Advances in bio-inspired

sensing help people lead

healthier lives
Nichole Oljaca
Worldwide Medical Business Development
and Marketing Manager
Texas Instruments

Semiconductor technology advancements

enable new portable and wearable devices for
biosensing and monitoring, helping to enhance
medical treatment, aid in health maintenance,
and promote fitness.
Throughout the world, populations are aging, driving the need for increased
health care resources. By 2025 more than one person in five throughout the
worldapproaching two billion people overallwill be over the age of 60,
according to United Nations population estimates. Many of these people are in
developing countries, where rising standards of living also bring greater demand
for health services for the rest of the population. In the United States, recent
policy changes have brought millions more people into the increasingly crowded
health care system, and globally, the Internet is helping consumers make more
informed choices when they need medical attention. These are just a few
developments that highlight why more effective health care delivery is needed to
reach more people now and in the years to come.
To some extent, solving this resource problem

Some factors driving the

evolution of electronic monitoring
in health and fitness

means having more doctors, nurses, hospitals,

pharmaceutical supplies and all the other
elements traditionally associated with medical
treatment. But even in a traditional hospital

Clinical health

environment, efficiency of resources and

equipment need to evolve to meet the demands.

Patient unthethering

And however necessary medical staff and facilities

Health records digitization

may be, there is also a need for more deliberate

Home health and telehealth

personal ownership of health. People must take

Remote monitoring of patients

care of themselves, limiting their need for some

professional medical services by keeping fit

Independent elderly living

and healthy. As a society, in North America and

Chronic illness management

throughout the world, we will have to learn to

Fitness

lead healthier lives while we seek new solutions

Preventive health care

for the enormous health care challenges that lie

ahead. An important contributor to helping us

Increased healthy lifestyle awareness

meet those challenges in both clinical and home

Increase in obesity-related complications

environments is electronic technology, including

advancements such as bio-inspired sensing and
health monitoring for use at home and on the go.

Advances in bio-inspired sensing help people lead healthier lives

August 2014

Figure 1. IC technology that is used in high-end medical equipments migrates quickly to enable affordable new health and fitness applications.

The migration of IC technology

laboratory apparatus to a compact electronic system

used in hospitals everywhere. And it has further

Without integrated circuit (IC) technology

migrated into a wide range of biosensing and bio-

advancements, the effects of more widespread

inspired applications outside the traditional hospital

biosensing and electronic health monitoring could

environment, including sport watches and even

not be felt. In general, it is higher end applications

gaming systems, where heart rate is used to detect

that push IC development to previously unattainable

a players emotional state in real time as the game

levels of performance. But performance is only one

difficulty changes.

of the Three Ps of Innovation in semiconductors,

with power dissipation and price making up the

New ways to keep track of our health

other two. Advancement along each of these three

As this technology migration continues, electronic

vectors creates new market opportunities. High-

systems based on analog and embedded processing

end performance technology quickly matures and is

technologies are making it possible for people to

optimized to make it more highly integrated, smaller

incorporate biosensing and health monitoring into

in scale, and more power efficient. These advances

their lives in entirely new ways. Today, per figure

help the technology quickly move from high-end

2, electronic devices can be worn unobtrusively,

systems to a wider range of uses and applications.

even fashionably, on the wrist, leg, chest or

Meanwhile, the cycle continues as new technology is

elsewhere on the body, or incorporated into portable

again developed for high-performance systems.

electronic accessories that sense personal data.

This migration is happening today in multiple areas

Often these devices communicate wirelessly to

of health technology. For example in figure 1, the

smartphone applications or other central programs,

first practical electrocardiogram (ECG), developed

which process, store and display the information.

around 1903, was an extremely large and immobile

These types of personal and wearable biosensing

machine that required subjects to immerse each of

electronics are a major trend in both the consumer

their limbs into containers of salt solutions from which

and home health industry. Never before has it been

the ECG was recorded. Though the basic principles

so easy to take an interest in and responsibility for

of that era are still in use today, the electronic

your own bodily data through wearable electronics.

instrumentation has evolved from a cumbersome

Advances in bio-inspired sensing help people lead healthier lives

August 2014

coverage that spreads through all areas of a

patients life, providing more preventive, more costeffective treatment. At the same time, inexpensive,
convenient monitoring systems will be generally
available through retail stores to allow everybody
to take an active role in keeping fit and maintaining
good health.

