Manufacturing and design improvements produce noninvasive sensors that continuously monitor human biomarkers
Technology developments in the rapidly evolving Medtech industry now make it possible to replace a “one-size-fitsall”approach to fitness and healthcare. Developers are now able to create customized solutions using biomarker sensing for more individualized monitoring of one‘s physiology. Biomarkers are specific physiological indicators used to determine risk factors for conditions or illness. They can provide individuals and their physicians with important data to more quickly identify or corroborate a condition or disease that may require intervention in the form of treatment.
Physicians routinely use biomarkers to diagnose and monitor patients who may have cancer, heart disease, or previously undetectable signs of diabetes. Noninvasive biomarker sensors that accurately measure changes in sweat and other biological fluids, can allow for a more personalized—
also known as a “patient-centered”— approach to fitness goals and healthcare management. Early detection of certain biomarkers can improve the efficacy of treatment plans, and reduce the incident rate and hospitalizations due to adverse events. Early detection of life threatening diseases can potentially save lives.
Popular wearable fitness devices detect metrics such as number of steps, heart rate, and calories burned. Today there’s growing interest in wearable devices that go beyond measuring biometric parameters to measuring biomarkers in bodily fluids. Blood, sweat, saliva, and other biofluids are widely used for clinical analysis in healthcare settings. Continuous monitoring of biomarkers via bodily fluids is painless and non-invasive, and can help assure patient compliance—all major advantages for people who are at risk for or living with chronic conditions, and helpful as well for their physicians. The successful achievement of accurate and noninvasive continuous monitoring of biomarkers would represent enormous advances for healthcare, and result in significant market opportunities for sensor device developers.