Advances in wearable technology are coming thick and fast. Even that most conservative of investor, Warren Buffet, has seen fit to put his weight behind the wearable tech industry.
With these advances comes multiple benefits, none more so than in the medical field. We all understand the idea of smart watches and other gizmos which measure our exercise and steps. Medical device manufacturers are also designing products which measure many other types of critical patient data, tracking their health in real-time. Going further, the wearable can be an active medical device which gives treatment on the fly.
One of the advantages is that patients are no longer inhibited by the monitoring or treatment systems. We have seen a number of our customers talking to us about the wearable technology which they are developing in order to increase patient mobility. There is a conflict between being tied down by the instrumentation, and getting up and moving about which is good for the patient.
Packing functionality into the wearable medical device is a challenge for designers. The electronics are small/thin in geometry, and will need protection from both the environment and physical impacts and shocks. We have been talking to customers about structural bonding with adhesives, electronic circuit protection with potting compounds or encapsulants, thermal management, and connectivity with electrically conductive adhesives.
Exciting times!
