits of Industry 4.0 in healthcare industry
Collaborative Robots
Patient Care
Terapio, a cobot developed by researchers at Toyohashi University of Technology in
Japan is designed to give critical time back to busy nurses by providing bedside
monitoring for patients and automatically updating electronic medical charts. With the
ability to follow medical staff to each patient room and automatically upload vital signs
to charts, nurses are relieved of administrative tasks and able to focus on patient care.
Surgery
One of the more familiar cobots in the surgery world is the da Vinci System, built with robot
arms and high-tech cameras to assist surgeons during operations. The da Vinci’s arms translate
surgeon hand movements into smaller, more precise movements, allowing for less invasive
procedures. Over 1 million patients worldwide had a da Vinci procedure in 2018 — a great
example of early adoption of cobots in the medical field , spanning many different types of
surgeries.
