SMT007 Magazine

SMT007-Nov2018

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60 SMT007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2018 dict, then this expected growth in printed elec- tronics is inevitable and may even be understat- ed. The market potential for compact, wireless, and non-invasive sensors alone spells opportu- nity for printed electronics according to IDTe- chEx who predicts the market for fully printed sensors will reach $7.6 billion by 2027. The entire premise of connected healthcare is based on such sensors being placed near discrete points of data, including patients, pill bottles, wearables, medical devices, and hospital beds. Printed electron- ics are tailor- made for such applications and can also replace or enhance exist- ing products in medical, pharma- ceutical, and related applications. Printing Techniques and Conductive Inks Today, many electronic components are produced by printing. In addition to sen- sors, batteries, and antennas, other exam- ples include memory, logic, and light sources. While similar to the printing techniques used in industries like graphics or electronics, the manufacturing processes used to print elec- tronics need to accommodate specialized inks for complex designs. For example, inkjet print- Printed Electronics and the Fast, Flexible Future of Connected Healthcare Feature by Girish Wable and Ralph Hugeneck NYPRO The Internet of Things (IoT) is slowly but steadily infusing devices all around us with connected intelligence from appliances at home, to the lighting at work and safe- ty systems in our cars. Con- nectivity is revolutionizing industries including com- munications, manufac- turing, and entertain- ment. While slightly trailing the pack in mass market adoption, con- nected health- care is advanc- ing in targeted applications at an accelerating pace with the aim of improving patient outcomes, increas- ing efficiencies, and reducing costs. Printed electronics—a familiar fix- ture in medical diagnostics, therapy, and patient care—will be an increasingly pervasive and instrumental enabler for the component technologies under- lying connected healthcare. Analysts, such as Research and Markets, expect printed electronics to register a com- pound annual growth rate of nearly 25% over the next five years. If the market for connected healthcare expands as rapidly as experts pre-

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