I’m going to talk about the complementary relationship between two innovative aspects of medical technology: implantable devices and wearables. Both of these technologies have their own unique advantages, and when used together, they can significantly improve patient health management and quality of life.

First, let’s look at implantable devices. As the name suggests, implantable devices are medical devices inserted inside our bodies. They play a crucial role in treating specific diseases or assisting bodily functions. Let’s look at some examples:

• Cardiology: Pacemakers and defibrillators regulate heartbeats and can be lifesaving. Pacemakers restore slow heartbeats to normal, while defibrillators detect dangerous arrhythmias and deliver electric shocks to normalize the heartbeat.
• Diabetes Management: Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) measure blood sugar levels in real-time through a small sensor inserted under the skin. This allows diabetic patients to continuously monitor blood sugar changes and manage their condition effectively.
• Neurology: Neurostimulators use electrical stimulation to alleviate symptoms of neurological conditions such as chronic pain, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease.
• Orthopedics: Recently, joint sensors have been implanted to monitor the condition of artificial joints or implants. These sensors detect problems such as wear and tear or loosening early on, allowing for necessary action to be taken.
• Drug Delivery: Insulin pumps continuously inject a pre-set amount of insulin into the body, helping diabetic patients regulate their blood sugar.

As you can see, implantable devices play a vital role inside our bodies, but wearable devices play an important role in maximizing their effectiveness and enhancing patient convenience.

Now, let’s talk about wearable devices. Wearable devices are devices that we wear on our bodies, such as smartwatches, smart bands, and patches. They collect health information and provide it to users through various sensors and communication functions. When used with implantable devices, wearables can perform the following roles:

• Monitoring: Wearables can monitor data related to the operation of implantable devices. For example, in the case of a patient with a pacemaker, an electrocardiogram (ECG) can be measured through a smartwatch to detect abnormalities in the heartbeat early on. Also, a smartwatch linked to a continuous glucose monitor displays real-time blood sugar levels, allowing patients to conveniently check their blood sugar.
• Notifications and Alerts: Wearables can provide notifications to users if abnormal signals are detected from implantable devices. For example, if blood sugar levels are too high or too low, a warning alert is sent from the smartwatch, enabling immediate action.
• Data Recording and Analysis: Wearables record and analyze data collected from implantable devices to help track changes in the patient’s health. This data can be transmitted to healthcare professionals for remote monitoring and personalized treatment planning.
• Interaction: Some wearables interact directly with implanted devices to control their functions. For example, certain wearables can be linked to neurostimulators to adjust the stimulation intensity.

In short, wearables act as the ‘eyes’ and ‘ears’ of implantable devices, helping them function more effectively, and allowing patients to manage their health more conveniently.