Non-Invasive Methods for Monitoring Individual Bioresponses in Relation to Health Management

Abstract

New technology offers more and more possibilities to measure variables on the human body and mind in a non-invasive way as a basis for health management. By using miniaturized sensors (implanted, injected, wearing on or attached to the body), several variables can be measured such as heart rate, skin temperature, movements etc. Several sensing techniques (image analyses, sound analyses,...) allow to measure other variables (such as posture, movements, facial expression,...) and sound production. Also at the other end of the scale, new technologies (e.g. remote sensing technology) in combination with smart algorithms offer possibilities for monitoring human health. By applying this technology several easy measurable variables can be monitored continuously in a fully automated way. Data are transferred in a wireless way and more sophisticated algorithms can be applied to calculate several parameters from these data. In this way parameters of physical condition or components of mental status can be monitored. An important element is that these measurements can now be done in a continuous way for the different individuals and that the algorithms can be adapted for individuals. This is a big difference with what has happened so far in most of the medical applications where mainly population models are used in the scientific literature and in the treatments. By applying individual algorithms in a continuous way it becomes possible to monitor living organisms as complex, individually different and time varying dynamic systems. Next, examples are given where this technique has been used in a number of different applications.