Thermal management of wearable and implantable electronic healthcare devices: Perspective and measurement approach
Raihana Bahru, Azrul Azlan Hamzah, Mohd Ambri Mohamed
Abstract
The performance of electronic devices, mostly in medical applications, has been investigated to determine whether they meet the requirements of healthcare monitoring and patient's satisfaction. Mobile health monitoring is preferable at present given the current innovations in handheld, wearable, and implantable devices. However, these applications require appropriate thermal management because they are attached directly to the human body and operate for a long period. Moreover, a sophisticated design with functional mobility necessitates proper thermal circulation during the process. This review provides the current research direction for cooling systems, the thermal working principle of wearable and implantable devices, and its implementation on design architecture. Then, the importance of internal and external functional properties in thermal management and their effects on device performance are discussed. Operating temperature is among the most important elements in monitoring thermal performance due to the tendency of tissue and component damages to occur after an increment of only 1°C or 2°C in temperature. Challenges and available solutions for thermal management are listed in detail to improve cooling methods and service to the healthcare field.