7th May 2008

Wireless devices will remind patients to take medication and wireless food content scanners will change the way we shop - according to a report published by the UK telecoms regulator Ofcom.

Ofcom’s role is to ensure the most efficient use of the UK’s radio frequencies – or spectrum – that these services use. Spectrum is a finite resource; Ofcom’s technology research helps it to better understand how this precious resource might be used in the future and allows it to plan how we manage the spectrum to meet these demands.

In the report entitled “Tomorrow’s Wireless World.” Ofcom highlights a number of innovative technologies in the healthcare sector which could be available for use within the next ten to twenty years:

In-body networks : a “body area network” could be implanted inside a patient’s body to enable doctors to monitor their recovery remotely. The in-body network sensors monitor how a patient moves or picks up vital health signs, such as blood sugar levels, and sends this information wirelessly to make an alert via a home hub or portable monitor. A number of UK universities, including Imperial College, are carrying out research in this area. These networks could use existing spectrum specifically allocated for use by sensor networks.

On-body monitors : these are small devices which people could wear to check vital health indicators such as pulse and blood pressure. These devices could be used to monitor chronic conditions, such as heart conditions, asthma or diabetes, to gauge movement or fitness levels. The device would use Bluetooth or other wireless technologies to send signals from the body to portable monitors, such as a watch or mobile phone, or a home hub. A community healthcare trial developing this technology is currently taking place in Portsmouth.

Smart drug dispensing : intelligent pill boxes or bottles could sense whether they have been opened each day at the appropriate time. If they have not been opened they will sound an alarm or send a message to the patient’s home hub or portable monitor, reminding them to take their medication. If necessary, the patient's doctor can automatically be notified and then communicate with the chemist and inform them of a change in dosage. This technology could be particularly important for providing assisted living – such as older people in their own homes – and to help control chronic conditions which require regular treatment such as heart conditions, asthma or diabetes. Drug dispensers are currently available and research projects are taking place to add the necessary communications technology. They are likely to use existing technologies, such as Bluetooth or wireless local area networks.

According to the report some of these technologies could be deployed for use within the next ten years. It also points out that wireless food content scanners could change the way we shop. It describes portable nutritional content scanners that could enable people to scan the content of food wrappers quickly and easily. Using existing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, like those on the reverse of many bar codes, they would help identify items suitable for dietary requirements. This technology could be particularly useful for people with food allergies – such as nut allergies – and diabetics. This technology already exists as a means of helping prevent shoplifting and is becoming more widely deployed for identifying and tracking valuable items in transit. A research project in Finland has already developed a mobile phone which incorporates an RFID nutritional scanner and this or similar technology could be on the market in the UK within the next five years.

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