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NXP
At NXP, innovation is always now, but our focus is always the future. Our dedicated team of experts is united by a passion to make everyday life more remarkable through technologies that continually redefine life as we know it.
Everyone in technology is talking about the Internet of Things and the amazing changes it’s going to bring about. Just imagine, soon we will live in a world with IP addressable lights, coffee pots, refrigerators, water meters, parking meters and the list goes on. It’s these applications that most people think of when they hear Internet of Things. Sure all of those applications of IoT will make your life easier, but will those applications increase your lifespan, lower your healthcare costs and provide you with an improved level of patient care.
The Internet of Things is already improving access to care, increasing its quality and reducing costs. It has tremendous long-term potential to contribute to positive healthcare outcomes and already plays a significant role in a broad range of related applications from managing chronic diseases at one end of the spectrum to preventing disease on the other. IoT’s ability to improve clinical treatment and remotely monitor diverse populations is delivered with embedded technologies such as sensors, microcontrollers, microprocessors and data gateways to the cloud.
Clinical care meets IoT
One of IoT’s strengths is its ability to noninvasively monitor hospitalized patients whose physiological status requires close attention. In this application scenario sensors collect comprehensive physiological information and use gateways and the cloud to analyze and store the information sending it wirelessly to caregivers for further analysis and review. This smart monitoring approach replaces intermittent professional staff monitoring with a continuous automated flow of information free from errors and the need to actively engage with patients.
An example of this type of system is the Masimo Radical-7®, a health monitor for clinical environments that collects patient data and wirelessly transmits it for ongoing display or notification purposes. The results provide a complete, detailed picture of patient status for clinicians to review, wherever they may be. The monitor incorporates an i.MX applications processor with enhanced graphics capabilities that enables the extremely high-resolution display of information, as well as a touch-based user interface that makes the technology easy to use.
Bridging distance – remote care
There are people all over the world whose health may suffer because they don’t have access to effective health monitoring. But small, powerful wireless solutions connected through the IoT are now making it possible to monitor these patients wherever they are. These solutions can securely capture patient health data from a variety of sensors and apply complex algorithms to analyze the data and then share it through wireless connectivity with medical professionals.
The advantages of this kind of monitoring are that patients with chronic diseases may be less likely to develop complications due to early detection. For example, patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases who are being treated with digitalis could be monitored around the clock to prevent drug intoxication.
An example of an enabling technology for remote monitoring is the Home Health Hub reference platform, built on i.MX applications processing technology. The hub tightly integrates key capabilities—such as wireless connectivity and power management—in the telehealth gateway enabling collection and sharing of physiological information. The hub captures patient data from a variety of sensors and securely stores it in the cloud, where it can be accessed by those engaged in the patient’s care.
Early intervention
Healthy, active people can also benefit from IoT-driven monitoring of their daily activities and well-being. While a senior living alone, for example, may want to have a monitoring device that can detect a fall or other interruption in everyday activity and report it to emergency responders or family members, an active athlete such as a hiker or biker could benefit from such a solution at any age, particularly if it’s available as a piece of wearable technology.
The Sonamba daily monitoring solution, aimed at the senior population, uses strategically placed sensors to monitor daily activities and report anomalies to care providers or family members via cell phone. The solution is powered by i.MX applications processors and ZigBee®-based wireless connectivity. Numera Libris mobile personal health gateway, which is designed to detect falls and provide the ability to manage one’s health at home or away, is also powered by similar technology.
The technology to make it happen
The successful use of IoT relies on several enabling technologies.
To learn more about how IoT is changing healthcare and the underlying technologies be sure to read How the Internet of Things is Revolutionizing Healthcare.
Tags: Technologies
At NXP, innovation is always now, but our focus is always the future. Our dedicated team of experts is united by a passion to make everyday life more remarkable through technologies that continually redefine life as we know it.
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