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A revolution in cancer care: the development of advanced monitoring devices

Posted on by darion

In the fight against cancer, the capabilities of medical technology continue to advance, ushering in a new era of patient care and precision procedures. Gone are the days when cancer patients and their health care providers had to rely solely on periodic check-ups and conventional diagnostics.

Today, advanced monitoring devices are changing the way cancer is treated, offering real-time insights and personalized care that not only increases treatment effectiveness but also aims to significantly improve the quality of life of cancer patients worldwide.

Remote monitoring and personalized care for cancer patients

Traditional methods of monitoring cancer progression and patient response to treatment, such as periodic imaging and blood tests, while effective, often do not provide real-time data.

This gap is now being filled by a new generation of monitoring devices that provide continuous, non-invasive insight into the patient’s health in real time.

One of the most significant advances is the development of wearable technologies such as smart watches and patches equipped with biosensors that can monitor a range of vital signs, including continuous monitoring of heart rate, body temperature and blood oxygen levels, which can alert both patients. and doctors for early signs of infection or other adverse reactions to treatment.

Patients can use connected devices at home to measure relevant health indicators. This data can be collected and transmitted to healthcare providers, who then monitor the patient’s condition remotely and take appropriate action.

This approach not only reduces the need for frequent visits to the hospital, but also allows for a faster response time in the event of any disturbing changes in the patient’s condition. Telemedicine and virtual consultations can also be supplemented with real-time data from portable or implantable devices, giving doctors a clearer picture of a patient’s condition without the need for the patient’s physical presence.

Development of artificial intelligence in cancer treatment

Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a key role in maximizing the potential of these monitoring devices. Artificial intelligence algorithms can analyze the vast amounts of data collected from these devices, identify patterns and predict potential health problems. Machine learning models can process continuous streams of data, learning basic health indicators for individual patients and detecting variations that may indicate a problem. This predictive ability can lead to earlier interventions and more personalized treatment plans.

Integrating these monitoring devices into cancer care also promotes a more patient-centered approach. Patients have more control over their health and are equipped with tools to provide greater insight into their condition. This empowerment can lead to better adherence to treatment plans as patients become more active participants in their own care journey.

The future of medical devices for cancer monitoring

Advances in medical device technology and artificial intelligence are opening up new possibilities in cancer diagnosis and treatment. This year, a multi-institutional team of scientists received $45 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to accelerate the development of an implant that can detect markers of cancer-related inflammation and then autonomously deliver immunotherapy. (1)

Northwestern’s Jonathan Rivnay, co-principal investigator of the project and leading the development of the device, said: “Sensing in the body’s complex environments is a well-known and challenging task. The Northwestern-led effort will address these challenges with the goal of stable and continuous monitoring of biochemical signals that will provide real-time readouts of cancer progression and therapies – rather than the sparse snapshots that are more typical in current practice.”

The field of sensor cables for monitoring devices has advanced significantly in recent years, and the medical cable experts at Alleima are at the forefront of this innovation. Alleima tubing is used to detect biomarkers (such as the amount of blood sugar in the interstitium for continuous glucose monitoring), which can then be transmitted outside the body. They work closely with customers who may need to incorporate multiple capabilities into a small device to develop a composite cable that has multiple components in one cable system.

To learn more about Alleima’s capabilities and how patients can benefit from devices using these sensor cables, download the whitepaper below or visit their website.

(1) https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2023/09/small-implantable-device-could-sense-and-treat-cancer/