Smart TextileBased Wearable Biomedical Systems A Transition Plan

Smart Textile-Based Wearable Biomedical Systems: A Transition Plan for Research to Reality JUNIOR RASHID SHAFEER CS 7 – 7509 YCET

CONTENTS o EVOLUTION o OVERVIEW o PROMISES AND POTENTIAL o REALITY o ANALYSIS o CONCLUSION o REFERENCES

EVOLUTION OF ST-WBS �Challenge to minimize the loss of human life on the battle field �DARPA funded research carried out at Georgia Institute of Technology �Sensate Liner for Casualty Care : First wearable motherboard / intelligent garment �Smart Shirt : Versatile framework for sensing, monitoring and information processing devices

ST-WBS : An Overview The unit operations associated with the system are : �Sense/Observe �Process/Transmit �Interpret/Diagnose �Respond/Learn

Promise and Potential of ST-WBS �Smart Shirt opened up entirely new frontiers in civilian healthcare and telemedicine �The healthcare industry’s challenge is to balance cost containment with maintenance of desired patient outcomes. �A demand for portable, versatile medical devices �Smart Shirt enables the physician to interact effectively, efficiently, and continuously with any patient at anytime

�To enhance the quality of life for individuals �Provides a natural interface �Offers a sense of security �To transform healthcare monitoring and delivery as is being currently practiced �“Doing well by doing good”

Reality �Since 1990 considerable amount of research has been going on in this field �The European Commission (EC) has been a major source of funding research in this area �More than 35 EC projects with an approximate total funding of € 60 million (1999 – 2002) �These projects follows 2 complementory approaches : Application Pull Technology Push

Major prototype systems and applications include : �Continuous measurement and control of glucose concentration in subjects �Personal ECG monitoring for early detection and management of cardiac events �A wrist multi sensor device for continuous monitoring of health status and alert �A personal mobile health service platform for vital signs monitoring based on body area network �An ambulatory bio-sensing microsystem for continuous evaluation of organ feasibility

In the area of ST-WBS, the EC has funded projects that have led to the following key developments. • VTAMN • WEALTHY • Mag. IC • My. Heart

�According to Venture Development Corporation, the global market for Wearable biophysical monitoring systems is expected to grow to $265 million by 2007 �A robust textile-based wearable biomedical system is yet to enter the marketplace �To realize its initial goal of enhancing the quality of life for individuals �The transition from research to reality has been rather painfully slow

Analysis Technology Success Factors The success of any product in the market depends on : �Its effectiveness in successfully understanding the user’s needs and meeting them �Reduction in the cost of current solutions or technologies it aims to supplant �Improvement in the quality of service �Enhancement of the user’s convenience.

In addition , the adoption of an innovative product is affected by the following factors : �Relative Advantage �Compatibility �Complexity �Observability �Trialability

Analysis of the Major Facets The first step in the analysis is to frame a set of questions that must be addressed from the various viewpoints : �Articulation of Need �Clinical Effectiveness of the Technology �Cost-Benefits Analysis �Enhanced Convenience �Improvement in Quality of Care

Result of Analysis �It has been explored that each of the facets related to the transition of ST-WBS from research to the marketplace �All the facets and the stakeholders must come together for the ST-WBS technology to become a reality in the marketplace

A Plan Of Action �The critical step in transitioning ST-WBS to the marketplace is to demonstrate the overarching “value” of the technology Demonstration of Value of ST-WBS: The three essential steps to demonstrate the value of STWBS are : 1) Establish the robustness of the various components of the ST-WBS and finalize system 2) Demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of ST-WBS 3) Conduct a holistic cost–benefit analysis

A Call To Action �The venture engaged in enhancing the quality of life for individuals by delivering such systems to the market can indeed be profitable in the long run �The successful realization of the technology requires the integration of multiple building blocks of technologies and expertise �It calls for a bold commitment on the part of the commercializing entity to bring these seemingly disparate organizations together and make it happen

Conclusion �The challenge to minimize the loss of human life on the battlefield turned out to be the trigger for the birth of ST -WBS �An ST-WBS fulfills need by enabling the physician to interact effectively, efficiently, and continuously with any patient at anytime, and who might be anywhere �Despite the promise and potential , an ST-WBS is yet to enter the marketplace

�All the facets and the stakeholders must come together for the ST-WBS technology to become a reality in the marketplace �It calls for a bold commitment on the part of the commercializing entity to bring these seemingly disparate organizations together and make it happen �A visionary approach coupled with operational excellence is indeed needed to transition the ST-WBS technology from research to reality

? ANY QUESTIONS