Technology brings health care to tools you can carry with you wherever you go. Check out these high-tech portable medical devices that make life easier.
Remote health care became a necessity during the global COVID-19 pandemic. A variety of high-tech portable medical devices make life easier by coordinating with associated apps to provide and record important health information. Consult your physician before trying or relying on a new medical device and ask your doctor to explain what results warrant a consultation or a trip to the hospital.
Personal EKG
Going into a doctor's office to check your heart condition is no longer necessary. Using a small, wireless keypad-like device, you can send an accurate EKG reading to an associated app on your phone. The app can store the readings for your cardiologist to review later.
Infrared Thermometer
Many digital thermometers still require an under-the-tongue measurement. Newer versions record temperature by scanning the skin—no contact required. It takes just a few seconds for the infrared sensors to record a person's internal temperature, even taking the room temperature into account. This makes it much easier to check a squirmy kid or a sleeping baby for signs of fever.
Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor
Designed without rubber tubes, some wireless blood pressure monitors can not only read blood pressure but also record an EKG and listen for heart valve abnormalities. These devices communicate results via Bluetooth to provide immediate results and recommendations.
Smart CPAP
Obstructive sleep apnea isn't just snoring—it's a dangerous closing of the airway during sleep. It makes for restless nights and poor sleep quality, and untreated, it can be deadly. Thankfully, those noisy CPAP machines with Creature from the Black Lagoon-esque hoses and face masks are giving way to smaller, tubeless, washable devices that can be used for children or adults. These newer devices can record data as you sleep to share later with your doctor.
Portable Air Quality Monitor
These devices alert allergy and asthma sufferers to the presence of harmful gases and pollutants that could trigger an episode. Some measure temperature and humidity, while others can detect things such as pet hair and pollen.
Smart Pillbox
As people age, it seems that the pharmacopeia in their medicine cabinet keeps expanding. Keeping medications straight and taking them in the right order at the right time is critical to reaping the medicines' benefits. Smart pillboxes can send reminders, light up to tell you if you've taken your pills already, and record when you open the pillbox. They coordinate with apps to track your medications, so you avoid double doses and forgetting to take medication.
Smart medical devices aren't just for patients. Medical professionals use similar devices for point-of-care diagnostic testing, including blood analysis. They may use Bluetooth stethoscopes that connect to headphones or make recordings to be analyzed with colleagues later. Portable ultrasound devices about the size of smartphones can provide rapid screening for physician review. High-tech portable medical devices will continue to make life easier, less invasive, and more convenient for patients and doctors alike.