Sensors of Tomorrow

THE RHYTHM OF LIFE

One of the new normals of tomorrow is undoubtedly the concept of "Bionic Man"... The extraordinary abilities we are familiar with from science fiction movies become ordinary and become part of our everyday life. Ourselves, our inner circle and the people on the clapham omnibus are getting bionic, faster than we anticipate. Biosensors are the main reason for all these. Biosensors are interpreters between biology and technology in a sense, digitizing the inner dynamics of our body. These sensors are getting smaller and smaller every day as well as multiplying and spreading in use.

One of the popular uses of biosensors is personal tracking system. The data frenzy has come to a whole new level in the last decade. We already measure the steps we take, the calories we had and the quality of our sleep. While running in the pursuit of the moment, we browse these data then forget about them along the chaos. It's like we are examining a photo in social media. We look, we pass, we do not accumulate.

Tomorrow's healthcare system will rise on personalization. The personalization process is directly related to the data we collect. Some of it will come from everyday life, some from environmental factors, some from our hereditary background, and some from the treatment process. Historical data will shape the future.

Cırculatory system

There is a direct relationship between life and heart. Life ends when the heart stops. Partly because of this, the organs to be followed closely in the bionic period will be our heart and circulatory system. Today there are millions of people who regularly measure blood pressure and check their pulses.

However, diagnostic devices become more complex as the doubts increase just a little bit. Holter therapy, sleep apnea chambers, telemetry chambers are the first examples that come to mind. Patients using these services deal with an emotional exhaustion of living with a large bundle of wire. They cannot wash, they are getting immobilized, and spending their days in a certain way that they are not used to. On the other hand, a lot of people using these devices are passing through an unnecessary process. The slightest doubt brings all this financial and spiritual burden along because of the lack of intermediate solutions.

Majority of the work done using biosensors aims to fill this gap. Mobile ECG monitoring systems and cardiac telemetry devices are being developed in various parts of the world. The doors of the world “phygital” are being opened via integration of digital and physical. These devices measure uninterruptedly 1. They work in connection with a central healthcare institution, if necessary, 2 otherwise they work independently offline. In any case, the collected data is uploaded into the cloud. They not only can monitor the wake times but also the sleep 3. One of the main goals is to capture personal trends 4. One of the main features is the ability to use short or long periods of time without ever interfering with everyday life 5.

Let's examine these five titles on the axis of the BeyondCare, a mobile ECG tracking system developed by the Arçelik innovation team.

1 Regular Measurement

There are four sensors on the system - ECG, body temperature, respiration and movement. The ECG measurement is carried out over a single channel with high resolution. As long as the device is used, the measurements are taken without requiring any compromise from the daily life. Heart and the body performance is recorded; and reported.

2 Cloud and Real-Tıme Use

The device is used sometimes unconnected and sometimes used while telemetrically connected to a healthcare center. In both cases the collected data is uploaded to the cloud. In case of offline usage, battery can last up to seven days without charging. The data is uploaded to the cloud after use. In the telemetry method, the device works over a real-time connection with the hospital center for twenty-four hours. In case of exceeding the certain value range, warning system is activated and healthcare professionals are warned.

3 Sleep Trackıng

Nearly one third of the day is slept away. Your body's behavior during sleep gives signals in different areas. In sleep, it is possible to catch certain movements that are not encountered during everyday life. A comprehensive analysis report on sleep is prepared and details such as sleep quality, sleep stages, sleeping position are examined.

4 Trend Analysıs

The aim is not just making instant measurements, but capturing trends. Trends arise whether in a real-time connection or offline usage; they are examined by healthcare professionals for medical control.

5 Practıcal Lıfe

Whether it is short or long-term use, no interruption of everyday life is among the most important goals. The device can be used at home, outside, while awake, during sleep, while showering, in sports, everywhere.