In August 2020, the Air Force Research Laboratory, along with SEMI Nano-Bio Materials Consortium (NBMC), a global association of electronics design and manufacturing companies, will hold an open, virtual workshop series. Its purpose is to explore the continuing need for actionable, intelligent and real-time data to improve outcomes for remote sensing, monitoring and treatment. The annual workshop, which begins August 5, 2020, and continues in two-hour sessions on each successive Wednesday, will be the fourth such event held by the consortium. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first time it will be a virtual event.
The focus of the 2020 workshop is “digital health.” Each session will feature a different aspect of biomarker sensing and diagnostics for telemedicine. A biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable physical characteristic such as pulse rate or blood chemistry. The workshop will cover progress and explore gaps in nano-bio electronics, including expanding the ability to observe biomarkers in real time, resulting in improved human health and performance.
The first session, on August 5, will discuss the biomarker analysis of exhaled breath, advancements in wearable monitors, and sensing certain biomarkers in the subcutaneous interstitium. The session will wrap up with a presentation from DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
The weekly sessions that follow will focus on:
August 12: En-route care and point-of-care diagnostics
August 19: Wearable devices that enable rapid medical decision making
August 26: Automation and artificial intelligence