The Technological advances have had a significant impact on various sectors, and medicine is no exception. In this digital age, One of the most promising innovations is the Internet of Medical Things –IoMT extension, by its acronym in English – an interconnection of medical devices and information systems via the Internet.
El IoMT extension Its main objective is to improve healthcare by enabling the collection and sharing of data in real time and remotely. This capability enables timely and more informed decisions to be made, as well as providing more efficient care to patients.
What is IoMT?
El IoMT extension It consists of the implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology in the health sector. In this sense, the IoMT extension It is based on the integration of medical devices, sensors, from software and communication networks to create a connected ecosystem in the health field. These devices can range from wearable health monitors, fitness trackers, to smart medical implants. All of these elements are designed to capture relevant medical data, such as vital signs, glucose levels, physical activity and sleep patterns, among others. These are transmitted via Internet to healthcare professionals, allowing them to monitor and make decisions based on real-time information.
Also, thanks to the IoMT extension It is possible to record and store the medical history of each patient in the cloud, with the aim of providing medical care and monitoring their case remotely.
Precisely, one of the purposes of this connection between devices is to improve patient care and reduce the margins of error during surgeries. On the other hand, it aims to strengthen the effectiveness of treatments, optimize the operability and increase the efficiency of the public and private health centers.
Main types of IoMT devices
Based on the above, various devices are in use and continue to be developed. IoMT extension included in a wide variety of categories. Among them:
- Portable consumer devicesSpecifically, we are talking about smart wearable devices such as blood pressure and glucose level monitors. It also includes the ECG monitoring of the Apple Watch to detect abnormal heart rhythms and provide electrocardiogram-type readings. The same is true for Fitbit by Google which include an optical sensor Photoplethysmography (PPG) heart rate which records heart rate readings, detects irregularities and automatically notifies the user.
- Medical laptops. These are regulated clinical grade products used under physician monitoringIn this group, we find devices designed for pain treatments, improving physical performance and to solve other problems. health problems.
- Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Devices. They are systems that support the chronic disease management, usually placed in the homes of patients receiving long-term treatments.
- Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS). These are portable devices used by patients, mostly older adults, who send alerts to a family member or caregiver in case of emergency. This makes it possible to send specialized help to the place where the incident occurs.
- Smart Pills. It is certainly a emerging category of devices that the patient can ingest and that wirelessly transmit data about their internal state to the treating physicians.
- Point-of-care devices and kiosksIn this category, we find mobile devices, from ultrasound scanners to blood glucose meters. Through them it is possible to obtain diagnostic information and other health data in full medical consultation or in the field - without requiring a full laboratory.
other tools
- Monitors in the clinic. They are similar to point-of-care devices. But unlike these, they can be managed remotely, without requiring the presence of an expert professional on site.
- Intra-hospital devices. Within this segment, we have MRI machines, used to track hospital assets and control patient flow. They are also used to monitor inventory of pharmaceuticals and instruments and manage other resources.
Some prominent examples of IoMT in medicine
Below we will briefly describe some relevant examples of current and recent application of the IoMT extension:
Treatment of respiratory diseases
In this case, the IoMT application is promoting the design and development of specialized devices in therapies for patients with lung diseases such as asthma. In this area, we will highlight the “Respiro” smart inhalers created by the company Amiko. They have sensors based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) e IoMT extension capable of capturing clinical information about patients. With such data, it is possible to analyze the individual's response to respiratory therapies and the influence of these.
On the other hand, there is MAN, the respiratory monitoring platform virtual for patients with asthma or chronic occlusive pulmonary disease (COPD). This resource, developed by Health Care Originals, is able to generate an alert through vibration when the sensors and the intelligent system detect significant increases in the chances of an asthma attack. Apart from that, said monitoring system sends an alert message to the treating physician to follow up on the case.
Nursing
As expected, solutions have been developed Internet of Medical Things for basic nursing care. For example, there is Push&Protect, a product of the myDevices company, which consists of a panic button that can be installed on beds in clinics and hospitals. When pressed by the patient, the system immediately sends a message to the mobile device of the nurse in charge.
Surgical interventions
In February 2019, a notable milestone in the development of the Internet of Medical Things: the first tele-assisted surgery using IoMT extension and 5G connection technology in the operating room. This operation was carried out in the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, within the framework of the Mobile World Congress. This was led by a medical team that led the Dr Antonio de Lacy, from the headquarters of the MWC. For this purpose, all visual information from the operating room was transmitted in streaming by the solution AIS Channel TelestrationThe latter is a leading global online platform for medical education and a pioneer in distance learning for surgeons.
Current importance of the Internet of Medical Things
Today, the importance of Internet in medicine lies in its ability to improve medical care in a number of ways. First, the IoMT extension allows for remote monitoring of patients. This is especially beneficial for those with chronic diseases or that require constant monitoring. In this sense, doctors can receive updated data on the condition of patients and adjust treatments accordingly. Such a possibility facilitates a substantial improvement in the quality of life and prevents complications.
Furthermore, the IoMT extension facilitates the rapid and secure exchange of medical information between different health professionals. This improves collaboration and joint decision-making. electronic medical records and the availability of real-time data allows for more accurate diagnosis and more personalized care.
As we said, the IoMT extension helps improve the operability of healthcare facilities, allowing providers and administrators to have easier and more centralized control of their facilities. From this perspective, devices with this technology can provide greater visibility of the environment and provide doctors with new technologies. such as robotic surgical aids and systems of digital image high resolution.
IoMT Perspectives
Undoubtedly, the IoMT extension It is a set of technologies in full transformation. Obviously, these devices are already considerably changing the paradigms of health care. It is therefore not far-fetched to imagine a future in which people have wearable devices to monitor their vital signs. And that these alert specialists of any anomaly. Furthermore, such units could evolve to become predictive instruments, using IA and machine learning to identify changes in the biological signals. In this way, they will be able to predict possible problems in the future.
Later, and as technologies advance IoMT extension, doctors will be able to gradually shift their focus from prescriptive to preventive. As a result, patients could live healthier and longer. Insurers could even reduce extras for members who choose the real time monitoring. This reduces the frequency of medical consultations and admissions to hospitals and clinics.
On the other hand, Internet of Medical Things in health care facilities - such as advanced diagnostic systems and robotic surgical assistants– will continue to improve their capabilities and acquire more functionalities. In this way, those who require in-person medical care will receive more reliable diagnoses and have a faster recovery time.
However, such benefits will depend on several factors. These include further advances in computing power, expansion of telecommunication technologies (5G and 6G), as well as the miniaturization of various devices.
Inrobics contributes to the advancement of IoMT
En Inrobics, we make a significant contribution to the development of the Internet of Medical Things, with our rehabilitation model through IA y social robots, which helps people with functional limitations or neurological to improve their quality of life. Of course, the increase in the frequency of the sessions improves the progress in patient treatment. In parallel, our app It allows the robot to be programmed, as well as objectively monitor and measure the degree of movement of the patient's joints. Indeed, our platform is an example of progress in IoMT extension.
