Health is getting smart.
No, I am not referring to the cool wearable fitness devices that are becoming increasingly trendy (although those can certainly be included in the smart health category). I am talking about pills that send SMSes, palm-sized devices that are doing the jobs of enormous hospital equipment, and technology that ensures the successful transportation of human tissue.
It seems even the biggest technology machines can now be packaged in pill-sized form. Worried grandma has forgotten to take her pills? Soon there will be no need for concern. US firm Proteus Digital Health has developed a pill that sends an SMS when swallowed. Sounds almost too good to be true, but the technology behind it is actually quite simple.
Each of the pills contains a tiny metal sensor, the size of a grain of sand. This sensor emits a signal when it gets wet in the stomach, which is picked up by a patch on the patient's arm. The patch transmits a message via Bluetooth to the person's cellphone, which then sends an SMS to pre-selected contacts telling them it has been taken. Ingenious, right? The tablet is still in trial phase, but the sensor has already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, meaning SMS pills could soon be part of our everyday lives.
That's not the only tech being built into your daily tablets. Using the same sensor developed by Proteus Digital Health, pills will soon be able to transmit patient data to healthcare providers. Not only will the sensor register the time the pill is taken, but also determine the patient's heart rate, body position and temperature.
This is similar to a digital pill shown earlier this year by Motorola Mobility's advanced technology and projects group, at a digital technology conference, that can wirelessly communicate with a smartphone application.
Digital diagnosis
Hi-tech healthcare is not only limited to everyday medication.
When Microsoft SA unveiled its new tech centre in Johannesburg earlier this year, it showcased a device that could change the way rural healthcare is conducted in SA. The device, about as big as a tape measure, is similar to a number of portable ECG devices that are already being manufactured. These devices can be connected to any computer and offers all the facilities of a normal ECG device. Some even come with their own screens and storage memory, and do not need to be connected to a computer.
SMS pills could soon be part of our everyday lives.
Because it is so easy to use, it does not need to be operated by a healthcare practitioner, and tests can be done by someone who has received minimal training. A heart rate chart is produced, which can be electronically sent to a doctor with ease. In fact, during the Microsoft centre launch, a spokesperson said a number of doctors had been asked to compare heart monitor charts generated by a pocket ECG and by a traditional ECG machine, and all agreed the two were so similar that the same medical conclusions could be drawn from both.
Another device slowly making its way into everyday healthcare is the Scanadu Scout, which lets you "check your health as easily as your e-mail". This pocket device is used to record heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, respiratory rate and oxygen levels in the blood, simply by pressing it to your temple. This data, including deviations from the norm, is then sent to a smartphone.
Developed by Dr Walter de Brouwer, the device will reportedly be ready to go to the US FDA for approval next year.
Even the transportation of human tissue is now easier and more secure, thanks to smart technology. SenseAware is a multi-sensor device used by FedEx that can determine the current location, temperature, light exposure, humidity and barometric pressure of any shipment. This is, of course, not exclusively used for medical shipments, but is an invaluable device for the transportation of human tissue and organs, which are reliant on the management of the aspects monitored by SenseAware.
The online world has bred a whole new species of cyberchondriacs - those who look up symptoms on Google and diagnose themselves with everything from a cold to terminal illnesses. I wonder what the era of smart health will bring, but it looks like I won't have to wait long to see.
Share