Test-drive your internet of medical things

Effective manufacturing test has an important role to play in ensuring quality of connected medical devices. Here is how it can help

- SOOK-HUA WONG

The advent of IoT is driving transformation in healthcare. Rising healthcare cost and consumer demands for better healthcare delivery are driving widespread use of IoT in healthcare. This evolution is commonly known as the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). Today, we can easily find medical devices that are connected, such as ultrasound imaging systems, glucose monitors, bedside monitors, pacemakers, hearing aids, and wearable health monitors. With IoMT devices, noncritical patients can stay at home and be monitored through these devices to decrease hospital admissions and reduce costs. The overall IoMT market is expected to grow from USD72.5 billion in 2020 to USD188.2 billion by 2025, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.0%. We will see the IoT greatly influencing all aspect of healthcare segment, from monitoring, to diagnostic, to surgery and patient care.

Medical device manufacturers face unique challenges when incorporating IoT. Many medical devices are used in mission-critical applications. Therefore, they must be very reliable and long lasting. The wireless connectivity needs to always-on and reliable 24/7 year-round, and it needs to work seamlessly in difficult physical environments. These requirements are pressuring medical device manufacturers to implement reliable, efficient, and cost-effective manufacturing test strategies.

The importance of effective manufacturing test