Ross Bishoff’s article, “Advancing Wearable Technology for Health Care,” explores how wearables, currently used for fitness tracking, could become crucial in medical settings. Asimina Kiourti, an associate professor at Ohio State University, is leading efforts to transform wearables into medical-grade devices; “Wearables right now are not medical grade devices… that’s what I want to change” (Bishoff, 2022).
Kiourti’s projects include developing wearables that monitor body movement, wireless implants for conditions like Parkinson’s, and heart monitors for concussion patients. “We’re interested in developing sensors that do not exist” (Bishoff, 2022). This forward-thinking approach aims to create new types of wearables with advanced health monitoring capabilities.
One significant project involves a wearable antenna for astronauts, developed by PhD student Allyanna Rice in collaboration with NASA. This device will monitor health issues like muscle atrophy and bone density loss during space missions; “We’re envisioning a sleeve or article of clothing that would go around the leg with antennas placed on it”, says Rice (Bishoff, 2022).
The article highlights the challenges of making these devices interact accurately with the human body: “The challenge now is to get it to interact accurately with the human body” (Bishoff, 2022). Despite these challenges, the technology promises to revolutionize health monitoring and treatment.
Kiourti’s work shows how wearable technology could evolve from fitness tools to vital medical instruments, reflecting her passion for innovation and mentoring. “To see students grow along the process of what we do is super exciting” says Kiourti (Bishoff, 2022). This transformation in wearable technology could significantly impact healthcare by improving diagnostics and treatment.
Bishoff, R. (2022, August 19). Advancing wearable tech to meet medical needs: Ohio State. Advancing wearable tech to meet medical needs | Ohio State. https://www.osu.edu/impact/research-and-innovation/kiourti-wearable-technology
