Tiny increases in sweat gland production translate into large changes in skin conductance. This phenomenon is being used to study the medical implication of increased sweat production. Rosalind Picard, of MIT, has been using data from body-worn sensors to measure and correlate emotional states. Understanding emotion has significant possibilities for the treatment of autism, depression […]
Medical Product Development and the Internet of Things 04/08/2014
I have been reading a lot about “The Internet of Things” (IOT), which seems to be this year’s buzzword. I have been reading and thinking about what this might mean for the future of medical product development. For one thing, connectedness will be a requirement. Medical products will be connected, the same as everything else. […]
The Future of Medical Devices 04/07/2014
Just watch this video.
MannKind Receives FDA Panel Recommendation 04/02/2014
MannKind Corporation has received recommendation from the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that their inhaled insulin product, AFREZZA, be granted marketing approval. This is a huge step forward for MannKind and for the treatment of diabetes. Forma designed a range of inhalers for MannKind based on the AFREZZA technology, enabling […]
Dematerializing Medical Devices 04/01/2014
A few weeks ago I posted a blog about the future of medical product development and how many medical devices would become “dematerialized” and take the form of implantables, injectables and electronic stickers. Now comes word that a device is being developed in the form of a bandage that would incorporate strain gauges, a heating […]
Wearable Sensors and Fitness Trackers 03/31/2014
Recently, New York Times journalist, Albert Sun, published an article about his experience with fitness tracking devices. His original idea was to compare various trackers to see which ones were the most accurate. He realized that the compelling aspect of such trackers was not in the data they accumulated and how accurate that data was, but […]
Medical Product Development and the Future 03/24/2014
Patient accountability/partnership will become the norm. Preventative care and early diagnosis will be the focus. Biometric data tracking will be used to establish a “digital you” against which predictive models can be run to forecast health risk so preventative measures can be taken. Everything will be connected and interactive. Surgical intervention will become increasingly minimally invasive. Nano robots […]
Design of Wearable Health Tracking Devices 03/11/2014
Many companies are introducing wrist-worn bands that track your activity levels, calculate calories burned, monitor your heart rate, etc. One drawback to the wrist-worn form factor is that it limits the skin surface area that can be used for sensing. Flexible electronics are being developed that can conform to body contours. As this type of […]
Optogenetics 02/24/2014
Optogenetics is one of the most interesting and promising of the new technologies in science and medicine. It involves modifying DNA with genes that make light-sensitive proteins. Modifying neurons in this way makes them react when energized by light. Most experimentation to date has focused on understanding how neural systems work and how they might […]
The Opportunity in Health Data Trackers 02/18/2014
An article in MedCityNews highlights an interesting point regarding wearable health sensors and the data they generate: how do users make sense of all the data they collect? This quote, from Catherine Calarco of Heartmath is telling: “People are still trying to figure out the design and presentation of the data. I’d like to see more user […]