Bio-inspired technology extends to

new areas
Eventually, semiconductor advancements will enable
these biosensing and monitoring systems to extend

Figure 2. Semiconductor advancements today are enabling reliable, continuous

health monitoring.

to new bio-inspired areas that can help keep people

safe and empower them. For instance, similar

Much of this data involves seemingly traditional

technology used in miniaturized ECG monitors will

readings of pulse rate, pulse oxygen levels, blood

enable more commercial uses of electromyography

sugar and other vitals, which help keep people

(EMG) electronics that gauge muscle activity through

conscious of the state of their health. But even with

measuring electrical activity in soft tissue. Electronics

these traditional biosensing applications, wearable

that use EMG technology to monitor muscle

wireless electronics are enabling their use in new

movement enable a wide range of muscle control-

ways. For example, in years past, the diagnosis of

based applications. They can provide the elderly, sick

an irregular heartbeat or certain arrhythmias could

or handicapped with greater capability to perform

be problematic. If the arrhythmia didnt present

actions such as turning on lights and televisions at a

itself during a hospital ECG, then a doctor would

distance, while the possibilities for motion-controlled

have a difficult time understanding the issue. Today,

video games and simulated training seem all but

event monitors are available and can be worn while

unlimited. Combined with other motion electronics,

participating in normal activity until the symptoms

EMG-based technology can even help decipher the

become evident and can be recorded, a period that

difference between someones calf flexing during

often lasts up to two months. Many event monitors

walking versus pushing on a bike pedal.

transmit reports about a hearts recorded electrical

Another new use of electronics technology comes

activity directly to the doctor. By this means,

from pulse-oximetry electronics. In these electronics,

physicians can extend their attention beyond the

oxygen levels in the blood are measured by shining

clinic, and patients who stay healthy can make

the light of two wavelengths through a patients finger

fewer follow-up medical visits.

to a photodiode. The changing oxygen absorbance

As the electronic circuitry used in these types of

at each of the wavelengths is measured, allowing

devices continues to become smaller and less

determination of the absorbance due to the pulsing

power hungry, more and more new uses and

arterial blood alone. The electronics utilized in this

applications will appear. The result will be health

Advances in bio-inspired sensing help people lead healthier lives

type of optical measurement can also be configured

August 2014

to act as a new type of heart rate monitor. As seen

More futuristic applications can also benefit by this

in figure 3, rather than measuring the blood oxygen

type of advanced bio-inspired electronic technology.

level, the change in arterial volume caused by each

Because blood flow to the skin can be modulated

cardiac cycle is detected by illuminating the skin

by multiple other physiological systems, this same

with a LED and then measuring the amount of light

type of optical approach can also be used to monitor

either transmitted or reflected to a photodiode. Each

breathing and other circulatory conditions. Optical

cardiac cycle appears as a peak, which correlates

sensors incorporated into other systems, such as

to a heartbeat. The use of this type of optical-based,

the steering wheel of a car, will make it possible to

heart-rate-sensing technology can also become

use simple hand contact to gather information about

very widespread. It enables an entirely new market

the driver, such as anxiety level or fatigue, through

of sports and fitness heart rate monitors and

correlation of heart rate or respiration measurements.

accessories that can perform measurement at the

These and other uses of bio-inspired sensing will

wrist or other skin contact and eliminate the need for

steadily introduce health-, fitness- and safety-

uncomfortable chest straps.

consciousness into all areas of our lives.

Figure 3. Cardiac cycles can be detected by illuminating skin with an LED and measuring the amount of light reflected to a photodiode.

Advances in bio-inspired sensing help people lead healthier lives

August 2014

system where it is available to medical personnel.

