Door 14 – Digital Health

Energy-Efficient Connectivity for Smart Health Care

Health care systems worldwide are under growing pressure. Populations are aging, chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer are increasing, and costs are reaching unprecedented levels. Even with rising investments, hospitals and clinics often struggle to keep pace. The focus is shifting toward prevention, personalized medicine, and empowering patients to manage their own health.

At the center of this transformation are mobile health devices—from fitness wristbands and smart rings to medically certified sensors - that continuously deliver vital data. These devices support early detection, chronic disease management, and healthier lifestyles through real-time feedback and personalized recommendations. Reliable, energy-efficient wireless communication is what makes this possible.

Read more about Digital Health in our new launched Rutroniker Magazine on page 70:

Wireless as the Backbone of Digital Medicine

Energy-saving wireless solutions form the foundation of modern connected health care. Technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), Wi-Fi, and cellular IoT (LTE-M, NB-IoT, DECT NR+) provide scalable, secure, and low-latency connections across home, clinical, and mobile environments.

Nordic Semiconductor, a leader in low-power wireless systems, offers:

Bluetooth LE for efficient networking
Wi-Fi for high-bandwidth transfers
Cellular IoT for extended-range applications
Edge AI/ML for on-device local evaluation and pattern recognition

By combining connectivity with on-device intelligence, diagnoses and responses can be accelerated locally without constant cloud connections. This reduces latency, improves reliability, and enhances patient privacy.

Meeting High Demands

Medical IoT devices must be secure, interoperable, compact, and comfortable to wear. Nordic addresses these challenges with features such as Secure Boot, encrypted communication, and hardware-based key management, paired with flexible cloud integration. This ensures safe operation and supports remote maintenance and updates—even in environments with limited connectivity.

AI and Next-Generation Hardware

Health care is rapidly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Nordic’s acquisition of Neuton.AI, a specialist in TinyML, strengthens its expertise in Edge AI. The combination of Nordic’s nRF54 series SoCs with Neuton’s framework brings scalable AI to even resource-constrained devices. Microcontrollers can evaluate biosignals locally - for example, detecting falls, analyzing arrhythmias, or enabling early diagnosis. This keeps sensitive data on the device, reduces latency, and maximizes energy efficiency. Compared to its predecessor, the nRF52, the nRF54 delivers double the performance and triple the efficiency.

Power Management for Wearables

Battery life is critical for medical devices such as wearables and fitness trackers. Nordic’s power management ICs (PMICs), including the nPM2100 for primary cell applications and the nPM1300 for rechargeable devices, provide ultra-efficient energy management. Features such as ultra-low standby current and integrated wake-up functions ensure precise energy supply with minimal consumption.

The Future of Health Care

Wireless communication, edge intelligence, and efficient power management are making health care smarter, more accessible, and more sustainable. Telemedicine and remote monitoring are becoming increasingly important, especially for chronically ill patients and those in regions with limited access to medical services.

Nordic Semiconductor’s integrated platforms—combining radio modules, security features, firmware updates, and certification support - are paving the way for next-generation medical technology. The goal is clear: health care that is efficient, affordable, sustainable, and accessible to everyone.