How does semiconductor technology give smart wings to portable medical electronic devices in multiple dimensions such as high-performance chips, high-precision sensors, data security and device miniaturization?
introduction
Today, with the deep integration of information technology and medical health, the medical electronics industry is changing the face of traditional medical care at an unprecedented speed. Thanks to advanced R&D and innovative applications, from intelligent diagnosis and treatment equipment to telemedicine services, from personal health monitoring to big data-driven disease prevention, medical electronic technology not only improves the efficiency and quality of medical services, but also greatly enhances the ability of individuals to manage their own health. As an important application segment in the semiconductor field, medical electronics is affected by multiple factors such as the external environment and people's awareness of health management, and has attracted more and more attention from the market.
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High-speed growth trends and segment potential: portable medical electronic devices
According to the latest forecasts from market research institutions, the global medical electronics market is showing strong growth momentum and is expected to reach approximately $220.4 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 9.9% from 2024. This growth is primarily driven by technological advancements, rising consumer health awareness, and increased demand for portable medical electronic devices.
Portable medical electronic devices are those that are designed to be small, lightweight, and easy to operate, and they can be used at home or in a mobile environment to provide patients with convenient means of self-monitoring, diagnosis, or treatment. The development of these medical electronic devices has greatly improved the ability of personal health management, especially in the management of chronic diseases and the early identification of acute conditions.
Common portable medical electronic devices include handheld ECG monitors, continuous glucose monitors, blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, home ventilators and oxygen concentrators, etc., and commonly used semiconductor devices such as MCUs or SoCs, sensors, analog front-end (AFE), wireless communication chips, PMICs, memories, encryption and security chips.
With the continuous innovation of the medical electronics industry, especially the breakthrough in the field of wearable medical electronic devices, the market prospect is bright. In addition, the wide application of Internet of Things technology, the miniaturization and intelligence of medical equipment, and the emphasis on data security and privacy protection are injecting new vitality into the development of the medical electronics market.
As a direct product of personal healthcare awareness, wearable medical devices are quickly becoming stars in the medical electronics market, especially in China, where the market size is expected to reach 33 billion yuan by 2026. These medical electronic devices are not limited to simple monitoring of health indicators such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels and body temperature, but also show great potential in the field of diabetes management. The demand for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin patches continues to be high, showing steady double-digit annual growth rates, especially in the United States, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Asia-Pacific (APAC). This trend is expected to continue as technology continues to mature and market acceptance increases.
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At present, the main semiconductor device suppliers involved in the medical electronics market include onsemi, STMicroelectronics, Intel, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, NXP, ams OSRAM and other major foreign manufacturers, as well as domestic manufacturers such as Huawei HiSilicon, SMIC, UNISOC, GigaDevice and Shengbang Microelectronics.
These companies are investing in R&D to provide low-power, high-reliability connectivity solutions and products that incorporate intelligent processing and security features to meet the growing demand for medical electronics and paint a promising blueprint for the future of the medical electronics industry.
New trends in medical electronics and their application innovations
In the current global healthcare environment, portable medical electronic products are undergoing new changes, and their demand is showing a series of new trends, which profoundly affect and promote the application and development of semiconductor technology in the field of medical electronics.
1. Precision medicine and personalized treatment
The development of precision medicine requires a higher level of data processing and analysis capabilities, as well as individualized treatment options. This has led semiconductor technology to innovate in data analysis, storage, and transmission to support higher accuracy of body indicator monitoring and personalized physiotherapy recommendations. onsemi's hearing aid chips are a prime example of this, providing customized hearing restoration solutions for people with hearing loss through advanced DSP technology and deep learning modules.
A revolution in hearing aids: onsemi's Ezairo 83XX series
2. The pursuit of miniaturization and portability
The miniaturization and portability of medical electronic devices are currently an important trend in the industry, requiring semiconductor components to be optimized in size and power consumption while maintaining or improving performance. Silicon Labs has made a significant contribution to this by optimizing wireless connectivity, AI/ML processing power, and chip size to deliver a range of industry-leading solutions, such as SoCs that support multiple wireless communication protocols and extremely small wireless connectivity chips, especially for the smallest connected medical electronics and wearables.
3. Integration and comfort
Tu Lei, Senior Manager of Application Marketing at ams OSRAM, pointed out that the integration and comfort of medical electronic products are also important trends at present. Integration means smaller packages that help reduce overall product size, while comfort focuses on improving the user experience, including wearing comfort, data accuracy, product ease of use, and energy management. Through hardware innovation and software algorithm optimization, medical electronic products can provide more accurate health data, enhance users' understanding and control of their own health, while simplifying operation processes and extending battery life, thereby improving the overall user experience.
As a key driver of global healthcare demands, semiconductor technology is innovating to adapt and lead the way to remote, personalized, miniaturized and comfortable medical electronics. From Bluetooth Low Energy to AI/ML accelerators, from high-performance DSP chips to extremely small form factor wireless connectivity chips, every advancement in semiconductor technology is opening up new possibilities for the future of medical electronics.
The semiconductor industry strengthens product security and protects the privacy of medical data
With the rapid development of digital health, a large amount of patient health information and medical records are stored and transmitted in electronic form, which increases the risk of data breaches. In the context of the deep integration of cutting-edge technologies such as AI and the Internet of Things with the field of medical electronics, data privacy and network security have become important issues that cannot be ignored. Secure chips and encryption technologies provided by the semiconductor industry have become a critical line of defense to protect this sensitive information.
In the face of this challenge, the semiconductor industry is taking proactive steps to enhance security and ensure the security and privacy of patient data throughout the entire process from product design to manufacturing.
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Tu Lei, Senior Manager of Application Marketing at ams OSRAM, emphasized that security should be taken as the core element of product design, the security design process should be strengthened from the source, and the detection of hardware unclonable functions and firmware security vulnerabilities should be enhanced through integrated software and hardware security measures, so as to ensure the security of data links, reduce unnecessary information storage, and implement strict access control permissions, so as to build a comprehensive security protection system.
Brian Blum, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Silicon Labs, said that the company's focus on providing high-security wireless connectivity and smart solutions has led to the development of its Secure Vault security technology, which has achieved the industry's highest PSA Level 3 certification, setting a new standard for medical electronic device security. With Secure Vault technology, medical devices can securely process sensitive health data and protect user privacy. In addition, Silicon Labs' custom component manufacturing services allow the device manufacturer to hard-code security keys and other features designed by the device manufacturer during the manufacturing of SoC products such as the BG26, further strengthening the device's security defenses against potential threats.
As an important force in the development of the portable medical electronics market, the semiconductor industry is actively responding to the challenges of data privacy and network security in the field of medical electronics by strengthening product security design, adopting advanced security technologies and manufacturing processes, providing patients with safer and more reliable medical solutions, and protecting every precious health data.
epilogue
The medical electronics industry is in a period of unprecedented change, which is not only a technological innovation, but also a manifestation of human pursuit of a healthy life. From high-performance chip design to high-precision sensor technology, from data security to device miniaturization, the semiconductor industry is driving portable medical electronic devices to be more intelligent, efficient and safe with unprecedented innovation.
In the face of the coexistence of opportunities and challenges in the future, continuous technological innovation, cross-border close cooperation, and a deep understanding of user needs will be the key to promote the sustainable and healthy development of the portable medical electronics industry. We have reason to believe that with the continuous advancement of technology and the deepening of cross-industry cooperation, semiconductor technology will play a more critical role in the portable medical electronics market, bringing infinite possibilities for human health and well-being.
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