Wearables pivot to healthcare, printed electronics wins

Presenting on healthcare sensor innovations, IDTechEx, hosts of the event, have announced the keynote presentations will be from Medtronic, GE Research, Starkey Hearing Technologies, Google and Maxim Integrated.

The event explores how new form factors of electronics have unleashed medical device companies from mostly rigid electronics to be able to offer more comfortable flexible and even stretchable wearable sensor platforms, such as electronic skin patches that can provide continuous monitoring. By enabling this capability, printed electronics wins. The opportunity for electronic skin patches, including case studies and results from medical and commercial activities, will be covered by presentations from NextFlex, Lief Therapeutics, Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center and Blue Spark Technologies.

The event features presentations and exhibits from organisations leveraging advanced materials – printed or otherwise – which are being used to create new capabilities of biosensors to enable point of care sensors. 

Organisations presenting on new sensors designed for healthcare include Parker Hannifin, Hexoskin, Imec, Melexis, Hitronics, Reveal Biosensors and many others. 

“Printed electronics is demonstrating its broad applicability in healthcare,” said Raghu Das, CEO of IDTechEx. “From being used to create flexible and stretchable electrodes, to creating flexible batteries and a broad range of bio sensors, healthcare sensors present a high growth opportunity for printed electronics with sustainable margins.”

Healthcare Sensor Innovations 2020 is strategically held in San Jose, California, because healthcare organisations have been establishing a presence in silicon valley as the two worlds of life sciences and electronics intersect, creating solutions to solve huge challenges and create opportunities in point-of-care sensors and continuous monitoring.