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In recent years, with the advancement and integration of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and artificial intelligence (AI), coupled with the rapid deployment of 5G networks, the traditional medical industry has begun to move toward a digital transformation, driving the formation of a networked, intelligent, and personalized Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) ecosystem and applications. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift toward IoMT to realize the progress of telemedicine with zero-contact health-monitoring devices and online consultations — and has promoted the rapid growth of the semiconductor market, such as memory chips used in the medical industry. 

The progress of telemedicine has stimulated the demand for healthcare devices. In addition to medical devices used by medical staff to continuously monitor patient health and treatment conditions remotely, various biometric and wearable devices are becoming increasingly popular for use outside of hospitals and at home, giving rise to a new wave of medical electronics business opportunities. 

Integration of technology and healthcare spurs new business opportunities in digital applications 

Martin Lin, Director of the Marketing Division, Macronix International Co., Ltd. (Macronix), predicts that the digital application market built on these medical devices will take off in the next few years. “The formation of the IoMT ecosystem means that more medical products will move from mechanical to electronic or digital devices. For example, in the past, blood pressure was measured using a mercury sphygmomanometer, but now it has progressed to electronic measurement. Doctors’ stethoscopes and otoscopes have also become networked electronic devices.” 

Medical devices that are rapidly emerging in homes include diabetes management systems, cardiovascular health systems, respiratory and sleep therapy, and remote medical examinations. Compared to traditional devices that are simple in function and bulky, the new generation of digital medical devices is smaller in size and can be combined with mobile phone apps to provide more functions, such as faster data access, remote health monitoring for healthcare providers, and automation. For example, an insulin-injection patch can be activated to automatically inject when low blood sugar is detected, and a heart-rate-monitoring patch records heart-rate data and transmits it to a mobile phone app as well as a centralized server to be observed by a primary care physician. 

Patches such as implantable defibrillators and pacemakers require a simple microcontroller (MCU) combined with sensors, while the mobile phones and their apps that accompany these medical devices play the role of data recording, storage, and function management. Through a Bluetooth connection, the mobile phone continuously records data as a basis for prevention and the doctor’s medication and diagnosis. 

Electronic capsules (e-capsules) are now being implemented in innovative applications thanks to the maturity of technology. Lin said that there are currently three main applications of e-capsules, including monitoring basal body temperature and physiological functions, non-invasive capsule colonoscopy, and drug-delivery systems. 

“This type of e-capsule has a built-in MCU, camera, battery, and flash memory, which can automatically take photos and store data continuously,” said Lin. “By swallowing the e-capsule and advancing it into the body through intestinal peristalsis, it can continuously observe and instantly grasp the internal conditions during the time it stays in the body (as short as one to two days or as long as five to six days) for health monitoring and disease diagnosis.” 

With the support of semiconductors, the medical industry is implementing real-time prevention 

Technologies such as sensors, AI, IoT, and 5G networks are driving the rapid development of digital medicine, and more digital medical devices means the need for more semiconductor components, such as MCUs, Wi-Fi, and memory components for storing algorithms and data. However, like other industries, the various semiconductors and components required by the medical electronics industry also have specific requirements. 

Medical electronic devices are usually used to collect, analyze, and transmit patient data. With the increasing emphasis on preventive medicine, the new generation of smart medical healthcare devices will implement the “prevention is better than cure” principle and actively improve patient treatment plans to enhance efficacy. In order for medical professionals to trust the data generated by these medical devices, the standards of internal components must be very high. Therefore, factors such as quality, reliability, stability, longevity, long-term availability, and cost are all crucial for any embedded components. This is especially true for memory chips that play a role in storing key data, as they must avoid data leakage, loss, or even system failure. 

Lin stressed that medical electronics and automotive electronics are both focused on human safety, so reliability is crucial. In addition to passing FDA certification, medical electronic products must comply with ISO13485 and ISO14971 regulations in design, development, and manufacturing to accurately ensure quality and control risks. 

Semiconductor chips such as memory must be able to be used continuously throughout the life cycle of the device and avoid being eliminated or replaced over time. However, the fast-paced development of the memory industry may not necessarily be compatible with the typical 10-year-or-longer life cycle of medical healthcare devices. Therefore, memory manufacturers must be able to provide solutions and support for longer lifespans so that medical devices do not have to be redesigned and recertified due to outdated components. In addition, when developing remote medical devices, it is necessary to test and verify the design and its related components throughout the design and development cycle to minimize patient risk and ensure safety. 

For a customer’s supply chain, the key is to ensure the long service life and long-term supply support of the product. This is the reason why during the COVID-19 outbreak, when ventilators were urgently needed around the world, only Macronix was able to immediately stock flash memories to meet the design requirements of more than a decade ago.  

Memory fully supports smart medical innovation 

“As the medical industry accepts and adopts IoMT, it’s easy to imagine a market for a much broader array of applications,” said Lin. “This is especially true since the wave of COVID-19 pandemic, as traditional medium- and large-scale medical practitioners in Europe and America and start-up companies have proposed more new design consultations and needs.” He added that currently all the major global medical equipment manufacturers have cooperative relationships with Macronix, and he has also observed that more medical electronic devices and emerging designs require greater flash memory. 

In fact, memory plays a role in traditional medical devices but mostly provides smaller storage capacity or is embedded in MCUs to execute simple boot programs. Now, although the new generation of smart medical devices may not necessarily adopt advanced processes, they are usually equipped with larger, higher-resolution color displays that support more functions such as touch and control — all of which require flash with higher storage capacity. 

Flash or eMMC of various capacities can be used to meet different medical application needs. Macronix’ product portfolio is widely used in various medical devices such as MRI, CT, ECG, and applications such as e-capsules. In addition to NOR flash, eMMC can also be provided according to the length of time required for data recording by the system. For e-capsule applications, NOR and NAND flash solutions are also provided. 

Medical devices not only require enhanced storage capacity and density but also a low-power design. Many medical devices require low voltage, flat impedance, and the lowest-possible power consumption. Thus, in addition to the current mainstream of 3.3V or 1.8V flash used in medical systems, Lin pointed out, Macronix has worked together with MCU companies and medical-solution companies to develop the next-generation 1.2V ultra-low-power flash. 

In addition, there are some special component requirements from medical equipment suppliers, such as defibrillator pads related to the heart that particularly emphasize electromagnetic interference (EMI), which requires that the components designed on the circuit board must be able to resist static electricity. For this reason, Macronix also provides memory components with almost zero EMI. Furthermore, with this shift toward IoMT, namely in remote patient care, medical devices now have to be smaller than ever, while providing more to the end user. With this comes the need for creative ways of being able to fit more components into a smaller end solution — hence why Macronix also provides a multitude of package offerings to fit any size requirement, namely Known Good Die (KGD).