topResearch ReportsBody Area Networks Using Bluetooth Low Energy, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, and Proprietary Technologies
Market Size, Segmentation, and Forecasts
Embedded Cellular Technology in Healthcare Applications
Residential and Enterprise Markets for Wi-Fi and Dual-Mode Handsets
topResearch BriefsPotential Security Vulnerabilities Multiplying
topMarket Data topABI InsightsA number of wireless technologies and mission-critical applications have converged over the past few years to create a vibrant wireless healthcare industry, one that is tracked closely by ABI Research's Wireless Healthcare Research Service. One example is a trend towards wireless patient monitoring. Physicians are able to use Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices to examine just how effectively a patient's heart pacemaker is working. This information can be transmitted not only to a physician's handheld device, but also to computers on wheels (COWs) or computers on walls (COWs) for analysis.
It's not only patients' vital signs that are being monitored, however. Many hospitals as well as eldercare facilities are using RFID tags on patients to monitor their location within facilities. Some systems now are set up to send out alerts if an Alzheimer patient tries to leave a protected environment.
Still another example of the convergence of wireless technologies and applications in a modern healthcare facility is the exciting work taking place with quadriplegics. Researchers have successfully implanted chips that translate patients' brain signals into Wi-Fi data that is transmitted to mechanical braces on arms and legs. These devices are "instructed" to help move arms and legs. The result is patients who are able to walk and use their arms to enjoy a far more normal and independent life.
The Wireless Healthcare Research Service also tracks the convergence of voice, data, and video applications that are changing the ways hospitals handle patient information. The US Government's focus on developing nationwide electronic medical record systems is opening up opportunities for wireless vendors to help transmit such information quickly and securely.
