Miniaturized Photonic Devices Trends For Wearables And Medical Diagnostics
Matt Davis, RevPart
While use cases for technology continue to grow, hardware for some applications is doing quite the opposite.
Smaller is often better in fields such as healthcare, where miniaturized devices offer enormous potential for assessing, diagnosing, treating, and managing conditions. Packing more technological power into smaller devices such as wearables increases opportunities for real-time tracking, processing, and feedback, while managing energy consumption and decreasing invasiveness.
Engineers and designers are capitalizing on these trends, incorporating technological advantages into the latest wearable and other portable devices. Examples include heart rate trackers, as well as glucose and blood oxygen monitors.
Following are some additional examples of the benefits miniaturized photonics are bringing to healthcare.
Efficient Data Processing
The functionality of any given device largely depends on its ability to manage data, and both machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) are helping to improve that capability. For instance, applying the two technologies to complicated algorithms can reduce errors and decrease the ratio of noise to signal.
ML and AI allow devices to provide greater resolution and sensitivity, increasing accuracy and practical use. With innovations in data transmission and processing, both the user and medical professionals can often get real-time insights from the data, with no large medical equipment needed.
Enhanced Sensitivity
Increased sensitivity of devices has the potential to make diagnostics more effective. The use of metasurfaces helps control the movement of light, increasing the accuracy of the information received.
Quantum dots — miniature semiconductor particles that control wavelengths of light based on their design — allow devices to spot chemicals even in very small concentrations. Although these advancements commonly apply to healthcare, they pose opportunities for other industries, as well.
Energy Optimization
Since portable devices and wearables may not have access to a constant power source, energy efficiency is a key goal. Spectral analysis — a method used to study how a signal, wave, or other form of energy is distributed across different frequencies or wavelengths — often relies on the use of efficient lighting, such as LEDs, to achieve effective illumination with a minimum of energy expenditure.
Gallium nitride (GaN), a semiconductor material, is revolutionizing power electronics and RF/microwave communications, resulting in a semiconductor that is energy-efficient and highly durable. The wider band gap in GaN provides a path to power conversion that is more powerful and efficient than silicon.
Precise Fluid Handling
Recent innovations have made it possible to rapidly process even trace quantities of fluids, with no complex laboratory setup and no need to wait weeks for data. The integration of microfluidics and spectroscopy simplifies the work for matter characterization, sample preparation, small molecule analysis, and more.
The system brings critical components of the lab to the sample, instead of traditional methods of preparing a sample and bringing it to the lab. The effect increases the speed of a completed analysis while minimizing complications and difficulties for researchers.
Boosted Signal Strength
The use of plasmonics and other technologies provides the ability to boost signal strength and increase overall accuracy.
Plasmonic nanoparticles involve specific metallic particles that are typically made from gold or silver, and sometimes platinum. The particles have unique properties that allow them to concentrate and guide light. Based on their size and shape, the particles can change color and optical properties, making it easier to analyze trace elements. Applications include medical research and other fields in which chemical analysis is required.
Targeted Therapies
Finding the right treatment for patients often involves a minute analysis of the system and its responses. For example, innovations in neural modulation allow photonic devices to stimulate or suppress neurons using proteins that are sensitive to light. These advancements can increase cognitive response or decrease the harmful effects of neurological disorders.
Increased Biocompatibility
Since many miniature devices are wearables or implants, either temporary or permanent, biocompatibility remains a chief concern. The components of the devices and the way they operate must work with the body; otherwise, they risk damage. Efforts to increase biocompatibility include the use of materials such as biocompatible metals or polymers, which can provide the correct controls while minimizing adverse reactions.
Integration With Smart Technology
The use of spectrometry in smart devices simplifies the process of diagnostics. Integration of fine components, through custom molding services and other manufacturing advancements, allows smart device manufacturers to include processing elements directly into the device.
With this technology, researchers, inspectors, and medical professionals can test a sample rapidly and receive information about it on the device. Ease of transmission means that data sharing can happen seamlessly through the cloud.
Non-Invasive Diagnostics
Reducing the invasiveness of procedures increases the likelihood of early disease detection and rapid analysis. Wearable spectroscopic technology provides opportunities for testing without having to penetrate the surface. Researchers can use near-infrared spectroscopy to get information about fluids and tissues deep under the surface, avoiding the need for biopsy needles and other invasive elements. This type of diagnostics can maintain desired patient outcomes while minimizing discomfort or damage.
Real-Time Analysis
The use of photonics has dramatically increased the ability for real-time analysis. Old technology forced researchers to spend additional time transporting samples or images to a processing facility for analysis, followed by interpretation by medical professionals. That process required more time and was generally inefficient, especially for patients whose conditions were rapidly changing. Integration with AI and smart devices brings the analysis to the subject or the sample, providing real-time insights that researchers and medical professionals can use to make rapid adjustments.
Photonic devices are revolutionizing medicine and other industries due to their ability to enable rapid sample collection and analysis, even from remote locations. By taking into consideration the innovations that increase efficiency, portability, sensitivity, and biocompatibility, engineers can evaluate the advantages and integrate these technologies into new devices.
About The Author
Matt Davis is a Project Manager at RevPart. With more than 10 years of experience, he focuses on product design and the manufacturing process.
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