EDITORIAL

Medical wearables go hand-in-hand

As consumers, we are acutely aware that new and more advanced tech devices continue to be spawned in the wearable design category each year. Often, the goal of these new products is to simplify our daily activities. Interestingly, wearable electronics are no longer represented by just smartwatches and fitness trackers that can measure your heart rate. The past two years of wrestling with a global pandemic has fast-tracked a lot of design activity in the medical space - expediting wearable tech adoption and heightened the role it plays in healthcare.

Mind you, the use of wearables was already on the rise, as Canadians gravitate to the idea of monitoring their own health. Today, consumer acceptance of these products continues to skyrocket, as these devices not only help keep their owners fit, they also notify them of potential medical emergencies and offer valuable physiological insights to help prevent disease.

They can estimate blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate and respiration of the aged and indicate risks such as declining health, worsening diseases and other threatening situations like- increased blood pressure or problem with respiration, etc.

Consumer acceptance of these products continues to skyrocket, as these devices not only help keep their owners fit, they also notify them of potential medical emergencies

Fitness vs medical

As designers know, medical wearables are not defined by the same parameters as fitness products like FitBit or Apple Watch. Medical devices are represented by a more regulated industry. Some of these devices may even be prescribed by a medical physician – such as glucose monitors, heart monitors, or on-body infusion pumps. These units deliver fluids, such as nutrients and medications, into a patient’s body in controlled amounts. Infusion pumps are widely use in clinical settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, and in the home.

Most importantly, these devices are being designed for the patient’s safety, comfort and quality of life. Lest we forget that the engineering teams behind the development of these types of specialized medical devices are

faced with some unique challenges. Atop the list of considerations is ‘environment of use’ – recognizing that the device will be exposed to heat, sun, sweat, along with the cold of winter. Designers must also be aware of what other products that medical device interacting with? Is it a standalone unit, or used in conjunction with three or four different products? Where is it stored when it is not in use? How is it charged if it is a wearable? How is it filled – if it is dispensing medication? How will the device user-interface work? Essentially, this boils down to a long list of questions that needs to be answered through direct consideration of the user, or open dialogue with a group of end-users (i.e. patients or caregivers).

Other considerations

It is important to determine in advance if the device should be completely disposable or reusable. Will it have consumable parts? Should it be refurbished? If so, what is the protocol for collecting the used devices? It’s important to note that designers connect with adhesives suppliers early in the design process to source the right product. There is no such thing as a ‘miracle goto adhesive’ suitable for all skinworn devices. Different adhesives (such as acrylic, silicone, hydrocolloid, or synthetic base rubber) have different characteristics appropriate for different uses. Design teams must also be sure that all components that have direct or indirect contact with skin are biocompatible.

Incorporating conductive materials into wearable technology is a simple concept. However, it has led to a vast variety of wearables sensors including wet electrodes stuck on the skin to measure the heart, dry electrodes in headphones to analyze brain signals, and microneedles within skin patches to quantify muscle movements. As such, this also creates a broad application space for electrodes ranging from vital sign monitoring and sleep analysis for healthcare.

The good news is, Canada continues to make strides in this segment, as illustrated by ventureLAB, which announced its plans to establish a MedTech-specific stream within its Hardware Catalyst Initiative (HCI), an Ontario-based lab and incubator for hardware and semiconductor companies. Besides, in order to be ready for the next health emergency, we need to start building the foundation now.

STEPHEN LAW Editor slaw@ept.ca Canada’s information leader for electronic engineers and designers

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022

Volume 44, Number 08

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