In the context of the intensification of global aging and the continuous improvement of people's health awareness, the global home medical equipment market is ushering in explosive growth. With its significant advantages in remote monitoring and treatment of diabetes, heart disease and other diseases, smart medical devices not only reduce the risk of patients contracting hospital-acquired infections, but also have been vigorously promoted by the World Health Organization and other authoritative institutions, becoming an important force to promote self-health management. Behind this, connectivity technology has become a key factor in determining the performance of smart medical devices.
There are many ways to connect devices, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular networks, each with its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, reliability, and ease of operation. During the installation and setup of the equipment, the problem is already highlighted. For devices that rely on Wi-Fi connectivity, patients need to connect them to their home network on their own, but for many elderly patients or those who are not skilled in technology, the operation steps are complex and the instructions are difficult to understand, making setup difficult. While Bluetooth connectivity is relatively simple and can be done with familiar tools, it doesn't connect directly to the cloud and requires the help of a nearby smartphone to transmit data. However, data shows that only 61% of people over the age of 65 in the United States own a smartphone in 2022, which greatly limits the use of Bluetooth connectivity in the elderly patient population. In contrast, cellular technology relies on existing public infrastructure to enable out-of-the-box, zero-touch provisioning, allowing patients to receive the device and use it without the need for complex operations and expertise.
In real cases, the impact of connectivity issues on patients should not be underestimated. One patient with suspected heart disease lost critical data when using a mobile ECG monitoring device that had difficulty pairing it with a smartphone. Fortunately, the patient is fine, but for others who are critically ill, such a connection failure can be life-threatening. In order to deal with these problems, many enterprises are actively exploring solutions. For example, in response to the drawbacks of insulin monitors and auto-injectors that rely on Bluetooth to transmit data, a medical device developer has launched a retrofittable cellular network connectivity module that enables direct and stable connection of devices without the need for intermediate devices, ensuring the reliability of data transmission while simplifying the operation process, which is of great significance for medical scenarios.
Figure: Smart Medical Devices: Connectivity Matters
Different medical conditions have very different requirements for device connectivity. Like a blood glucose meter, it is enough to regularly detect and transmit data every day; Wearable ECG monitors, on the other hand, need to be continuously connected to send data to healthcare professionals in real time. Even for relatively mild diseases, the stable connectivity provided by cellular technology is important. Smart inhalers and remote oxygen sensors provide uninterrupted data transmission through a stable cellular network connection, avoiding data interruptions caused by Wi-Fi power outages, misconfigurations, or device interference, as well as Bluetooth out-of-range and signal interference, ensuring continuous and effective patient monitoring.
The security of medical data is paramount, and it is at risk of being stolen for malicious activities such as phishing, pharmaceutical fraud, and more. During data transmission, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections pass through devices such as personal routers or smartphones, which are vulnerable to hacking and exposing data to risk. Cellular network connections, on the other hand, are transmitted directly from the device to the base station, reducing the intermediate links, reducing the risk of data attacks, and improving security.
Product requirements, cost, and size are all important considerations when choosing a connection technology. For reusable medical devices, cellular technology often has advantages over other technologies such as Bluetooth if the additional cost and size meet customer expectations. Its reliability, safety, ease of operation, and ultra-low power consumption make it ideal for most medical devices. With the continuous optimization of cellular network technology in terms of cost and efficiency, it is likely to become the mainstream of home medical device connection technology in the future, providing reliable and convenient medical services for more patients and promoting the further development of the smart medical industry.
