Bench Talk

Flexible and wearable electronics are rapidly growing industries. The development and growth of these devices are due to the benefits and specific properties of the nanomaterials that are commonly used within these devices. Here we look at why nanomaterials are used in these electronic devices.

An aging population is increasingly suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart failure, and frequent hospitalization puts an additional load on stressed healthcare budgets. However, now wireless technology is enabling good symptom management, keeping seniors safe at home and protecting healthcare budgets.

According to the International Diabetes Federation’s 2015 report, an estimated 415 million people suffer from diabetes.

Sometimes, it seems like the Internet of Things (IoT) concept is being shoehorned into markets which don’t need it—or at least, aren’t ready for it. But there are undeniable synergies between the IoT and healthcare applications, particularly medical devices that are wearable (or even implanted under the skin).

The story of medical wearables is no different than the story of technology in general. Exponential growth in capability commensurate with the shrinking of size and cost of products is simply converging to a point that the costs of fielding preventative measures like wearables is a solid alternative to just waiting until something inside of us breaks and we are rushed to the emergency room. While medical wearables do offer great promise in helping us become more proactive in our healthcare, they are primarily data collection devices that may perform some rather simple data analysis. They will have to tie into a larger medical ecosystem that has yet to fully materialize.