Wearable technologies have become the new hot topic. Indeed, it is estimated that the total addressable market will grow to $100 billion in the next decade. But while many are targeting healthcare applications, few have actually succeeded. In this context, it is necessary to have a critical look at the market trends, and to assess what it means in terms of growth and profitability.

 

 

 

Biosensors are used prolifically across the global healthcare market for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases and health conditions such as diabetes, cancer and infectious diseases. Due to the increasing global population, as well as a growing trend of decentralisation and technological advancement, the total addressable market for medical biosensors is expected to grow markedly over the next ten years. This masterclass will detail these factors and draw conclusions on the impact they will likely have on the global medical biosensor market. Opportunities for capitalizing on current and upcoming trends will be outlined, including discussion of the likely areas of expansion in the addressable market for biosensors in healthcare.

 

 

 

 

This masterclass will provide a critical analysis of incumbent and emerging biosensor technologies in the context of the whole market, and how the competitive landscape is expected to change over the next decade.

Electronic skin patches have risen in popularity alongside the meteoric rise in interest around wearable devices peaking in 2014. However, the interest in the area has it's own grounding, with several skin patch product areas experiencing significant growth and becoming markets worth billions of dollars each year.

 

This masterclass will cover the types of electronic skin patch which are in the market today, the technology behind them, and the future prospects for these devices within each of the markets they address. As a diverse product sector unified only by how they are worn, the picture involves a diverse landscape of different devices, markets and players.

 

For example, the two largest markets for electronic skin patches today are in cardiac monitoring and in diabetes management. This masterclass will discuss details of the skin patch products sold today, but also the wider device ecosystem within which they compete. This trend applies across each market sector for electronic skin patches; it is never the case that skin patches are the only possible product to address a certain market need, so in each case, understanding of the underlying market dynamic is required when discussing the prospects of the skin patch product.

 

Beyond diabetes management and cardiovascular options, this session will explore options for electronic skin patch products in a variety of other markets. This includes examples of their use in medical patient monitoring (both inpatient and outpatient), motion sensing, temperature sensing (e.g. fever monitoring, fertility tracking, etc.), drug and cosmetic delivery patches, smart bandages for wound care and more.

 

This masterclass will also deliver background information on the technology behind the products today. In order to make skin patches, the devices must have some degree of interface between usually rigid electronics and the flexible, stretchable human skin. As such, many companies with component and material options for stretchable and conformal electronics are exploring this product area. The masterclass will discuss some of these options and their progress.

 

On the technology side, most of the existing products leverage the components that have been developed over the years for the mobile phone industry. However, there are exciting new technologies coming up, from flexible displays to biometric sensors. This session will introduce the new materials and technologies that will enable future wearable devices.

 

This masterclass will give an overview of sensors made with printed electronics processes. Participants will learn about the technology, target markets and value proposition of these devices. Areas where printing adds value will be outlined for each type of sensor (pressure, temperature, optical, touch, electrochemical, etc.). Advantages of flexible and printed sensors, as well as large-area sensors will also be covered and the leading companies in each segment will be presented.

 

During the session, IDTechEx will show the latest trends and identify the commercial opportunities. It will include: