Wearable Biotech

As technology continues to advance today, so do its various applications. Watches that can track daily steps—a feature most people now rely on—didn’t even exist a few decades ago. With this ongoing progression slowly changing our lives, wearable biotechnology comes into play today. 

Wearable biotech is a recent development that presents exciting opportunities—especially in remote healthcare.. The following are a few out of several ways in which biotechnology is being implemented for the benefit of patients. 

Cardiac Care

Cardiac care focuses on monitoring and maintaining heart health. This is incredibly vital as it could mean the difference between life and death. Now, biotechnology is embedded into things like smartwatches, patches, or Holter monitors as a means of tracking information surrounding one’s heart. You can pair these devices with apps that store ECG data, and doctors can then review this data remotely. Detecting stroke risks earlier on or tracking irregular heartbeats are just some of the ways biotechnology can help in cardiac care

Medical Accuracy 

Wearable biotechnology also enhances the accuracy of medical data. For example, microfluidic patches worn by patients not only provide personalized analysis but also reduce unnecessary tests. This device improves the accuracy of diagnoses and gives physicians more insight as to how to best treat their patient. This also encourages better patient engagement and allows for more accessible, continuous health monitoring.   

Hyper-Personalized Technology 

Advanced biotechnology offers personalized data on its patients to help optimize patient recovery. For example, biotechnology tracks real-time data on a patient’s health, minimizing the gaps in observation that would occur without it. Glucose monitors give physicians real-time insights into blood sugar levels, which are essential for managing diabetes. Additionally, AI-powered technology can provide an analysis on the patient that can predict medical issues—helping intervene before conditions escalate.

While wearable biotechnology continues to evolve, many of its applications are already being used to save lives today. In essence, this technology is not only improving patient care today, but also laying the foundation for future generations.

References:

“Wearable Biotech & Growable Interfaces |.” Mit.edu, 2020, wearablebiotech.media.mit.edu/. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

Nguyen, Peter Q., et al. “Wearable Materials with Embedded Synthetic Biology Sensors for Biomolecule Detection.” Nature Biotechnology, vol. 39, 28 June 2021, pp. 1–9, www.nature.com/articles/s41587-021-00950-3, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-021-00950-3.

Johnson-Groh, Mara. “The Future of Wearable Biotechnology.” Scilight, vol. 2022, no. 15, 13 Apr. 2022, pubs.aip.org/aip/sci/article/2022/15/151104/2843434/The-future-of-wearable-biotechnology, https://doi.org/10.1063/10.0010343. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

Expert Panel. “Council Post: 14 Emerging Wearable Health Technologies Transforming Remote Care.” Forbes, 12 Aug. 2024, www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2024/06/11/14-emerging-wearable-health-technologies-transforming-remote-care/.

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