Bluetooth 4.0 (Smart Bluetooth) is In the Wild
This will be a very interesting year for those in the medical device industry who are interested in connecting securely to devices and monitors with their tablets.For those who are unfamiliar with the updates to the technology, Bluetooth 4.0 adds some new capabilities to the Bluetooth spec. Most important, it requires very low power usage for bluetooth peripherals to stay connected, and it enables certain kinds of sensors to communicate with a Bluetooth Smart Ready device. These can be a myriad of things, ranging from glucose meters for those with diabetes to constantly monitor blood glucose, to alarm systems that send out information to your iPhone that all the windows are closed.
What devices currently sport Bluetooth 4.0 chips? The iPhone 4S and the new iPad. This means that a huge number of devices will be available for device and monitor makers to connect to pass information for everything from EMR purposes to physicians looking to capture patient data for their own records and analysis. You can bet they will, and as the next 12 to 18 months unfold, we will see new monitor offerings that provide connectivity for a number of applications, as well as applications that enable flexibility for physicians and healthcare workers.
What do you think of Bluetooth Smart and its implications for devices? Post your thoughts below.