The internet of things is a technology that basically consists in equipping the device with sensors that connect to the internet. Thanks to this new possibilities that has numerous benefits of iot in healthcare. As we can improve the efficiency of some method or its purposes through the analysis of the information they collect. Now, Its application is covering to all sectors.
There is no such area where the benefits of the IOT we cannot get. The health is one of them. It is already used in the assistance to patients, the diagnosis of pathologies or the proper functioning of medical equipment, among others. The results are positive and show that the evolution of the IOT in healthcare projects is linked to technological developments.
1. More accurate diagnostics
To detect a disease, doctors need to test patients. Only once the evidence has been obtained and the relevant analyzes have been carried out, is it possible to reach a conclusion. To do this, health professionals use in vitro diagnostics (IVD, in its acronym in English).
One of the suppliers of these solutions is Roche Diagnostics. Your IVD portfolio includes devices that are used, for example, in clinical trials, urinalysis, patient self-assessment, and laboratory automation. All of them included step by step by more refined technology. Therefore, they require quality after-sales service, software updates, maintenance and repairs.
They found that in China the demand for these products had grown. Providing support for all IVD solutions became a huge task. So they decided to explore the possibilities offered by the IOT and there they found the solution.
With this technology they analyze and made their devices to manage them remotely. In this way, they can send their technicians before a failure occurs, decrease downtime and maximize their useful life.
2. Prevention of cardiovascular diseases
The data is also the main tool with whatever they work in Digital and Analog is companions for an Aging Population (Digilog). A consortium formed by almost 40 organizations whose purpose is to monitor patients who are at risk of cardiovascular disease. For this they have developed an IOT platform.
The patient only has to wear a kind of belt with sensors, like those used by some sports fans. Through it, possible to collect relevant medical information, such as blood pressure, keep track & history. With this information, the doctor can detect critical changes in the vascular system and in the heart.
“To help save more lives, we must give people a way to collect long-term data about their health. Before and after leaving the hospital and doing it in a way that does not interrupt your daily life, “explains Kurt J.G. Schmailzl, head of the Department of Heart Disease at the German hospital Ruppiner Kliniken.
The initiative launched by Digilog, in collaboration with Microsoft Azure, allows “collect medical data from patients throughout the day, so that they can live their lives and forget the monitors,” says Schmailzl. In addition, it allows “to learn more about the heart, especially if new types of sensors are integrated into pacemakers”.
3. More accurate operations
The passage through the operating room is not free of risks. Something that they know well in the clinic 365mc, dedicated to treat the problems of obesity. Located in Seoul (South Korea), not only advise their patients to lead a healthier life, they also perform liposuction to reduce excess fat.
For this operation a cannula is used, which the surgeon has to use with maximum precision. A critical movement that, is performed between 12,000 and 20,000 times in each intervention, according to this clinic. That has to take into account the conditions of each patient and their type of tissue.
“The idea of ​​digitizing the liposuction procedure taking advantage of the motion capture technology has always been in mind,” explains Nam-Chul Kim, CEO of 365mc. “With this we would increase the accuracy of the surgery, verify the progress after the operation and provide the surgeons with information to ensure the success of the operation.”
From that idea, M.A.I.L. A system that uses a special cannula that has a motion recognition sensor. This sensor, equipped with an accelerometer and gyroscope, collects real-time information about the movements performed by the surgeon’s hands. In a single operation you can reach up to 180 million data. Its analysis helps surgeons to detect errors and improve their interventions.
We explain some of IOT in healthcare examples. However, there is also challenges of IOT in healthcare in regarding of data security over the internet. We will feature it in our next article.