Other small monitoring devices include wearable heart monitors in various forms. Astronauts on International Space Station missions are using BodyMedia's FIT Armbands, which look like a large wristwatch, to track their levels of physical activity and sleep patterns. The armbands contain a proprietary four-sensor system that collects 5,000 data points per minute. Its materials include ABS, polycarbonate, polyurethane, nylon, polyester, silicone, and stainless steel.
Another electronic heart monitor, made by iRhythm Technologies, is the wearable, bandage-sized Zio Patch, in a thermoplastic elastomer housing. Compared to the much larger standard heart monitor, the Zio's electronics depend on one lead, not three, and it can gather data for two weeks, not two or three days.
An explosion in wearable medical monitors includes many that monitor activity levels, sleep patterns, or heart rhythm. iRhythm Technologies' Zio Patch ECG monitor houses electronics in a 4.8 inch x 2.0 inch x 0.4 inch, bandage-sized thermoplastic elastomer housing. (Source: iRhythm Technologies)
One of the biggest drivers of design and technology crossovers from consumer electronics is the trend toward home healthcare instead of hospitalizing patients. Fallon said:
We are seeing devices used in the home healthcare arena, such as sleep apnea machines, becoming smaller, both for ease of use, which can positively impact patient compliance, and for greater aesthetic appeal. Medical equipment used in the home needs to include design features, such as decorative handles, that make it look like it belongs there, instead of resembling a piece of medical equipment.
For injection molding of healthcare devices, SABIC offers Lexan EXL and Lexan HFD resins, which enable high-flow materials without sacrificing impact and ductility. High flow helps to fill out the mold completely, including fine details like thin walls, or delicate decorative elements. The company's Cycoloy CX resin provides thin walls and flame retardancy, helping devices maintain UL performance while becoming smaller and lighter.
As electronics are more frequently included in miniaturized medical devices, effects on materials not only include greater use of plastics, but also changes in thermally conductive materials. For example, copper, which is common in other electronic devices, can't be used for those that contact patients' bodies.
One new thermal control material is annealed pyrolytic graphite (APG). APG is typically encapsulated within a biocompatible metal, and is a lighter and more efficient solid heat conductor compared to metals such as copper or aluminum. This encapsulation makes APG versatile enough to be used in several medical designs, such as surgical instruments and devices that contact the human body.
It's not just electronics either. My employer is a supplier of absorbent media that goes into rapid diagnostic lateral flow devices. Think pregnancy test. Most have a minimum of 5 different materials within the case. And there is continued research to make tests that work for more and more pieces of information and with various bodily fluids. It takes an appropriate chemical treatment and combination of materials for the tests to work effectively.
Ann-for years moving to the suburbs was seen as a sign of upward mobility. That lead to the ex-urbs and an increasing need for private-cars to commute to work or shopping centers.
Today, partly because of the sustainability movement, the city is popular again. People want to live, work and shop within walking distance, or at least a short ride on public transit. Urban planners have been consulting with trend forecasters lately to help them understand this new dynamic. Neighbourhoods are coming back.
In autos, smaller cars like the Mini or Prius have a deceptive amount of interior space for those who need it vertically or horizontally. Yet, they're shorter and, easier to park, than most sedans on the roads in the US.
Thanks for that clarification and context. I see what you mean. Autos certainly, but only to a point, since many Americans are taller/larger than people elsewhere. Housing I've also heard about, but smaller living spaces, except for seniors, generally does meet with a lot of resistance among American consumers. The one I don't get is urban planning: what aspect of that is or could get smaller?
Everyone seemed to recognize the concept for electronics easily. I pointed out that their cell phones are more powerful than their first PCs. But, they didn't get that it was also relevant for other areas such as autos, housing and urban-planning. I pointed out the popularity of the Mini, not only as an efficient city car but as great unisex design. It was dismissed as a fluke.
All you can do is stand by your work and wait for others to see it too.
Nadine, you are welcome. Since "smaller, faster, better" is an ongoing trend cluster in electronics over the last several decades--both at the board level and the system level--I'm surprised that anyone would dismiss this idea. What about the American market was seen as unusual in this context?
Thanks, Tim. Interestingly, the Japanese version is not the only swallowable endoscope. There are several different models. senya, thanks for catching that editing glitch--it should have said "one lead, not three." The Zio in fact uses two electrodes.
I am wondering about iRhythm Technologies approach (page 2) to use 1 electrode to acquire ECG. For an electrical signal to exist (unless the device is catching electrons) 2 terminals must be provided. The picture itself shows 2 electrodes, or to make this claim accurate, it shows 2 electrically connected terminals
This endoscope is amazing technology. It reminds me of the movie Innerspace, but the difference is that the minature endoscope is real and not science fiction. Great and informative article.
Inspired by the hooks a parasitic worm uses to penetrate its host's intestines, the Karp Lab has invented a flexible adhesive patch covered with microneedles that adheres well to wet, soft tissues, but doesn't cause damage when removed.
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego are designing a robotic arm that takes inspiration from the loose, flexible, yet very strong structure of the armored plates on a seahorse's tail.
Researchers at the Missouri University of Science & Technology have designed a new nanoscale material that can transmit light faster than the 186,000 miles per second it usually takes to travel through air.
It has often been said that as California goes, so goes the nation. This spring, the state's wind power is setting energy generation records and solar energy generation is expected to rise sharply during the second half of 2013.
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