7 Medical Devices We’d Like to Go Modular

There appears to be a new medical development every day. Medical advances extend life expectancy and improve quality of life, but they are also changing how health is tracked. People can now gain more insight into their health than ever before thanks to the growing popularity of wearable technology and health apps. Wearable technology can track things like sleep duration and quality, calorie intake, acceleration, frequency, duration, intensity, and movement patterns, as well as health markers like heart rate and blood pressure. Managing the billing process accurately is not easy as providers might face hurdles in revenue cycle management. Moreover, Net Collection Rate below 95% shows that your practice is facing troubles in the billing process. To eliminate all these hurdles and maintain your NCR up to 96%, MedsIT Nexus Medical Coding Services are around the corner for you so that your practice does not have to face a loss.
Therefore, customers are getting more knowledgeable about tailored medicine. The biohacking movement is expanding as more and more people seek to transfer medical and health information from profit-driven large corporations to consumers. Technology in particular is having a significant impact on both the type and mode of delivery of medical care. Instead of going to the doctor or staying in the hospital, people can receive treatment for a variety of ailments at home thanks to telemedicine. One may easily see a time in the future when people will be able to create their own tablets using a 3D printer at home. When pharmaceutical supplies are low, sensor technology will be able to identify the need for replenishment. The results of medical tests will be supplied promptly by mobile phone-connected blood and saliva tests, or via robot, drone, or self-driving car delivery of sample.
Therefore, a modular phone device, such as the one we are developing at Nexpaq, is a logical addition to the medical ecosystem of the future for a variety of medical exams and treatments. Here are some ideas on what should be made modular and how it might function:
a blood test
To keep track of their blood sugar levels, diabetics depend on routine blood tests. The first all-in-one glucose metre ever made by an Israeli firm, MyDario, enables users to quickly check their blood sugar levels on their smartphone. This data can be shared with family members and medical experts via a related app, which also tracks exercise and carb intake.
Even though the majority of medical diseases do not necessitate this regular blood testing, it is a natural extension that this type of testing could eventually expand to other blood tests that only need a tiny volume of blood for proper testing. But that won't happen for a time.
With the aid of microfluidics technology, Theranos claims to have created a blood-testing device called Edison that would employ a few drops of blood collected with a fingerstick as opposed to volumes of blood collected through conventional venipuncture. However, they are currently under investigation for false lab results and unethical commercial activities, so it is unclear whether the testing is actually effective.
Epipen
The only portable device that can give adrenaline to persons experiencing anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction that impairs breathing, is the Epipen. Anything from a bee sting to ingesting little amounts of peanuts can cause anaphylaxis. The manufacturer, Mylan, has recently been in the spotlight because the price of epipens increased by 461 percent, from about US$57 to $318, or about 500%. When you consider that many allergy sufferers must always have their medication with them in case they experience life-threatening anaphylaxis, it is very immoral.
The auto-injecting gadget is covered by a patent held by Mylan that expires in 2025, but biohackers have responded by creating their own epipens at a cost of $30 each. Although there are clear limitations regarding individual risk, etc., it provides an important illustration of the role that citizen science plays in health activism. Could a modular epipen be developed in the future?
maternity tests
Self-pregnancy tests are frequently used. In spite of the fact that there are now digital pregnancy tests that can precisely calculate the number of weeks of pregnancy, they can only be used once, which makes them expensive and harmful for the environment. Pregnancy tests as we know them may be changed if the test was modular and instead used a single-use portable tip that clips into a sensor module.
Tests for ovulation
It seems to reason that ovulation tests could gain from a similar approach. Women may already track their periods, PMS symptoms, reproductive window, basal body temperature, and use of birth control with applications like Clue that track the menstrual cycle. Daily digital ovulation tests are also available, which effectively read an ovulation strip and indicate to the user whether or not she is in her fertile window.
Consumers are already hacking them for reuse, but they are not inexpensive. An excellent substitute would be a modular component.
Monitoring and management of asthma
People of all ages can develop asthma, an inflammatory illness of the airways. According to the most current revision of the global asthma estimate, up to 334 million individuals worldwide may have asthma, and the burden of disability is significant. It is necessary to continuously check the asthma pandemic and its treatment.
An inhaler for treatment, a preventative inhaler, and a peak flow metre for lung health testing may all be used to control asthma in most cases. Peak flow metres, like the PiKo-1, which can store up to 96 peak flow (lung capacity) values, are gradually being digital. Data may be accessed by pressing a single control button, which gets rid of the mistakes that come with paper diaries. Prices are comparable to peak flow metres that are mechanical. PiKoNET application. It is simple to download all tests for tracking and trends.
The most popular digital treatment monitor is CareTRxTM, a sensor device that clips onto the top of an inhaler to monitor. CareTRxTM is a compact cap that fits over the canister of the majority of metered-dose inhalers and is equipped with sensors and onboard memory. The on-board memory saves the information when a user presses down to administer a dose. The cap then automatically connects and syncs to the cloud and the product's app whenever the user is close to a mobile device. When it's time for a dose, lights on the cap also turn on.
The creators were taking part in an asthma hackathon when they had the idea. The team created the Chameleon, a bulky plastic add-on for inhalers that measured peak flow, lung function, canister capacity, and dosage. It also included a game-based app that allowed kids to win points for using their inhalers. There have also been discussions of including a pollen sensor.
Naturally, carrying numerous inhalers and peak flow metres adds to the burden, and losing an inhaler can endanger a person's life. Therefore, for many asthmatics, a clip-on, sensor-enabled modular device could change their lives.
Genetic analysis
Consumer interest in genetic testing as a medical specialty is rising. Customers can discover additional information about hereditary diseases, genetic risk factors, physiological features, ancestry makeup, and DNA relatives. MedsDental is a renowned Dental Billing Company in the United States, equipped of the revenue cycle experts who are highly proficient in delivering fast and the error-free billing services to dental practices by using the cutting-edge technology.
The genomics business 23andme currently provides remote DNA testing. This makes it possible for users to purchase testing kits and create accounts (including signing consent to testing documentation). They send a saliva sample, which is then returned to the business. The testing process takes a few weeks, and the results are made public through the online web account.
In order to enable outside developers to create a wide variety of new tools and applications for the 23andMe community based on the firm's data sets, the company published its API in 2012. Maybe there will be a possibility to give the test in modules in the future?
In the end, some of these applications involve a fair amount of conjecture. However, they are founded on prior experiences and the growing interest in smart health technologies. Every year, ideas go from being possibilities to being realities, and the main bottleneck is not science or technology but rather FDA approval and other regulatory restrictions since technology advances more quickly than law. Consumer demand is driving the advancement of digital medicine; it's time for legislation to catch up.