Medical & Healthcare - How to develop from the Internet of Things to the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)
More of everything: networked, smaller, mobile, individualized, and preventive medical applications. Despite all the technologization, the patient is at the center of all medical technology developments. Treatments are to be carried out faster and in a more targeted manner. The key for the most accurate possible forecasts and diagnoses about a person's state of health is data. The more data and the more precisely they are used for analyses of the state of health, the faster the optimal treatment can be initiated. The goal is to prevent diseases through individualized preventive measures. Here, too, the Internet of Things is at the center, enabling research and medical institutions to develop further and set new standards. However, for the IoT to become a highly precise and reliable IoMT, the performance of each individual component and algorithm is crucial. Rutronik is a well experienced and networked distribution partner thanks to close ties to university research institutions and its own R&D department. This brings the decisive benefit for the market launch of your innovative healthcare applications.
The World of Electronic Components as a Driver of Innovation in Medical Technology
The growth market of medical technology puts people at the center. Demand for medical products for therapy, prevention and active aging is high and pushes research and development activities accordingly. The trend towards digitalization and connectivity around the Internet of Things is setting the pace in almost all areas. This is also changing the healthcare sector: Medical devices are becoming smaller, lighter, smarter, and more personalized. Advanced developments in the field of networked, flexible, and data-driven manufacturing processes, which in turn can be traced back to the (I)IoT, are important drivers here.
With cost-effective production processes and process chains, we are well on the way to achieving a decisive improvement for everyday medical life, both for the patient and healthcare staff. It is important that medical innovations meet the above-average requirements for the complexity and quality of the products and enable the highest possible degree of individualization.
Intelligent software and hardware for the medicine of the future
Advances in sensor technology and electro- and bio-impedance in particular are enabling far more targeted and precise preventive measures, imaging procedures, diagnoses, analyses, and therapeutic approaches. The goal is to affect the patient as little as possible while providing the best possible and individualized medical care.
Applications that use artificial intelligence (AI), machine and deep learning, as well as blockchain technology are gradually taking over complex tasks completely autonomously. This also includes the use of robotics applications in surgery, cleaning, and transport.
The medical subfield of human augmentation is working with very diverse combinations of sensors, mechanics, software, and 3D printing to sustainably improve the human body and make it more efficient.
Fields of application
- Early Detection & Predictive Analytics
- Human Augmentation
- Medical Robotics
In addition to miniaturizing components, researchers are also focusing on realizing advanced materials. For example, biohybrid medical products would be able to fuse conventional non-biological materials with living cells to create high-performance products with new functions.
Above all, digitized and networked medical technology enables improved health and care models that impress with speed, mobility and flexibility, as well as customizability. The potential of corresponding applications lies in the combination of IoMT, AI/machine learning and blockchain solutions. The data collected, organized and analyzed in this way provide valuable insights into the condition of patients, disease patterns, medication, and treatment patterns. This opens up an option away from the treatment of diseases to predictive analysis and preventive measures, which provide valuable insights and offer potential for action, especially for future stress situations such as pandemics, energy crises, or climate change.
This big data approach also results in one of the biggest challenges of IoMT: data security in the cloud or on (de-)central servers and the protection of AI-based systems against attacks.
Key Benefits
The development of innovative approaches in the medical environment is progressing rapidly. What was smiled at as science fiction just a few years ago has long since become part of everyday medical life (e.g. telemedicine) or is about to be realized, such as 3D bioprinting human organs. When it comes to preparing economic decisions about the development of future-proof applications in this extremely dynamic market environment, Rutronik is on hand as your partner with research experience.
Our value proposition
- Expertise comes along with a multitude of providers
- In-depth knowledge of the latest trends in medicine and healthcare
- Strong partnerships with universities and research institutes
- Deep insights into the product portfolio of suppliers and the corresponding technical capabilities
- Experienced staff in all product divisions, especially in Embedded & Wireless, Sensors, Advanced Materials, R&D, etc.
- One-stop-shopping
- Solution provider for all components (consulting on best-fit systems and manufacturer products)
- Own reference designs on which development can build to shorten time-to-market
Health Analytics
How cutting-edge sensor technology is becoming part of health care
Wearables such as intelligent blood glucose meters, fitness trackers, and smartwatches have already become reliable everyday companions. They provide users with information about the state of their bodies and thus sensitize them to take more care of themselves. They remind users of exercise goals, report high or low blood pressure, and monitor sleep patterns. All with the aim of giving the body, what it needs to be healthy and efficient. What is required from a technical point of view? There is a complex system of various sensors, machine learning, wireless technology, and rechargeable battery technology. In most cases, these smart trackers are networked with an app developed by the provider, in which algorithms take over the evaluation of the collected data, present results and directly recommend action.
For the next generation of these measuring devices and reliable use in the medical environment, these components must be even more accurate and efficient, as well as have the capability for self-learning analysis and further networking. Robustness, flexibility, mobility, and intuitive handling must not suffer from the complexity of the technology.
