Internet of Things to Provide Innovations in Medical Field
The rapid ascension of IoT is responsible for a new breed in medical diagnostic devices. A term that may gain mainstream popularity is the senstroller.
The name comes from the combination of the words sensor and controller. With IoT, patients who have chronic conditions could become equipped with a senstroller. In case of an emergency, the senstroller could automatically alert emergency medical services of a potential health issue as it arises.
Manufacturers who are pioneering this industry are ARM and Freescale Semiconductor. One of the technologies that Freescale has developed is called TCC&R, which standards for Track, Command, Control and Route.
Medical devices fit perfectly into the TCC&R technology scheme, as the device could be configured to use the cloud to allow doctors to monitor that patient’s vital signs in real time. The device could also be configured to reach out for help when vital signs hit certain thresholds.
Although the senstroller is primarily made for medical use, the data generated from such a device could have implications outside of your doctor’s office. A senstroller could also be used as a preventative health device, allowing health-conscious individuals to meticulously monitor their own well being with an app. A bigger question looms. Could insurance companies want on-demand access to cloud harvested health metrics? Could the introduction of a senstroller raise ethical questions on how some organizations would want to use your data?
At this point, there is no easy answer to that question. As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to mature, you have to ask: What other types of cloud connected sensors will become common in the future? Google and other companies have begun testing ingestible technology. With people striving to live longer, more healthier lives, IoT will likely work as a conduit for humans to achieve thier personal health goals.
