Technology has been innovatively cast by healthcare industry experts to utilize its core concepts to derive the key aspects of wearable technology that have extended patient care by healthcare providers. Adoption of the wearable technology has been optimized to define the health of the future society. Employing this innovative technology trend is something that gains massive rise of usage globally. Techhbs
Wearable Trends: A report by Tractica predicts, shipment of wearable devices will reach about 2.5 million in 2016 to 97.6 million annually by 2021. Wearable technology market will make up to $17.8 billion yearly.
When we say wearables, then it refers to both wearable devices and mobile apps that include fitness trackers, smartwatches, and wearable patches. Wearable evolves from a simple fitness band to advance the healthcare device that continuously monitors the patient’s health for the betterment of their fitness that directly improves medical care and also imposes a significant change in medication conditions.
Technology embedded wearable can be seen in a small ring, watch, clothes or a tattoo. The expansion suggests that in future, no one will longer hold any physical objects.
Few innovations made in healthcare industries are:
SkinHaptics – Making palm to a touchscreen
Researchers from University of Sussex has found a new method of turning your palm into a touchscreen device. Known as SkinHaptics, this device increases the output ability of the on-body interface to give feedback as an interaction surface. SkinHaptics uses the time-reversal signal processing technique which uses ultrasound waves through the hand that lands on a definite point on the palm. It enables the user to monitor their actions while interacting with their hand.
This technology is planned to use in the future, so companies are focusing on implementing this technology to extend the hand of a user.
Virtual Reality Eyeglasses
Wearables are all about real-time. Engineers are now working on a technology to augment eyeglass that would display images and data to enrich your visibility experience. Ulrich Simon, vice president of corporate research and technology at Carl Zeiss, Germany has planned an innovative idea to enhance an ordinary glass which will be definitely attractive to the customers.
To address the problem of the poor display which an eyeglass wearer can face is their different glass curvature is solved by the clear display. However, the problem is solved in the latest innovative design, focusing on internal reflection. In this, optics and electronics will control the light on the eyeglass frames that would be delivered to the lens edge and then moved through the lens following the concept of total internal reflection. The focus is to deliver an image on the wearer’s eye glass without making it shine.
This could be used by a physician to have an MRI image of the patient overlaid on her body while going to operate.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/consumer-electronics/portable-devices/bringing-augmented-reality-to-real-eyeglasses
Skin Digital Display
Till now we have understood, wearable devices are essential in our life which easily fits on our body. Next major entrance in the healthcare world is the first generation stickers by L’Oreal and other companies that easily fits on the skin, ensuring comfortable wear. John Roger’s group has founded a skin digital display like a tattoo which examines sweat, detect muscle activity and measure blood pressure.
Currently, this skin digital device communicates with the mobile app and a smartphone. This device uses three LED’s- green, red and blue which are made from organic polymers. It easily fits on the skin and works perfectly in water and air.