There are many medical devices that you can wear which will be able to detect certain aspects of your body. Some people will wear these to monitor the pulse, heart rate, as well as their blood sugar. Some of the companies that make these are exceptionally large, creating what is $1 billion industry. They refer to them as biosensors, or similar devices, which can also provide pain management and electrical nerve stimulation. Here are the basics of how wearable medical devices are manufactured and subsequently sold to the general public.
What Exactly Are Medical Wearable Devices?
If you have not seen these before, you have probably mistaken them for some type of a watch. They look very similar. People wear them on the wrist, and they also tell time, but they can do so much more. They are miniature computers, ones that you can connect with your PC or laptop to download information. You can also toggle certain settings using buttons on the outside of these devices in order to see your readings. For example, if you have been jogging, you can monitor your heart rate. This can be done before, during and after the run. The same is true for people that are hiking, biking, or even swimming. They also make waterproof medical devices that can be worn down to a specific depth.
How The Industry Is Making Them Smaller
As with all things that are technologically advanced, size continues to diminish. The smaller that things are, the better it seems to be. Of course, in markets such as the smartphone and tablet industry, people do like to have those that are larger in size. However, when it comes to watches, or these wearable medical devices, the display needs to be large enough so that you are able to read it. Essentially, they model most of these after popular styles of watches that people are purchasing every day. Inside of them are circuit boards, microprocessors, and FPGAs that are able to perform many different functions. To imagine that you could actually see what your heart rate is at any given time 20 years ago would have been considered something like science fiction. However, in today’s market, this is becoming the standard.
How Are These Medical Devices Made?
These wearable medical devices are made in a specific way. They are designed to fit on the wrist, or the arm, of the recipient. They will work off of not only electrical impulses that are detected from the body, but they can also monitor certain aspects of the capillaries that are just under the skin. They are typically designed in a setting where they are able to use robotics, utilizing preprogrammed circuit boards and other forms of circuitry. They are combined with a digital LCD display, and a series of buttons that can help them gather information about your body.
Modifications That Have Happened Over The Years
Over the last few years, the popularity of these devices as increased substantially. This is now a $4 billion industry, and it has no signs of slowing down. According to statistics, one in six people actually where one of these devices, allowing them to monitor vital signs. Not all of these are strictly medical devices. The popularity of them has grown as a result of companies like Fitbit and Garman creating thousands of these devices, all of which have become very popular with those that exercise. They are able to determine their heart rate, pulse, and various other aspects of bodily functioning, most of which can be downloaded to computers so that you can monitor what is happening. The greatest modifications have been in the sensitivity of the sensors that are used. In fact, on cheaper models, the main complaint has to do with the heart and pulse rates. The more expensive models have much more sensitive and complex software that is able to properly detect this information. You could spend as much as $300 for each of these units, and you often have to do so if you want to get accurate readings.
What Is The Future Of Wearable Medical Devices?
The future of these devices is actually quite promising. As more people become accustomed to using them, their popularity will continue to grow. In the same way that watches first started out with a very small following, specifically those that were worn on the wrist, the same is happening with these wearable medical devices. Additionally, as more people focus upon their personal health, and new models come out, they will be prompted to finally try them out themselves. The future looks very bright for this industry, one that is continuing to make advancements in technology that make them so much more comprehensive.
Where Are They Manufactured Primarily?
These are primarily manufactured in countries like China where the ability to make them is at a much lower price. It is a lower cost, but that does not mean that the technology that is used is inferior. Companies that contract with businesses in these foreign countries are providing them with the technology that they have developed. They are under contract to put everything together, and may not even know what the circuitry does. They simply manufacture everything so that they can be sold to the worldwide markets.
If you have never used wearable medical devices, you may want to start using them at some point in time. If you have decided to start working out, running, jogging, or if you simply want to know what your heart rate is at any given time of the day, you will certainly want to have one. If you do have a medical condition, your doctor may recommend one particular type over all of the others. It will allow you to take care of your body. You could have diabetes, and by using these devices, determine when the best time is to provide yourself with insulin. These are just some of the many benefits of using wearable medical devices that are manufactured today.