Flexible electronics, wearable health monitoring

• $8.3 billion by 2030

• Market for healthcare products containing flexible electronics

Rhaeos – medical technology startup in Evanston, Illinois, developing a wearable for noninvasive monitoring of ventricular shunt function for hydrocephalus patients – was named the 2020 Global Competition Winner at The Virtual Medtech Conference, receiving the $350,000 grand prize.

Electronics

Moving from discrete monitoring at doctor visits to continuous monitoring provides improves diagnostic capability, preventative care delivery, and can offer:

• Fit-and-forget wear
• Always-on monitoring
• Easy body interface
• Flexibility
• Foldability
• Stretchability
• Light weight

Electronic patches

• Wearable devices with electronic components attached to the skin
• Rigid electronics mountable on adhesive patches
• Increased electronic flexibility, fit-and-forget use
• Used for cardiovascular monitoring, remote patient monitoring, diabetes management, temperature sensing, motion sensing

Smart clothing

• Interface interacts with body
• E-textiles involve electronic, textile components
• Can achieve always-on monitoring

In vitro diagnostics

• Moves diagnostics from centralized laboratories to point-of-care

Smart packaging

• Applied to blister packs
• track patient medication adherence

Enabling technologies

• Flexible substrates
• Conductive inks
• Flexible circuit boards
• Flexible sensors
• Components in e-textiles

Source: IDTechEx