Rise of medical telemetry

USA: Telemedicine is the new field of using telecom devices to provide medical information over a distance. It is reducing the negative effect that distance has had on healthcare, providing medical services in situations where it was otherwise unobtainable.

This is a rapidly expanding industry. It is expected to reach a worldwide market value of over $45 billion by 2018, which drives a compound average growth rate of 17 percent on average annually. This year, telemetry equipment revenue is expected to reach close to $23 billion.

Medical telemetry, the ability to remotely conduct medical analysis, send and receive important diagnostic information, is spurring huge opportunities in the way healthcare is practiced. you include content from only the last month. Also, use photographs and other visuals to add interest and enable the reader to scan quickly for information.

Hospitals continue to innovate and invest in this newer technology. The Lexington Medical Center recently installed a cardiac telemetry monitoring system throughout the entire hospital.

The system is used to constantly monitor the health of patients with arrhythmia, chest pain, heart failure, or risk of cardiac diseases. Before, these patients needed to stay confined to a small area of the facility; now, they can walk about as they please while still receiving the care they need.

Clyde Bristow, director of acute care services, said: "These patients can participate in physical and occupational therapy or visit ancillary areas within the hospital while being constantly monitored... It makes for a seamless monitoring process, which helps to create a more positive patient experience."

The rise of telemedicine has provided an incredible opportunity for the semiconductor industry. Semiconductors are vital in the construction of tiny, affordable medical devices, and the implementation of the facility-wide telemetry systems like the one at Lexington Medical Center. The opportunity should be a call to action for innovative semiconductor suppliers in the power management, RF, and processing markets.

Medical telemetry devices come in a myriad of forms and purposes. Texas Instruments is behind some of the most successful uses of semiconductors in this industry. TI provides microcontrollers, RF blocks, and power management among other products used in the design of telemetry equipment. Freescale is also a player in this space and has been focused on gaining share in this market.

Bosch Healthcare, Honeywell, and Cardiocom are typically seen as the major players in the equipment market worldwide, though other medical equipment providers like Philips Healthcare and Siemens Healthcare are looking to get in on the action.

Semiconductor companies are naturally found to be teaming up with the medical equipment providers. Zarlink Semiconductor, now part of Microsemi Corporation, has entered into a supply agreement with Medtronic Inc., an equipment manufacturer. Zarlink is providing Medtronic with ultra-low power radio chips and modules, resulting in a high-performing system that allows implanted medical devices to communicate with external devices for a very low energy cost.

A similar partnership was forged between Intel Corporation and General Electric. Intel's Digital Health Group is working with GE Healthcare's Home Health division, providing technologies and services for people who require health care in their homes. Together, they are helping people manage their chronic illnesses and live as independently as possible.

Telemedicine is a revolution powered and enabled by semiconductors. Suppliers now have an opportunity to take advantage of the ever-present need for increased speed and miniaturization of healthcare devices, a market with no clear end in sight.