Wearable medical devices: from smartwatches to multifunctional T-shirts

The fashion of the 21st century is a fashion of a healthy lifestyle. A toned athletic physique and ideal body proportions have become indicators of a successful individual. The new generation is moving away from harmful habits in favor of good health, which involves engaging in active physical exercise, maintaining a balanced diet, and achieving mental harmony. Many well-known figures talk about their engagement in sports, activity, and diets that allow them to look fantastic, achieve success, and serve as living examples for many.

Consequently, there is a growing demand for items related to a healthy lifestyle, and the supply is increasing accordingly. Global brands are supporting the sporty style in clothing and footwear, leading to an increase in the production of sports gear and equipment.

At the same time, there has been a widespread need for compact, user-friendly, and affordable multifunctional devices designed to monitor physical activity, calorie consumption, sleep quality, and other aspects of a healthy lifestyle.

The first devices of this type were initially employed in professional sports. In 1977, Polar Electro developed a wireless miniature monitor to track the heart rate of skiers from the Finnish national team. Subsequently, athletic smart watches emerged, allowing the data collected during workouts to be processed with computers.

The capabilities of these mini-computers give us hope for being healthy and successful 

Functions and possibilities of wearable devices rapidly expanded, and they have now transformed into wrist-worn mini-computers known as fitness bands or fitness trackers, becoming accessible to everyone. These miniature devices can measure heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, blood sugar levels, and other physical indicators of a person. They track activity levels and environmental parameters. Typically, these devices are connected to networks and synchronized with computers or smartphones, allowing doctors and medical professionals to remotely access health information. Fitness trackers from companies like Apple, Google, or Amazon have become not just fashionable accessories but essential tools for health monitoring, measurement, and physical load correction. Currently, nearly 30% of Americans own such smart band. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global market for wearable devices promoting a healthy lifestyle exceeded $36 billion in 2020. With an average annual growth rate of 15.4%, it is projected to reach $114 billion by 2028. The international network of companies, Deloitte Global, working in auditing, taxation, and consulting, predicts that this year, 320 million smart watches and skin patches will be sold globally, increasing to 440 million by 2024.

The growing demand for fitness gadgets attracts the world’s leading technology companies, which, competing with each other, create increasingly sophisticated models of wearable medical devices, adding numerous new features and capabilities to them. Wearable gadgets are represented by fitness trackers, smartwatches, patches, glasses, and even wardrobe items (for example, smart gloves that translate sign language into text and T-shirts).

The Finnish company Oura Health Ltd developed a unique biosensor ring called the Smart Ring, which is worn on the finger and continuously monitors heart rate, body temperature, and some other parameters. BioIntelliSense company from Redwood City (California, USA), created a biosensor sticker for continuous monitoring and accumulation of data on breathing quality, pulse, and temperature. Inculet corporation from Acton (Massachusetts, USA), manufactures the wireless insulin pump Omnipod which is mounted on a patch that attaches to the body and is inconspicuous to outsiders; it can even be worn during water-related activities.

The Canadian company Hexoskin has developed high-tech biometric clothing woven with microsensors that monitor heart activity, measure breathing patterns and physical capabilities, and transmit this data for further analysis on compatible iOS or Android devices. According to the Air@Space Magazine, the company developed a smart t-shirt commissioned by the Canadian Space Agency. In 2018, astronaut David Saint-Jacques tested it aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This t-shirt combines the functions of multiple devices: measuring heart rate, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure, breathing parameters, body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, and physical activity level. This information is transmitted to Earth for further processing and monitoring the astronaut's health.

There are already fitness bands capable of determining a person’s emotional state based on their voice. Other devices monitor posture using smartphone cameras and recommend exercises for chronic back pain.

Accuracy and Effectiveness of Wearable Medical Devices

Due to the extensive use of wearable medical gadgets, the accuracy of the information they provide is of paramount importance. Joshua Hagen, a professor at Ohio State University, USA, who tested biosensors with professional athletes, found that the accuracy of the data depends on the body part where the device is worn. Chest straps for the Polar heart rate monitor, which have been in production for over thirty years and have undergone numerous tests, proved to be the most accurate.

Rings from Oura Health Ltd also demonstrated high accuracy. They are among the smallest and therefore convenient trackers that monitor pulse, breathing rate, temperature, physical activity, and sleep quality. Moreover, research conducted during the pandemic revealed that the Smart Ring can detect changes in biometric data related to a person’s potential illness and alert them in advance to take measures.

Apple Corporation, while utilizing the Apple Watch smartwatches and collaborating with scientists from Harvard School of Public Health and the National Institutes of Health in a project dedicated to studying women’s health, analyzes pathologies and reasons for disruptions in menstrual cycles. The research focuses on issues which concern the medical community, especially in recent decades: female infertility, osteoporosis, well-being during menopause, the impact of heart diseases, atrial fibrillation on lifestyles, and more. All these aspects require in-depth study, development, and understanding of how timely signals can warn and help avoid unpleasant and dangerous consequences.

Daily Medical Practice and the Use of Mini-Gadgets

Thanks to rapidly advancing technologies, doctors can remotely access vital health parameters of each patient and provide assistance promptly when needed. Gadgets can save lives, for instance, by detecting unusual heart rate patterns and sending an alert to family members or doctors. Of course, medical professionals require assurance of the accuracy, precision, and reliability of these devices’ operations.

The American Medical Association (AMA) examined doctors’ feedback on modern gadgets, including wearable devices. Over 87% of healthcare providers expressed overall positive opinions about their use, but they also expressed the desire for further improvement in the efficiency of these new devices. Attention was also drawn to the need for enhanced protection of patients’ personal data. “The enthusiasm of physicians towards technology is directly related to the ability of the latest developments to assist doctors in improving patient care,” said AMA Vice President Meg Barron.

The natural desire of people who embrace “trends” (in a positive connotation) and their need to feel and be healthy, look great, and aspire to an ideal, will be taken into account both by medical professionals and marketers, as well as by companies with renowned brands. Our focus is on reality, stability, and the reliability of the information obtained, in order to help people prevent or overcome illnesses.

The great writer Anton Chekhov, foreseeing people’s strong desire to become better, spoke through the character Doctor Astrov in his play Uncle Vanya: “A person should be perfect in every way: their face, clothing, soul, and thoughts.” It's hard to argue with that sentiment.