Exploring the Potential of Electronic Skin Patches in Sports, Fertility Tracking, and Workplace Safety

Discover the expanding possibilities of electronic skin patches and their potential to revolutionize daily life beyond healthcare.

Highlights:

Electronic skin patches have advanced healthcare by providing non-invasive monitoring of vital signs and biomarkers
They have potential applications in sports, fertility tracking, and workplace safety
IDTechEx predicts the whole market for electronic skin patches will rise from $14 billion in 2023 to $27 billion by 2033

Electronic skin patches have made significant advances in the realm of healthcare. These wearable electronic devices have adhesive pads designed to be worn directly on the skin, providing simple and non-invasive monitoring of vital signs and biomarkers. In the field of cardiac monitoring, patients can wear a patch that continually records their EKG for several days with a Holter monitor or a Mobile Cardiac Telemetry device. With the continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and patch pump, diabetic patients' glucose monitoring and delivery have become virtually automated. According to IDTechEx's recent report "Electronic Skin Patches 2023-2033," the combined value of cardiac and diabetes applications is predicted to reach $13.2 billion.

Three Uses of Wearable Electronic Skin Patches
‘Electronic Skin Patches 2023-2033’ is a report by research firm IDTechEx that looks at how these new technologies will enhance several aspects of healthcare.

‘From vital signs to victory, electronic skin patches are changing the game. Explore their potential beyond healthcare in sports, fertility tracking, and workplace safety.’

Electronic Skin Patches in Sports

Outside of their effectiveness in healthcare, electronic skin patches have yet to fully realize their potential to improve daily living, such as sports ability, personal well-being, and worker safety. They are perfect for detecting analytes in sweat as well as other biometric markers such as temperature due to their direct skin contact design. IDTechEx explores the technology and uses of electronic skin patches in the research and predicts that the whole market will rise from $14 billion in 2023 to $27 billion by 2033. This essay explores the intriguing possibilities of electronic skin patches in changing daily life.

Athletes have always looked to wearable technologies to supplement and improve their athletic performance. Endurance athletes are investigating the usage of CGMs in addition to heart rate monitoring chest straps and smartwatches. Athletes can obtain a competitive advantage by continuously monitoring their glucose levels and optimizing their performance and training. Skin patches with motion-sensing capabilities may also be useful in sports, as they can provide exact parameters to help athletes practice and analyze their performance.

Electronic skin patches with inertia measurement units can be used to quantify the risk of traumatic brain damage in contact sports such as American football, an issue that has received more attention in recent years. However, competition from other form factors, such as smart mouthguards and optical motion capture systems that do not impede the athlete's movement, limits the use of electronic skin patches for contact sports. As electronic skin patches evolve in the sports market, they must establish their unique value proposition in which their form factor surpasses other options such as smartwatches.

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Potential of Skin Patches for Fertility Tracking

Electronic skin patches are another form factor being investigated by fertility tech businesses. Ovulation monitoring is crucial to effective family planning. To date, there are numerous ways for tracking ovulation, with the dipstick for hormone measures being the most mature and used. However, there are a variety of different ovulation indications that can be used to assess fertility, one of which is basal body temperature (BBT). BBT normally rises between 0.2 and 0.5 degrees Celsius after ovulation.

Unlike traditional hormone dipsticks or manual temperature readings, the skin patch form factor allows for non-invasive and continuous monitoring of BBT simply placing a patch under the armpit. Skin patch temperature monitors are a relatively new addition to the ovulation tracking toolkit, and their wireless communication capabilities enable additional data to be provided, which can then be paired with digital tracking software to improve monitoring accuracy.

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A new study by researchers suggests that HRT skin patches containing low doses of oestrogen carry less risk of stroke than oral therapy.

Workplace Safety and Electronic Skin Patches

IDTechEx highlights the applications of temperature monitoring skin patches in fertility and healthcare in their report. Sweat electronic skin patches, which were initially aimed at the sports market, have recently found a new application in the workplace, notably in labor-intensive occupations such as oil and gas, construction, and manufacturing. These patches, like radiation monitoring badges in high-dose occupational situations, can assist prevent heat injuries by providing real-time feedback hydration. In the report "Electronic Skin Patches 2023-2033," IDTechEx examines the value, market, and prognosis for sweat sensing.

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Market Predictions for Electronic Skin Patches

Nowadays, electronic skin patches have found considerable success in healthcare applications such as cardiac rhythm and blood glucose monitoring, however, the consumer market for electronic skin patches is smaller and more difficult to traverse. However, skin patches have the potential to improve fertility tracking as well as reduce workplace heat injuries. Overall, the consumer market for electronic skin patches is predicted to increase, and IDTechEx estimates that temperature sensing would be the fastest growing area, with a CAGR of 26.5% in their report "Electronic Skin Patches 2023-2033."

Source-Medindia