The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming the healthcare industry by enabling remote health monitoring and improving patient care. Modern medical sensors can convert biological readings into digital values transmitted to smartphones or data centers via IoT networks. These sensors continuously monitor various health parameters such as heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, and glucose levels.
The data is stored in local memory, allowing clinicians to track biological indicators over time. Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors, often found in smartwatches, use LED lights to measure blood flow and determine heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, sleep apnea, and atrial fibrillation. The data is sent to smartphones and can be shared with physicians or data centers.
For people with diabetes, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors and blood glucose monitoring (BGM) devices monitor sugar levels in interstitial fluid and blood capillaries. Companies like Abbott Laboratories have developed glucose biosensors inserted under the skin to provide real-time monitoring and historical data analysis through a smartphone app.
IoT transforms health monitoring technology
However, the increasing use of IoT devices in healthcare raises security concerns. Medical devices like IoT-enabled drug infusion pumps are vulnerable to hacking. To address this, robust security frameworks, regular software updates, strong authentication measures, data encryption, and frequent security audits are necessary.
Governments, such as the European Union, have established cybersecurity and data protection criteria for medical devices. Remote health sensors feed data into microcontrollers, which analyze it and transmit it via Wi-Fi to IoT servers. These systems are designed to be energy-efficient and can be powered by motion energy harvesters, which capture energy from the user’s body movements.
The IoT is revolutionizing healthcare by providing clinicians and researchers with comprehensive, real-time data about patients’ health as they go about their daily lives. Technology will offer invaluable insights and improve patient care as it advances.
