With the so-called baby boomers now nearing retirement age, it is anticipated that the market for medical electronics will reach new highs. This is occurring at a time when electronic sensing is also reaching new levels of sophistication. Consider, for example, the medical applications discussed in the recent Sensor & Transducers special report; the article on MEMS packaging ( http://www2.electronicproducts.com/M-article-farc_softmems_nov2010-html.aspx) discusses technology for a cochlear implant microsystem and wearable, wireless-radio monitors.
Just this month at the MEMS Industry Groups’ MEMS Congress, one of the sessions focused on using MEMS to improve quality of life. The panelists noted that these improvements were not only for the elderly and disabled, but also to improve the world’s quality and standard of living. MIG Director Karen Lightman noted in her blog (http://memsblog.wordpress.com/) that, “I am especially excited to see the vision of a personalized iPhone that will take care of you and be your ‘friend’ for life.”
And at electronica in Germany this month, 1,156 exhibitors showed electronic applications in medical technology. Among the items on display were electronic components for the latest generation of intelligent prostheses, portable medical devices such as blood sugar testers and pulse meters, implantable blood pressure sensors, and remote monitoring and control systems for heart pacemakers.
In addition to improving the quality of life for individuals, what these advanced medical systems will do is provide doctors with a wealth of day-to-day and minute-to-minute data about the physical health of many individuals throughout their lifetimes — information never before obtainable. If this does not significantly improve the practice of medicine, then nothing ever will.
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