Understanding the Application of Sensor Technology in Healthcare Industry

Sensors have become an integral part of our daily lives in the past few years. They play a significant role in detecting and measuring the physical, chemical, or biological properties of objects and converting them into electrical signals. These signals are further used for processing and analysing the data to improve the overall efficacy of the product.

There is a wide range of sensors that can detect single or multiple properties and can be applied across industries in an efficient manner. Some of these are temperature sensors, motion sensors, light sensors, pressure sensors, and gas sensors, to name a few. Sensor technology has improved multifold in the last few years, and this has resulted in its increased application across several industries like healthcare, automotive, agriculture, aerospace, etc. It is also employed in structuring smart cities by monitoring air quality, traffic flow, and other environmental factors.?

The application of sensor technology is much more evident in the healthcare industry in the post-pandemic phase. With the advent of widespread digitalization and medical facilities switching to digital platforms for a number of functions, the application of sensor technology in healthcare is more popular than ever. For instance, sensors are now used to monitor vital signs and track movement in patients.?

Sensor technology improves the intelligence of medical equipment like life-supporting implants and helps them track the real-time condition of the patient. The growing population and technological advancements are hastening the development of such medical devices. Sensor technology is helping these innovations overcome the challenge of real-time monitoring and continual tracking of the patient's vitals. While it improves the efficiency of the device, it also increases the reliability of patients who use such devices.?

At the same time, the latest advancements in sensor technology have led to the development of miniaturized sensors. These sensors can be seamlessly embedded into various devices, including smartphones and wearable devices. This has made it easier to collect and analyse data in real-time, enabling new possibilities for personalised healthcare, fitness tracking, and more.

How is sensor technology transforming the healthcare industry?

?Sensor technology in the healthcare industry is gaining momentum because of its several valuable insights into patients’ health and wellbeing. Now the patient can be monitored in real-time and accurately, even at home or outside, due to the evolution of sensors.

Let us look at some of the ways in which sensor technology is being used in the healthcare industry:

• Wearable Sensors

These are used in devices that are worn by patients. These sensors monitor vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rates of the individual who wears it. Wearable sensors like Smart watches are commonly used by people nowadays. It can be used by healthcare professionals for remote monitoring of the patient and does not require an in-clinic visit to report about the condition.?

• Implantable Sensors

These are surgically implanted in the body of the patients to monitor critical activities of internal organs. For instance, it can monitor blood sugar level of diabetic patients, heart rate of heart patients or brain activity for epilepsy patients.?

• Remote Patient Monitoring

Sensors enable the intelligence of devices and let them monitor remote patients. Through this smart device, an early warning can be issued for the patient to beware of his worsening condition and thus save many lives.??

• Health Tracking Apps

Health apps are becoming increasingly popular amongst young people as they help them monitor their weight and fitness, thereby reducing risk of any chronic disease. These apps help maintain the track of entire body functions and likewise suggest exercise and diet plans for users.?

• Smart Pills

It is an ingestible sensor that is swallowed by patients and helps keep the track of various health parameters. They eliminate the need for any invasive procedure and allow transmission of real-time information.?

?Overall, in terms of its application in the healthcare industry, sensor technology is helping to revolutionize medical treatment to a large extent. As it helps improve the efficiency and success rate of the medical devices and equipment currently available, this is leading to increased faith among the patients in the medical system.?

?Apart from healthcare, sensor technology is being extensively used in the automotive industry for a variety of purposes, in the agriculture sector to monitor soil moisture levels, temperature, etc. It also enables smart home automation and security, along with efficient monitoring of environmental pollution and tracking weather patterns.