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From Smart Socks to Virtual Biopsies by Yael Li-Ron
Another watch under development is the Digital Angel (www.digitalangel.net), with various sensors–such as EKG, EEG and Sudden Fall™ (for elderly patients)–as well as a locator that uses a global positioning system (GPS) to pinpoint the location of the wearer (it's intended for Alzheimer's patients and children). The Digital Angel also comes as a pager or an embedded chip (say, for a pet). The data from the device can be transmitted wirelessly to a separate handheld device, telephone or web page, where people tracking the patient can view the data in real time. Children who need to wear an eye patch to control a "lazy eye" (amblyopia) often remove the patch when mom's not around. A new "smart patch," containing a microprocessor and a sensor, acts as a deterrent. It collects information for doctors about when the child is wearing the patch. "Smart bandages" are also being developed. One type, when applied to a wound, can warn of the beginnings of infection and identify the offending bacteria, as well as the necessary antibiotic.
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Knives and needles need not apply. Today's patient wants a noninvasive diagnostic and monitoring method. For example, diabetes sufferers will soon be able to wear "smart socks" with embedded chips that can detect poor circulation and alert patients to put their feet up as a way of avoiding complications that could lead, in a worst-case scenario, to amputation. Other tools for diabetics currently under development include diagnostic wrist watches. The Gluco Watch Biographer from Cygnus, a prescription device, uses low electric current to draw and measure sugar through the skin.
