The Internet of Medical Things technologies, known as IoMT, is the Internet of Things grafting into Telemedicine, including all the devices and applications to monitor patients, collect valid data and share them within the networks. IoMT technologies offer incredible opportunities in Medicine and, according to a survey conducted by Deloitte, this sector could reach 187 billion dollars by 2028.
From IoT to IoMT
The Internet of Things includes all the common objects, both wearable and not, that can be connected to personal devices. IoT applications can be aimed at consumers – like for example fit bands – or at industries. These latter ones are radically changing the manufacturing sector by automating processes while ensuring more efficient control of production.
The medical and pharmaceutical sectors are benefiting from this technological contamination, too. This led to the creation of a specific sector: IoMT or known as healthcare IoT. Internet of Medical Things is a fundamental area in the digital revolution of Medicine, that allows healthcare professionals to collect valuable data and formulate precise diagnoses or therapies. A deeper subdivision of IoMT differentiates three areas: In-Home IoMT, all the devices a patient uses for remote monitoring; On-Body IoMT, the wearable devices like Smart Watches or Smart Pumps for insulin; and In-Hospital IoMT, the devices in clinics and hospitals.
IoMT opportunities
The applications of IoMT technologies are numerous. They will increase and become more efficient and smart.
Remote Patient Monitoring: IoMT devices are already used for remote patient monitoring, especially for chronic diseases, after surgery, or during a clinical trial for a new treatment. Thanks to wearable devices, it is possible to monitor patients and control vital signs and therapy compliance. The device can send data directly to healthcare professionals and prompt requests for intervention if needed.
Smart Pill: smart pills are tiny capsules with a camera, used for capsule endoscopy to investigate parts of the intestine that cannot be reached with traditional exams. During the gastrointestinal transit. the smart pill can record and send data, localize anomalies, and measures vital signs like blood pressure, PH, temperature, and other signs specific to GI.
Glucose monitoring: smart devices can take blood samples to analyze the glucose level, alerting the patient when an injection of insulin is needed. They can interact directly with Smart Pumps, which can inject insulin at the right moment.
Smart Bed: among In-Hospital IoMT technologies, there are Smart Beds, that, thanks to sensors inside the bed, can send healthcare information directly to the doctors’ devices. Besides detecting the patient’s position, some Smart Beds can register specific parameters like the heartbeat, breathing, or sleep.
Smart Room: Not only smart beds but rooms themselves can be integrated with IoT technologies. The connected devices can be useful to monitor room occupancy and have a complete view of occupied beds, improving the hospital’s efficiency.
IoMT can revolutionize Medicine, improving patients’ experience and their health. Alongside the technology development, it is necessary to evaluate potential obstacles like the security of sensitive data, cyber-attacks, obsolete devices in hospitals and clinics, and digital gaps. IoMT technologies will offer us enormous opportunities and challenges for the future of Medicine.
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