These core system functions all depend on powermanagement devices that regulate the use and
storage of battery power. In some cases, other ICs
can be used to regulate the harvesting of energy
from the heat or motion of the wearers body.
Based on these requirements, TI is developing
new technologies to enable the next generation
of health and fitness applications, including a
wide variety of highly integrated AFE devices
for designers of bio-inspired and other sensing
applications. Additional TI technologies include
the broad range of MSP430 MCUs. Lowpower ZigBee and Bluetooth wireless connectivity
solutions, and a leading portfolio of powermanagement devices include selections for
harvesting energy from body heat and motion.
Another important area of differentiation for bioinspired sensing applications is TIs advanced

TI solutions help meet

system requirements

packaging, with options for wafer-scale chip

packaging (WCSP) to allow the thinnest, smallest
chip mountings possible in wearable equipment.

Health and fitness electronics must be extremely

small, lightweight and slim to make them easy to
These electronics also need to operate for a long

Reference designs for health and

fitness applications

time without recharging, since even daily charging

The developers of new health and fitness products

can be too often. To meet these requirements,

are often innovators in small companies who

the electronic circuits often need to combine

may have limited expertise in system design,

advanced sensing and signal conditioning into

so IC solutions need to be well supported,

a fully integrated analog front end (AFE) for

flexible and easy to use. TI helps to meet these

system optimization. If additional processing of

developers needs through their TIDesigns

the data is required, an extremely low-power

reference design library. Designers can use this

microcontroller (MCU) can store algorithms and

library of comprehensive reference designs to

perform the necessary calculations. Often these

jumpstart system design and speed time to

systems need to communicate wirelessly, so

market by including schematics, block diagrams,

that a smartphone or other device can access

bills of materials (BOMs), design files and test

or display the information and relay it to a central

reports. Spanning TIs portfolio of analog,

wear or be incorporated into portable accessories.

Advances in bio-inspired sensing help people lead healthier lives

August 2014

Figure 4. TIDesigns Optical Heart Rate reference design.

embedded processor and connectivity products,

and converts the analog signal to a digital signal,

the reference designs are created by experts

which it then passes along to an MSP430 MCU.

with deep system and product knowledge. A

TIs TIs SimpleLink Bluetooth low energy

variety of health and fitness application TIDesigns

CC2541 wireless MCU-based module provides

are available that provide complete, end-to-

wireless connection to a smartphone or other

end solutions with AFEs for sensor and signal

local system. Non-volatile ferroelectric random

conditioning, plus an ultra-low-power MCU and

access memory (FRAM) provides data logging

Bluetooth low energy connectivity.

and an accelerometer to sense body movements.

One such TIDesign (TIDA-00011), shown in figure

The reference design also includes devices that

4, showcases a typical optical, wrist-based, heart-

manage power for the battery and various system

rate-system application. This wrist-based heart-

functions. A developer looking to design this type

rate monitor reference design illustrates how TIs

of end equipment can access everything directly

technologies come together to offer a complete

from TI to get this exact system up and running

solution. Using an LED-to-photodiode light

quickly. From there, the developer only needs

signal, TIs AFE4400 senses changes in the skin

to add its own intellectual property in order to

surface due to the wearers pulse, then amplifies

customize the solution.

Advances in bio-inspired sensing help people lead healthier lives

August 2014

Improved monitoring helps make a healthier world

A growing, aging population worldwide. Higher standards of living in developing
countries. More sophisticated medical consumers. All of these factors point to the
need for new forms of health care that can extend the capabilities of medical personnel
and enable ordinary people to look after their health more effectively.
Advanced electronic technology is helping us meet these challenges with new bioinspired sensing and monitoring devices that can be worn unobtrusively for treatment
and to help us stay aware of our physical condition and fitness. Many of these
developments result from years of technology migration from large hospital systems to
miniaturized, wearable devices, and the same IC technologies are also being extended
to other areas of safety and mobility.
TI, a leading supplier of ICs for the full range of medical, health and fitness equipments,
brings its wide-ranging expertise to meet the challenges of both high-performance
and high-volume applications. As the world searches for new ways to address the
increasing demand for medical services, TI is innovating every day to provide the IC
technology that will help people live happier, healthier lives.

For more information visit:

TIs Medical, Health and Fitness webpage: www.ti.com/corp-inn-innmed-wp-lp
TIDesigns Optical Heart Rate reference design: www.ti.com/corp-inn-innmed-wp-tidesigns

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