Bench Talk

The Internet of Things (IoT) will provide an avalanche of data. Remote sensors for just about every ‘Thing’ will provide data on the location of cars, busses, packages, and your dog, as well as measurements of your heart rate, blood oxygen level, and even the amount of half and half in your refrigerator. Lots and lots of data.

A new generation of portable medical devices is on the way with capabilities that could dramatically change the way diagnostic and treatment is done outside the hospital setting. In fact, when portable medical devices have access to recent health and wellness information, like that available from wearable devices, it becomes practical to provide a wide variety of treatments in the home instead of in the hospital or with a doctor visit. Now, I’m not talking, at least not yet, about do-it-yourself brain surgery, but there are a wide variety of medical devices that can help us respond to emergency situations to save lives. Let’s see just how close to do-it-yourself brain surgery we can come.