Bluetooth 4.0 to set a new benchmark in healthcare and medical devices

Technology has always played a crucial role in the world of health and medicine. And over the past years, wireless technology has played a significant role in helping people worldwide. In fact, more than 40 million medical devices are assumed to include Bluetooth and offer details about the health of an individual via mobile phone. Well, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has now finalized the development of Bluetooth 4.0 technology and smarter heart rate products. This technology not only consumes lower power, but also uses high speed transmission. While low energy is Bluetooth v4.0’s key specification, the technology supports all older Bluetooth services as well.

Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0 Factbox

Just the way nanoparticles have improvised cancer treatment, Bluetooth too was allegedly proven to monitor pulse, heart rate variability, skin conductance and activity level. The novel Bluetooth technology predicted to hit shelves by 2012 has radios which appear more affordable and smaller than their 3.0 predecessors. This latest piece of technology has already attained approval from a Health Thermometer Profile and a Heart Rate Profile as the first mobile health profiles. The Bluetooth SIG anticipates that the employment of Bluetooth 4.0 technology

can help craft smarter and more advanced medical devices. All the Bluetooth v4.0 devices presumably track down body functions including body temperature and heart rate.

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Bluetooth 4.0

Bluetooth 4.0 features lower power and higher speed transmission while supporting older Bluetooth services

What’s great

The technology can also form the basis of a unique range of health and fitness apps. Currently it is introduced in the form of a small black belt that utilizes the power of Bluetooth Low Energy to pump heart rate statistics directly onto a mobile device. This heart rate belt can possibly transform any Bluetooth 4.0 smartphone into a heart monitor. The energy efficient belt touts to run for over 500 hours of usage on a CR2032 coin cell. This compact creation is 1.1cm slim, 3.8 x 6.5 cm small and barely weighs about 46g. The belt seems to have profound implications in the health-space. Verdict

With the development of Bluetooth 4.0 devices, we can only hope to see a raft of new wearable monitors with multiple sensors inside small packages. These packages presumably empower users to keep a track on much more health aspects than present day devices. The next cycle of Bluetooth will purportedly come integrated with sensors that can boost the angle and length of running stride.

In addition to active notifications, the technology apparently transmits power level between devices. However, as every technological creation comes with its own set of demerits, Bluetooth too apparently has certain disadvantages. However, in spite of its shortcomings, this wireless technology can probably be of immense benefit to mankind.