Wireless drug delivery is making its move from the realm of science fiction to science fact. Biomedical engineers are creating small implants with the hope of that wireless monitoring will ensure timely, correct dosages for those who might otherwise be unable to care for themselves. But while wireless drug delivery and monitoring of a patient in need may one day serve as an essential care giving tool, questions of safety and security must first be addressed.
The Remote Intelligent Drug Delivery System (RIDDS) devices would be able to closely supervise biomarkers that report on a patient's symptoms, such as blood pressure and temperature. "Wireless control will allow healthcare workers to monitor the patient's health as well as device behavior. They could adjust medication frequency or levels as necessary based either on direct patient observation or sensor outputs." [EurekAlert]
At this point, the technology isn't intended for general use. The target populations are those who are too physically or mentally disabled to care for themselves. Such access to widespread wireless monitoring would be especially beneficial in places like senior assisted living homes, were the vitals of a large number of people could be observed, giving caretakers an advanced warning if something is going wrong.
Not surprisingly, RIDDS is raising concern in the scientific community. As with any wireless network, the feed between the monitoring station and the patient's implant would be susceptible to hackers. Such hackers may simply want to glean the personal information off the patient, which could lead to identity theft, but more malicious intent may end with far more dangerous outcomes. If the drug delivery signals are stopped or tampered with, too little or too much of the drug being released would lead to serious injury or even the death of the patient.
YanYan Wang and Carey Thaldorf at the University of Central Florida, in Orlando, USA, and colleague John Haynes of Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia, have voiced these issues in the forthcoming printing of International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology . "We have raised security concerns in relation to RIDDS, especially in the context of medical sensor networks, because, among other reasons, a failure to do so could risk the privacy and possibly the life of a patient. Security mechanisms for RIDDS must be fully considered prior to the widespread deployment of such delivery systems." [EurekAlert]
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