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Athleisure Mag™ | Athleisure Culture

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PHOTO COURTESY | BROOKE LARK

PHOTO COURTESY | BROOKE LARK

8 AWESOME TECHNOLOGIES REDEFINING HEALTHCARE

December 3, 2019

BY PAUL FARKAS, TECH DIRECTOR

No double about it, technology-driven healthcare is the future of medicine. Making health-enhancing and life-saving technologies available and accessible to patients has increased wellness and happiness by leaps and bounds. We can only imagine what the next 25 years of medical technology development will bring us.  Here are 8 awesome technologies that are already redefining healthcare as we’ve always known it. From here, the possibilities are endless. 

#1. Wearable Health Devices

Doctors and scientists alike are embracing wearable health devices right along with consumers and fitness experts. Wearable heart monitors, advanced pedometers and other wearable health devices are putting data directly into the patient’s hands. You can lose weight, stay in shape, track medical issues and even detect hidden issues using a clip-on or wristwatch device. If you want some great low-cost pedometer ideas for holiday gifts this year, check out this list of affordable ones by Cool Things Chicago. You can track your daily steps, your heart rate, calorie intake and expenditure, and a whole lot more. Many people even wear their devices 24 hours a day so that they can get valuable information about their sleep habits. 

#2. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is already being used to compile and analyze large amounts of healthcare data and clinical study findings to help doctors make important discoveries, enhance treatment options and avoid mistakes. New AI technology will include medical chatbots that can process patient information and even make general diagnoses. Natural language processing and machine learning make this type of AI possible. 

#3. Blockchain Technology 

Blockchain technology provides a decentralized system for recording, storing and transmitting protected health information. Although many people associate Blockchain with cryptocurrency, the possibilities of its use go far beyond that and could touch almost every industry in the future. According to Healthcare Weekly, blockchain and healthcare are a match made in heaven due to healthcare security. The healthcare industry faces major security breaches on an almost daily basis costing millions of dollars, a loss of trust by the public and other sticky problems. Many healthcare executives see blockchain as a top priority for 2020 and beyond. Developing a national database of healthcare data, on a secure blockchain system, could provide valuable research data for doctors all over the country. 

#4. Genome Sequencing

Individualized care is fast approaching, genome sequencing is already available but very costly. As new technology surfaces, the cost will continue to drop until it becomes more accessible to the majority of patients. This is a huge win for healthcare because people are highly unique and treating people based on generalizations doesn’t always make for the best possible outcome. We can increase the chances of a good outcome when we know the most information possible about a patient. Genome sequencing and DNA testing can tell us what diseases a person is predisposed to. The Human Genome Project had the lofty goal of sequencing all 3 billion nucleotides in the human genome, it was an incredible undertaking that had huge implications for the future of medicine. We have only scratched the surface of everything that could be uncovered by fully understanding our DNA. More research and more advanced technology-driven devices will be needed as this incredible tool is tweaked and perfected. 

#5. 3D Printing

The healthcare 3D printing market will soon be worth well over $2.2 billion. The uses of this technology are expanding quickly with applications from prosthetics to reproducing vital organs. Even drugs can be 3D printed. Surgeons can 3D print a patient’s anatomy to make a detailed surgical plan for the most complex surgeries. You can print human tissue cell by cell, using this extraordinary technology. 

There are also endless uses for medical education as well. You can use it to study anatomy and medical procedures in a classroom setting. Easier manufacturing of medical devices can make things less costly. Over time, 3D printing might end up being a key thing that lowers the cost of healthcare.  

#6. Software As A Medical Device

Orthogonal.io describes software as a medical device (SaMD) as standalone software that serves as a medical product, without any matching hardware. Typically software helps support or operate hardware such as the software the runs an MRI machine. With SaMD the software is used on its own to deliver healthcare that can diagnose, treat, cure, or even prevent medical conditions. Mostly, it involves collecting and distributing health data using sophisticated algorithms and analyzes it using complex machine learning.  Specific examples of SaMD include health screenings, monitoring or alert systems for pre-existing conditions, communication with doctors and medical devices, and personalized plans for the managed care of chronic conditions. 

#7. Robotics

Robotics is being used to assist in complicated surgeries and help doctors make precise serial cuts that reduce risk and make recovery easier on patients. The machines can also administer anesthesia with great accuracy and can reduce medical costs as well as lowering the risk of human error. Companion robots are making a name for themselves, proving therapeutic mental healthcare for people at home or in nursing homes. Doctors won’t be getting replaced by robots anytime soon but robotics can help doctors do their jobs better. 

#8. Nanotechnology 

Take robotics and shrink it down to a microscopic entity and you have nanotechnology. Nanodevices can deliver drugs through the patients’ bloodstream and to targeted areas for more effective treatment than was previously available. This is increasing the usefulness of therapies to treat even the hardest to treat diseases like certain types of cancer. These teeny robots can also help with diagnosis and monitoring vitals. 

With all of the exciting discoveries the last 25 to 50 years of technology has brought us in the medical field, it is most interesting to see what else it can do for us in the future. Healthcare institutions are banking on the huge things to come, spending a considerable about of time, money and resources on developing new technologies every day that will create a healthier and happier population. 

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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Reebok_Woven_Into_The_Future-39_retouched.jpg

REEBOK | WOVEN INTO THE FUTURE

January 9, 2018

Earlier this fall, Reebok announced a new footwear technology called Flexweave - revolutionary shoe upper material that is incredibly versatile, providing a balance of lightness, durability, fit and stability. Reebok partnered with three designers across the world to create bespoke fitness prototypes to showcase this one-of-a-kind material.

