Wearable devices gain traction

The way by which medical treatments are being delivered is rapidly changing. In many cases, one no longer have to go to the doctor’s office, hospital or other medical facilities to receive doses of medications to be administered for various illnesses and diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease or infectious diseases. Today, treating these medical issues might be as easy as ordering a wearable device online or going to the pharmacy.

Wearable drug device trends
A wearable drug delivery device is a piece of medical equipment that eliminates the need for excessive trips to medical facilities and reduces the overall cost of healthcare. The reasons wearable drug delivery devices are exploding in popularity vary; however, the reasons mostly fall into the category of convenience and ease of use in one way or another.

These devices eliminate the need for needles in many cases. It also allows to administer large-dose medications that are to be given over a long period of time in the comfort of home without medical supervision. Keep in mind a medical professional should train one on the best ways to use such devices so that they are being treated properly and effectively. And patient will be monitored remotely with other wearable monitoring systems in most cases.

In addition to the convenience of at-home drug administration and lower medical costs, one will also stay out of dangerous hospitals which will help to improve their condition more quickly. One can find wearable drug delivery devices for a wide range of medical treatments, including asthma management, pain relief, insulin monitoring and respiratory therapy. These devices are exploding in popularity and the trend is that this industry will continue to grow and transform the drug delivery system once and for all.

Activity monitors. For these wearable medical devices to be successful, medical professionals must be able to monitor progress remotely from medical facilities. This can be easily accomplished with the use of wearable activity monitors. An activity monitor could range between medically-designed devices to mass market wearable activity monitors, such as a Fitbit or Apple Watch. The type of wearable activity monitor device anyone require will depend entirely on their medical situation. One might require an ECG monitor to watch their heart activity, from detecting atrial fibrillation to tracking exercise. Another might require a blood pressure monitor. Or might even require a biosensor that prevents respiratory or cardiac arrest. They can also lead to less frequent dosing.

Patches. Smart patches, also referred to as smart cutaneous wearable devices and electronic skins, distribute medication through skin from a patch. This concept has been around for decades. Think of nicotine patches or the birth control patch. These two medical delivery systems through patches have proven to be highly effective. They are also easy to administer and safe to use. Of all of the drug delivery devices that patient wear, this might be one of the originals. Today, dozens of other types of medications are now available through a smart medical patch. They are disposable and lightweight as to not disrupt life too much. They can also be used by medical professionals to monitor medical situation, including fevers, fitness, cancer cells and much more. And patches are considered a painless drug delivery device.

Smartwatches. Smartwatches lead the way in all wearable connected health devices in all industries, however their medical uses are only in the infancy stage. As of right now, their primary use in the medical field is to monitor various health conditions. Some smartwatches act as 24-7 EKGs to monitor heart at all times and others simply track fitness activity. As of right now, it does not appear any smartwatches exist that administer drugs. However, this could change any day. For now, they act as a wonderful way to prevent a health crisis and to allow patients to take accountability for their daily actions and even to remind them when to take medicine or change a medical patch.

Smart clothing. Much like smartwatches, smart clothing is currently providing more monitoring than to act as a wearable drug delivery device. However, this is changing. Scientists and researchers all over the world are working with smart fabrics to be able to act as a drug delivery device. This helps to conceal the device so that it is more comfortable for the patient. The fibers in the wearable materials are designed to control when drugs are released and the amount of the medication. At the moment, when the medication is released, the person wearing the material feels slight pressure. However, the materials are lightweight and prevent patients from having to go to a medical facility for drugs to be administered.

Subcutaneous drug delivery devices. Wearable subcutaneous drug delivery devices are eliminating the need for IV drug delivery across all fields of medicine. The device is inserted under skin and medication is released on its own. This includes more convenient options for cancer patients and those with autoimmune diseases. One of the biggest advantages of this type of drug delivery system is that it requires the patient to complete the entire recommended treatment. When people do not complete their treatment in full, it can lead to drug resistance in some cases. Some of the most common types of subcutaneous drug options include diacetylmorphine, goserelin, insulin, and morphine.

Onbody injector. An onbody injector is considered a wearable injection device. This type of device is becoming quite popular with cancer patients in the wearable injectors market. Once the device is applied to the stomach or arm, it waits for a period of time before it slowly releases the medication. This type of injector allows for patients to be treated at home without exposure to other illnesses and diseases during a time when immune system is already compromised. This convenience is making the wearable injectors market one of the most in-demand.

Handheld injector. A handheld injector is not necessarily wearable in that it is connected to body at the time of injection, but rather one can keep it on person until it is time to inject yourself. It typically comes in the form of a stick-like tube. A good example is an Epipen for people who have life-threatening allergies. A person simply can grab it from their pocket or bag and inject themselves with the push of a button. It eliminates the need for administering a syringe.

Needle-free injector. A needle-free injector comes in a variety of distribution possibilities. The use of this type of medical delivery device could be administered through shock waves, gas pressure or by electrophoresis. These medical administering methodologies help to prevent the need for needles to administer drugs. This process also improves safety for the patient, eliminates medical waste and increases the sterility of administering medications. Some people consider this a painless drug delivery device.

Wearable injectors. A wearable injector is attached to the skin and the drug is administered subcutaneously. These types of drug delivery devices patient wear provide the ultimate in convenience; however, one must be careful not to bump these devices or sleep on them.

At-home self-care. Most people do not enjoy a trip to any medical facility. As such, healthcare at home is a booming market. One can expect to see more ways to administer medications themselves in the comfort of their home in the coming years. Between telehealth, drug delivery devices, and wearable monitoring, one may eliminate the need for medical visits entirely until there is an emergency. And at-home self-care can lead to less frequent dosing. Linchpin Seo