Printable sensor technology meets big data
The advantage of the smaller but more precise sensor technology lies in its unobtrusive integration into everyday life. A wristband is annoying in some situations, such as when sleeping. Many users therefore take it off at night, but this means that important analysis values are missing. However, if the sensor technology were already integrated into the fabric of the sleeping clothes or the mattress, a complete recording of essential parameters could be ensured. Sensor systems are also discreet when they are glued to the skin or implanted directly.
However, the value of the data collected in this way for a preventive lifestyle only increases when it is available to medical personnel - either permanently, e.g., in the case of bedridden patients, or on demand, when the user or his app reads or communicates a negative development.
The "digital twin" approach, which until now has been more common in industrial settings, could make predictions about a person's health extremely accurate. It involves combining collected health data to create a virtual patient "copy". With the help of AI, very accurate predictions are possible, from which preventive recommendations for action can be derived for doctors and patients.
Health apps for rapid interaction with patients
For privacy reasons, there is currently no such data integrity. Currently available consumer products only use a proprietary cloud of the respective provider. Medical institutions could solve this challenge by implementing their own local storage locations in conjunction with high-performance data centers and a standardized app. The prerequisite for this is the realization of seamless security and resistance to manipulation. Here, for example, blockchain technology could bring about a breakthrough.
A picture says more
Research and developments in the fields of electro- and bio impedance show the high potential of imaging methods based on them: More mobile, more accurate, more convenient for patients and suitable for long-term monitoring, they enable much more specific diagnoses. As a business partner, Rutronik is supporting the Chemnitz University of Technology in the ELIOT research project, which is dedicated to three-dimensional electrical impedance tomography for lung monitoring in the context of post-covid therapy. However, other diagnostic imaging applications, such as MRI, X-ray, angiography, PET, and CT, are also being optimized by combining ultra-high-resolution sensor technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning technology.
Intelligent early detection
Visiting various specialists for cancer screening is recommended at least once a year. Appointments are hard to get and waiting rooms are full. An integrated telemedicine approach could improve regular screening here and ease the burden on the healthcare system. High-resolution cameras on a smartphone could send images of moles and other (un)detectable skin lesions directly to a person's cloud file, where they could be reviewed with a digital twin of the patient by a dermatologist. In prenatal care, mobile ultrasound devices offer an easy way to check the heart tones of the unborn.
Advantages
- Fast recommendation for action in case of abnormalities
- Less interference in everyday life, for bedridden or infants
- Relief of the health care system
- Less waiting time in case of surgeries
Applications
- Pregnancy screening
- Skin cancer screening
- Monitoring of premature babies
- Regular check-ups via telemedicine
- Outpatient care
- Sleep monitoring
- Mobile imaging diagnostics
Dr. Robot
Mechanical helpers in everyday medical practice
Medical robots are the answer when tasks are not feasible, too dangerous or too strenuous for medical staff. More and more hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centers are already benefiting from these reliable assistants. Thanks to information-driven surgical instruments, which can treat patients more safety, efficiently and precisely, the entire medical workflow can be optimized.
No one-fits-all solution for medical robots
Depending on the planned area of application, different components are required to implement the optimal interaction of mechanics, sensor technology, and AI/machine learning. However, the control unit and the manipulator, including the effector, always form the basis.
The sensors integrated in the manipulator are used for position determination and data gathering, as well as for transmitting data such as distances and camera images to the control unit.
Mobile and communicative
The question of mobility and the associated charging options is also highly individual. Mobile assistance robots that support staff in serving meals, distributing medications or cleaning require not only a reliable battery system but also easily accessible charging stations with long running times and short charging times. These must be protected from external manipulation. For example, if a cleaning robot is to perform disinfection using UV radiation at the same time, it must detect whether there are still people in the vicinity for whom this is harmful. With camera systems, it could scan the room and make the decision to clean, or use voice/signal output to warn those present and recommend action. If transporting blood supplies is one of the mobile helper's tasks, a device for a removable, sterile, refrigerated transport box is an optional option. Then, temperature sensors for the optimum ambient temperature, UV light for immediate cleaning and stable holding devices ensure safe transport.
Depending on the task area, the human-machine interfaces (HMI) has to be defined: Are (touch) displays or keyboards required on the machine, or can the robot be controlled exclusively via a central cloud solution? This also includes to identify how the robot should best interact with people. For simple cleaning robots, a beep may be sufficient. For food or medication dispensing, addressing the patient directly by name would provide additional security and a pleasant user experience. For these points, too, tamper resistance is of highest importance.
Precision at the highest level for surgeries
Robots that perform their tasks in the operating room do not necessarily have to be smooth-running. Rather, the focus here is on cooperation with the surgeon. In telemanipulated control, synchronous movement of the robot arm is implemented by moving joysticks or similar control elements. However, if tasks are to be performed autonomously, they must be set manually in advance or described via offline programming. At this point, data security must then allow patient-specific adjustments, but at the same time prevent access by unauthorized persons.
