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Wearable Sensors Challenge Traditional Medical Technology

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Modern sensor technology already enables the noninvasive recording of basic health information. Further advancements may move basic medical diagnostics from the hospital to the home.

FAROOQ AHMED, SCIENCE WRITER

From Apple to Fitbit to Garmin to Google, in the U.S. alone, dozens of companies are producing wearable sensors that record our movements as well as basic health information. Many of these devices rely on optical telemetry to read information about the body and transmit it to a smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. While the growth of the smartphone market may be leveling off — in part because users are keeping their devices longer — the wrist and body are still prime, underexplored

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Published: December 2018
Glossary
photoplethysmography
Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a non-invasive optical technique used to detect changes in blood volume in tissues. It measures variations in light absorption caused by the pulsatile nature of blood flow. Typically, PPG is employed to monitor physiological parameters such as heart rate and blood oxygen saturation. The basic principle involves illuminating the skin or a tissue with a light source, often an LED, and detecting the transmitted or reflected light using a photodetector. The key...
near-infrared
The shortest wavelengths of the infrared region, nominally 0.75 to 3 µm.
photodiode
A two-electrode, radiation-sensitive junction formed in a semiconductor material in which the reverse current varies with illumination. Photodiodes are used for the detection of optical power and for the conversion of optical power to electrical power. See avalanche photodiode; PIN photodiode. photodiode suppliers →
Sensors & DetectorswearablephotoplethysmographyPPGLEDsnear-infraredphotodiodeNewcastle UniversityOpticsFreeman Hospital NorthernPeripheral arterial diseasePADprimary careNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of St. Andrewsoptoelectronic sensorsCMOSImagingUniversity of California Los AngelesNIRFeaturesBiophotonics

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