Medical Design Technology - November/December 2013

as they relate to medical electronics when asked what was in store for this market sector.

Zarola responded with a decisive “Wireless for one.” He continued with,
“The clutter of wires will be a thing of the past. Sensor fusion will also change
the way vital signs are being measured. No longer will we need to rely on
the measurement of a particular vital sign from one location when we can
more accurately determine our state of health from the combination of the
information derived from multiple sensors located at different points on the
body. Context-based monitoring will also become possible in the future when
not only is the patient being monitored but also the environmental conditions
that the patient is in. This additional layer of information will add import-
ant context to the vital signs measurements that are made and significantly
Sharing this wireless vision is Soundar, who stated, “The clutter of wires
will be a thing of the past. Sensor fusion will also change the way vital signs
are being measured. No longer will we need to rely on the measurement of a
particular vital sign from one location when we can more accurately deter-
mine our state of health from the combination of the information derived
from multiple sensor located at different points on the body. Context based
monitoring will also become possible in the future when not only is the pa-
tient being monitored but also the environment conditions that the patient is
in – this additional layer of information will add important context to the vital
signs measurements that are made and significantly improved diagnosis.”
“Treatment and care in the comfort of personal environments is a common
theme, exemplified by the preference of a maturing population to ‘age in
place,’” explains the engineering group from Ximedica. “We are also witness-
ing a growing interest in the fitness and health optimization area, leading to
devices robust enough for a very active user. Both insights point to less inva-
sive and more convenient solutions; reduction in size and mass will continue,
as will the reliability of associated body attachment technologies. The need
to manage and monitor the care and diagnosis outside of clinics will continue
to accelerate data management technologies, tools, and regulations, as well as
user interface design.”
DiCristina concludes with his own view of the near future, “I think we can
lower healthcare cost, improve medical outcomes, and improve the quality
of life if we move the healthcare closer to the patient and ultimately, into the
home where the patient takes control of their personal health. This empow-
erment will lead to a more preventative healthcare system that will lower
healthcare costs and improve outcomes.”

Conclusion

Medical electronics, as an industry, is impossible to cover in one Roundtable presentation given the fact that the technology touches every sector of healthcare. However, the primary focus on monitoring here is reflective of what’s coming for the industry.

DiCristina offers a key word when describing what’s ahead for medicine and the medical industry’s approach to treatment—preventative. Healthcare, through the use of enhanced patient monitoring technology, will move quickly to a preventative model rather than the more reactive method that best describes how care has been most often provided. Disruptive technologies are already making this possible for certain sectors and the practice will only continue to grow as more effective technology is offered.