The sensor technology of a surgical robot requires an absolute maximum of precision and accuracy. Complex camera systems and a wide variety of sensors work together in real time, because even the smallest time delay is crucial for the success of a surgical intervention. In the dynamic context of a surgery, these robot systems must also be able to react correctly to unpredictable events.
Concepts for safety and optimal human-robot interaction
When implementing robotics applications in the highly sensitive medical context, an understanding of complex, holistic system solutions is crucial. For example, when making a decision, it is important to know which of the required electronic components are suitable and approved for use in medical applications. In the cooperation with Rutronik's field application engineers and the interdisciplinary experts for sensors, power supply, and mechanics, the focus is not only on ordering components. Take advantage of an accelerated pre-development phase for HMI solutions in medical applications and get to know the Adapter Boards Text to Speech or the RAB1 - Sensorfusion.
Advantages
- Constant work performance
- Shortening surgery times
- Reduction of patient stress
- Avoidance of treatment errors due to fatigue
- Control from a distance
- Highest precision due to the absence of mental, emotional impulses and detached from spatial and temporal influences
- More minimally invasive procedures due to millimeter-precise actions
- Relief of medical staff in nursing and cleaning
Applications
- Minimally invasive treatments
- Cleaning & disinfection, surface cleaning by UV
- Laboratories, e.g. for filling samples and mixing liquids
- Transportation, e.g. of blood reserves
- Stationary care
- First aid equipment (LUCAS 3)
Human Augmentation
How the human body can benefit from advanced technology
Human augmentation improves the cognitive and physical experiences of individuals. It is a quasi-fusion of the human body with certain technologies. Due to the wide range of requirements, it is divided into different areas.
Physical augmentation involves modifying a specific physical characteristic through technology attached to or within the body. One example is exoskeletons worn by employees in the automotive or mining industries, for example, to provide support when lifting heavy loads. The goal in an industrial context is to increase workplace safety and boost productivity.
Sensory augmentation is about maintaining, improving, or recovering abilities such as seeing, hearing, or perceiving. This involves the use of complex sensor systems that exchange data with the brain. For example, the technology takes over the tasks of the visual apparatus or the inner ear.
Exoskeletons are also used to augment body limbs or biological functions. For patients with physical impairments, these support structures equipped with servomotors offer the decisive step toward self-determined, social participation. Either as a permanent addition to the patient's own body or during rehabilitation measures. Only high-quality, precisely working technology enables patients to train effectively in a three-dimensional workspace. The field of prosthetics also falls into this category. Modern prostheses work extremely precisely thanks to sensors and ultra-fine mechanics. The connection of nerve tracts with the sensors enables intuitive use.
In order to produce an exoskeleton suitable for everyday use, a very specific construct of mechanics and sensors is required, which can also be customized and individually adapted. Through its own experience in the development of sensor-based systems, the experts at Rutronik understand the challenges that can arise in the realization of such projects. Close links with manufacturers specializing in medical components are crucial here.
Regenerative medicine from the 3D printer
Developments and research in 3D bioprinting promise a paradigm shift in the field of human augmentation. The interplay of technology, cell biology, and molecular genetics aims to produce living material using bio-ink. Primarily used for medical research, bioprinting meets the growing demand for transplant organs and functional tissues for regenerative medicine. It could also be used to print directly into the human body and become a highly minimally invasive method for closing wounds. However, there are still a number of challenges to be overcome before 3D bioprinting finds its way into everyday clinical practice. Further research will therefore address printing speed, biocompatibility, accuracy, and scalability.
Restoring brain function
Implants make it possible to treat the symptoms of certain neurological diseases, such as seizures, in a process known as brain augmentation. These brain-computer interfaces do the sending or correcting of impulses to ensure or improve brain function. Especially in the area of Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease treatment, this could bring patients back to a mostly normal life.
Artificial intelligence supports with thinking
Cognitive augmentation is used to enable the ability to think and make better decisions. This is done, for example, by using information and applications to enhance learning or new experiences. The goal here is to create a multi-experience where the interaction point "computer" is dissolved by multi-sensory and multi-touchpoint interfaces such as wearables or implants that enable immersive experiences.
Our Rutronik experts will support you in realizing your medical application. We are experienced with various solutions from different suppliers to find the best fit for you. Moreover, we can provide logistic systems to make sure you get the parts on time.
Advantages
- Participation in society
- Recovery of sensory abilities (vision/hearing)
- Freedom of movement
- Treatment of neuronal diseases
- Enhancement of environmental experience
Applications
- Rehabilitation clinics
- Everyday assistance
- Wearables
- Prosthetics
- Neurosurgery
- Multichannel HMIs
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