Wearable Sensors in Healthcare

This Sensor TOE profiles innovations and opportunities in wearable sensors for healthcare, including smart wearables that track heart rate variability or lung fluid volume, a vital sign monitor for parameters such as blood oxygenation and body stress level, a wearable micro fluidic sweat sensor, and a wearable device to detect artery blockage.

Sensor TechVision Opportunity Engine (TOE) captures global sensor-related innovations and developments on a weekly basis. Innovations are directed toward developing smart and intelligent sensors with functionalities beyond sensing. Research focus areas include: low power sensors (energy harvesting), industrial automation sensors (M2M, vision sensor), ubiquitous sensor (WSN, sensor fusion), smart sensors (wearables, quantified self), high sensitivity and smaller size (MEMS, nanosensors), and improved security (CBRNE, terahertz).

The need for low power, smaller, lighter sensors with enhanced performance attributes and minimal false alarms is driving innovations in the sensors space. The Sensors and Instrumentation cluster covers innovations pertaining to technologies such as wireless sensors and networks, energy harvesting, haptics and touch, MEMS and nanosensors, Terahertz, ubiquitous/smart sensors, CBRNE, quantified-self, sensor fusion, M2M communications, and drones.

Keywords: Wearables, wearable sensors, vital signs monitor, heart rate sensing, glucose sensing, respiration rate, sleep cycles