In 1887 British physiologist Augustus Desiré Waller repurposed a desktop-sized capillary electrometer for use as the world’s first functional electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) device. Over a century later, a major consumer device manufacturer has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance as a class 2 medical device, making it the first consumer-oriented ECG device able to present the results directly to the consumer without first needing the review of a medical professional. It will not be the last.

Medical therapeutics is the art and science of treating a patient’s disease or alleviating their pain through a combination of physical therapies, pharmaceuticals and medical technology (MedTech). This branch of medical science, specifically referred to as MedTech, is receiving renewed interest thanks to the rapidly changing landscape of embedded electronics.

For most of us, the most advanced feature we have encountered in our pharmaceutical packaging is the child safety lock cap. And while the safety cap is a necessary feature, there are many challenges that current packaging does not address. Current research and development efforts are looking at tackling some major issues affecting the pharmaceutical market.