The design partnerships within this collective are known as "Woven into the Future" and includes an altitude-training mask from the UK design collective Modla (ENG) that showcases the material’s softness and durability, an “active seat” from Dutch collective Odd Matter (AN) that highlights its flexibility and strength, and GPS-enabled gloves by Joe Doucet x Partners (USA) to display the material’s customization and versatility.

The Flexweave material will first be seen in the FAST Flexweave running shoe, available in February on Reebok.com, and the material was developed through the Reebok Innovation Collective (a division championing the open-sourced pursuit of progression via innovation and partnerships that aims to push the boundaries of invention). These partnerships with the global fitness brand explored the potential of Flexweave and explored its limitless potential to create a unique product that links form and function to create an aesthetic product that utilizes the benefits of the technology while serving a fitness purpose. Flexweave boasts an open figure-8 construction that interlocks unlimited strands of fibers to create a single surface construction that is as strong as it is light. All designers worked with the version of the textile that will appear in the first-generation of Reebok Flexweave footwear, launching in 2018, made from chenille yarn.

Reebok3299_retouched.jpg Reebok_Woven_Into_The_Future-7_retouched.jpg Reebok_Retouch_Woven_Into_The_Future-3_retouched.jpg Reebok_Woven_Into_The_Future-52_retouched.jpg Reebok_Woven_Into_The_Future-23_retouched.jpg Reebok_Woven_Into_The_Future-39_retouched.jpg Reebok_JoeDoucet-85_retouched.jpg Reebok_JoeDoucet-85_retouched.jpg Reebok_JoeDoucet-71_retouched.jpg Reebok_JoeDoucet-71_retouched.jpg Reebok_Woven_Into_The_Future-39_retouched.jpg Reebok_Woven_Into_The_Future-52_retouched.jpg

JOE DOUCET X PARTNERS -  New York City, United States

As a designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents in America. Doucet designed a pair of Reebok Flexweave running gloves, form-fitting to the wearers hand, absorbing sweat as they run and lightweight for maximum comfort. The prototype was designed with the vision of being GPS-enabled, guiding the wearer through their run with flashing LED lights to indicate when to turn left or right.

“My inspiration was to capture the unique qualities of the Flexweave technology through something advantageous to an active lifestyle. The strength, flexibility and multi surface durability of Flexweave led me to the idea of a ‘smart’ running glove with a sleek, stylish silhouette. With the form crafted by Flexweave, the next stage of development would be GPS integration paving the way to a new frontier in wearable technology,” said Doucet.

ODD MATTER -  Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Odd Matter is a design studio driven by curiosity; researching, creating and exploring the world through its materials, processes and concept. The duo created a furniture series of ‘active sitting’ chairs; made through a combination of Reebok Flexweave and malleable EVA foam.

“The Inspiration for the chair came from the Flexweave material itself. Whilst experimenting and playing with the fabric we were very intrigued by its behavior, structure and strength under tension. From there we wanted to create an object that played with that tension, a bit like the string of a bow, something in which the tension and strength is palpable,” said Els Woldhek, Odd Matter.

“Working with the Flexweave was very interesting, for instance when cutting it in different directions you straight away notice the differences between the fibers and the technical properties of the Flexweave. This in turn has made us really curious about everything else that is possible with the technology.”

MODLA – London, England

Co-founded by Jon Fidler and Richard Goddard, Modla is an artistic design house specializing in technological innovation, pushing the creative boundaries of 3D printing and digital 3D design. The pair created an entirely new Reebok Flexweave altitude training mask; 3D printing the valve technology across the nose and mouth, coupled with a Flexweave facial strap to comfortably wrap around the wearer’s face during intense training.

"I do a lot of high intensity training so I’m interested in how such equipment works, functions and can help improve performance. But we also saw the potential in the aesthetic of the Flexweave material, to create something which would blend with the mask and align with the contours of the wearer’s face.

As it happens, the Flexweave material provided even more benefit than just the aesthetic and was amazing to work with. It’s strong and durable, so perfect for a product that will get a lot of wear and tear; while also incredibly lightweight, making it breathable on the face for athletes when training." said Fidler.

“Flexweave is going to a major part of the Reebok DNA moving forward. With this creative and imaginative project, we’ve achieved exactly what we set out to do; demonstrate through collaborations in other fields what Flexweave can truly achieve when put to the ultimate test,” said James Woolard, Global Marketing Director, Reebok Running.

“The Reebok Innovation Collection champions the pursuit of partnerships and innovations that will continue propelling the brand forward in spaces like fitness, fashion and footwear. Flexweave represents a huge step forward in footwear upper technology and brings with it a wave of anticipation and excitement for what the future holds for this brand”.

Reebok has extended the creative experience around Flexweave to its community, setting up an interactive digital experience on the Reebok Innovation Collective website called ‘Create Your Weave’; inviting you to construct your own virtual weave design and share it with friends.

The brand is also working with one of Savile Row’s finest tailors, Huntsman & Sons, to create a bespoke men’s suit made from Flexweave. Designed for Reebok Running ambassador and superstar WR Brandin Cooks, the experimental pursuit will be complete in Spring 2018.


Missed the Dec Issue of Athleisure Mag? Check out our cover girls EDM DJ duo NERVO.

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