SMT007 Magazine

SMT-Jan2016

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38 SMT Magazine • January 2016 are less expensive, easy to use, and effective in home settings. According to Transparency Market Research, among the home healthcare device markets (therapeutic healthcare devices, diagnostics and monitoring healthcare devices, medical sup- plies, and mobility assist devices), the diagnos- tics and monitoring device sector registered the highest demand in the last couple of years due to the rising incidence of chronic diseases and increasing healthcare awareness. Market trends indicate that the therapeutic healthcare device sector will be the fastest growing segment be- tween 2014 and 2020, with CAGR of over 10%. The global home healthcare market, a US$176.1 billion market in 2013, is growing to $303.6 billion by 2020, an 8.1% CAGR until 2020. The development of less invasive monitor- ing and treatment methods for common dis- eases has improved patient mobility. Through innovative at-home patient monitoring devic- es, the baby boomers don't need to do frequent trips to the hospital—less time on the road and less costs. The continuous monitoring of patient data at home can happen without much effort. For example, implantable devices can monitor glu- cose levels without a patient having to punc- ture oneself with needles several times a day. The resulting data can be transmitted to a net- worked computer in the patient's home. Then the doctor can have real-time access to patient data through IoT. Timely access to patient data allows the doctor to make immediate decisions. Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI), a global EMS company that targets the medical sector, has collaborated with OEMs in the devel- opment or assembly of wearables for heart rate, hydration, and glucose monitoring for home care, hospital care, and sports applications. Plexus, with 30 years of experience in the healthcare, life sciences and medical industries, is a key medical EMS player in home diagnos- tics and therapeutic healthcare device markets. Plexus was credited for the supply and design of Physio-Control's TrueCPR coaching device, a fi- nalist for the Medical Design Excellence Awards. The TrueCPR is designed to optimize the quality and performance of manual CPR by providing feedback to rescuers in real time. Cutting Edge Medical Devices The article "Top 10 Cutting Edge Medical Devices" of internetmedicine.com states, "The world of innovative medical devices is fascinat- ing in that it is the intersection of engineering and biomedical science. The intrigue of inven- tion meets the life-saving, humanist potential of medicine. Social and scientific progress could be measured by the types of medical technolo- gies we employ." For example, there's a contact lens that can disperse medicine doses. For baby boomers suf- fering from glaucoma, prolonged-delivery eye drops are cumbersome. A new type of contact lens is being tested that delivers the drug, in- tended to relieve ocular pressure, through a polymer film. Advances in prosthetic limbs make life easier for amputees and senior citizens—from legs and hands controlled by the brain to artificial skin that can simulate the sense of touch by sending feedback signals to the brain. A mind-controlled exoskeleton can help the disabled walk. This contraption, controlled by human thoughts and worn outside of the body, helps restore limb function in persons who could not stand or walk. There's an exoskeleton that fits around a person's hips and legs that is being developed by researchers in Germany and Korea. It comes with a cap (for the head), covered with electrodes that facilitate the con- nection between the person's brain and the ma- chine. " The development of less invasive monitoring and treatment methods for common diseases has improved patient mobility. " FEATurE MEDICaL EMS: OPPOrTunITIES aBOunD

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