IoMT | Integration of IoMT in MedTech

IoMT holds a promising future within the Indian healthcare scenario, albeit some challenges must be addressed to realize its full potential.

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has emerged as a specialized branch of the broader Internet of Things (IoT) technology, specifically focusing on healthcare applications. Similar to the IoT, the IoMT is also interconnected to various devices for communication with each other. The communication could be wireless, wired, or both, depending upon the devices and infrastructure developed. As smart cities continue to proliferate, the demand for IoMT solutions is rapidly increasing.

The IoMT market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth USD 52.33 billion in 2023 and is poised to reach USD 385.01 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 28.7 percent from 2024 to 2031, according to InsightAce Analytic.

IoMT, born from IoT progress, links medical devices through advanced tech. Boosted by Covid-19 and aging populations, IoMT emerges as a pivotal force in modern healthcare. With IoT set to connect over 75 billion devices by 2025, healthcare stands to gain enormously.

The Indian market
IoMT holds a promising future within the Indian healthcare scenario. Projected to exhibit a CAGR of 14.23 percent between 2023 and 2028, IoMT applications are swiftly proliferating, bringing about a transformative effect on patient monitoring and remote assistance.

IoMT enhances accessibility, improves care quality, and increases efficiency. It enables remote patient monitoring, telemedicine, and easy access to electronic medical records, thereby bridging gaps in healthcare access and improving the quality of care, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

However, challenges such as ensuring secure data transmission, enhancing accessibility for all users, and addressing cost and infrastructure barriers must be addressed to realize IoMT’s full potential in the Indian healthcare landscape.

Recent technologies that make up IoMT system are: The development of sensor technologies is crucial for the advancement of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) systems. Physiological sensors collect human health data, while ambient sensors monitor environmental conditions. Recent innovations include wearable sensors for ECG monitoring, solar-powered sensor nodes, self-powered biosensors, and stress sensors based on body parameters. Additionally, advancements such as reward-based sensor charging mechanisms and lossless compression techniques for ECG signals contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of IoMT systems.

Communication technologies in an IoMT system contain a range of components with two type’s short-range and long-range communication. Short-range communication includes Bluetooth, ZigBee, RFID, NFC, and WiFi which is responsible for connecting the gateway to the smart devices in the environment-aware layer while long-range communication includes 4G, 5G, WAN, and satellite which is applied to transmit information between the gateway and the cloud server.

Parallel computing technologies, such as grid computing, cloud computing, fog computing, and edge computing, form the foundation of the cloud service layer in IoMT.

Cloud computing was traditionally predominant in IoMT deployments, later there is a shift towards fog computing and edge computing. This transition towards fog and edge computing is seen as more suitable for establishing advanced IoMT systems due to their lower latency and improved data handling capabilities.

Outlook
The fusion of IoMT and MedTech marks a healthcare revolution, empowering personalized treatments and proactive interventions. With real-time data collection and analysis, IoMT enhances medical device capabilities, driving precision diagnostics and improved patient outcomes. As IoMT evolves, expect unprecedented advancements in healthcare delivery, elevating quality of life for all.