The market research Tractica has a new report out, projecting that sales of connected patches for medical applications will grow from 67.000 last year to 12.3 million in 2020. It puts the size of the market at $3.3 billion.
The company includes in its count skin-worn devices with wireless connectivity — patches, tattoos and the like — and not implantable items such as pacemakers or insulin pumps.
Researchers say the market will break down into three segments: medical monitoring, medication management and treatment, and wellness. They caution, however, that
… data and information from connected medical patches … is likely many years away…. [A] variety of challenges remains, including long development cycles, limitations of sensors and components, and regulations.