MEDICA DEEP DIVE: Sensors: collecting data for monitoring and diagnostics

Image: Head of a mannequin, where different sensors are attached with cables; Copyright: Messe Düsseldorf

Sensors allow the health status of patients to be recorded in real time. As a result, they enable faster diagnostics, even away from the doctor's office and clinic.

Sensors can be integrated, for example, into wearables, smartwatches, fitness wristbands or smart clothing, where they measure and monitor vital parameters. Ever smaller and more inconspicuous sensors are comfortable to use directly on the body and cause little disruption.

Sensors enable patients to keep an eye on their personal health data and, if necessary, share it directly with doctors. Sensors support preventive health care and more individualized and precise treatment.

In the MEDICA DEEP DIVE on 12 October 2023, we took a look at the sensor technology of today, which is already paving the way for the medicine of the future.

Image: Smiling man with short brown hair, grey-brown beard in a blue jacket - Jens Krauss; Copyright: Antal Thoma

Jens Krauss, Vice President Systems at CSEM.

Jens Krauss is the Vice President of Systems at the Swiss Company CSEM, who actually have their roots in watch making. Today CSEM is an innovation driver for highly demanded technology such as sensors of all kinds. Having worked with established companies as well as start-ups, Jens Krauss knows the dos and don’ts when developing new medical tech.

Krauss is convinced that well developed sensor-based tech such as wearables will be able to reduce healthcare costs in the future. What’s missing right now is often the right implementation into the workflow of the people who actually use it.

"I think those who are developing these devices, they have to think about how it’s really used in a hospital."

Image: Smiling man with dark blonde hair, half-bald head and a dark blue jacket - Prof. Dr. Jens Eckstein; Copyright: privat

Prof. Dr. Jens Eckstein, Chief Physician Internal Medicine Clinic, CMIO (Chief Medical Information Officer), Head of Innovation Management in the University Hospital Basel

Prof. Dr. Jens Eckstein, Chief Physician and the Head of Innovation Management at the University Hospital Basel, wholeheartedly agrees on the importance of exchange between developers, professionals and patients. Eckstein and his team are always curious about testing new products but as the technology is often brilliant, it’s the implementation that can be an issue.

"They probably never have seen a hospital from the inside."

Another challenge for developers is the fact that there is no such thing as "the patient". You could specify your target audience, "but if you want to address it for all patients, you really have to develop for all the patients." This also means including patients into the development phase.

Image: Smiling woman with chin-long black hair and a black blazer – Christelle Robelin; Copyright: private

Christelle Robelin, Healthcare Marketing Director at Linxens.

Christelle Robelin is the Healthcare Marketing Director for Linxens, a French based company and global leader in the production of smart card connectors and RFID antennas. As 80 percent of earths population are using their products, chances are pretty high that you have had your hand on at least one of them in your life.

Just like there’s not "the patient", there’s also no standard request, as every client has different individual demands that need to be met.

"So I would say there is no typical user requirement because we serve a lot of different applications"

However, there are some common and especially important requirements such as wear time or flexibility, as these factors are essential for the further development process.

MEDICA DEEP DIVE is now available as video-on-demand

You can watch our MEDICA DEEP DIVE "Sensors: collecting data for monitoring and diagnostics" as video-on-demand here.

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