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Sensor-based solutions

Powering precision medicine with intelligent sensing

Sensing is the invisible foundation of precision in healthcare. Every image, every AI-driven decision, every robotic movement starts with accurate data ‒ and that data comes from sensors. Siemens Healthineers is pioneering sensor-based solutions that enable high-quality diagnostics, safe medical interventions, and seamless automation based on digital twins. 

What is a sensor?

A sensor is a technical component that detects physical, chemical, or biological quantities and converts them into electrical signals. These signals can then be analyzed and transformed into usable data. In medical systems, sensors act as “sensory organs” by capturing signals such as light, sound, pressure, and magnetic fields. For Siemens Healthineers, sensing is primarily about the precise, multimodal collection of patient data and environmental and contextual information. Sensing forms the basis for intelligent diagnostics and therapy.

 How do AI, robotics, and sensing complement each other? 

We believe that true progress in healthcare comes from the interplay of three core fields of technology: artificial intelligence, robotics, and sensing. Each plays a unique role in shaping the future of medical technology.

  • Sensing acts as the “senses” of intelligent healthcare, capturing multimodal patient data and contextual information with precision.

  • AI serves as the “brain", analyzing vast amounts of data ‒ often collected by sensors ‒ to generate insights, guide decisions, and assess outcome probabilities.

  • Robotics provides the “feet” or the “means of transportation” to get to the place of action. It also acts as the “hands”, enabling precise, automated interventions and supporting clinicians in complex procedures.

Only when these three domains interact seamlessly can we achieve breakthroughs such as fully automated imaging, patient self-scanning, multimodal decision support, and robot-assisted interventions. Together, these breakthroughs form the foundation for personalized medicine and smarter workflows ‒ accelerating diagnostics, improving therapy precision, and reducing the burden on healthcare professionals. Ultimately, this also helps close global gaps in medical care.

How does a sensor work?

A sensor works by detecting changes in its environment and converting these changes into measurable signals. The process typically involves three steps:

What types of sensors are used in medtech?

Modern medical technology relies on a variety of sensors. Some sensors are essential for the medical devices to function. For example, before medical robots can act, they require information about their environment, and this is provided by sensors. Other sensors are primarily used to capture patient data accurately and in real time. Regardless of the intended application, we distinguish five types of sensors based on their measurement principles: 

Optical sensors for imaging and spectral analysis, acoustic sensors for ultrasound diagnostics, electromagnetic sensors for magnetic resonance imaging and X-ray imaging, mechanical sensors for pressure and movement, and chemical/biological sensors for laboratory diagnostics. Together, these sensors act as the “senses” of intelligent healthcare.

Types of sensors

Optical sensors use light to capture information such as intensity, color, surface structure, or 3D depth data. They enable a detailed understanding of the environmental and spatial context.
Acoustic sensors operate with sound waves (mostly ultrasound) to visualize structures and movements.
Electromagnetic sensors measure electrical or magnetic fields. They are used in magnetic resonance imaging and X‑ray imaging for example.
Mechanical sensors detect physical quantities such as pressure, force, or movement.
Chemical/biological sensors detect chemical or biological substances. They are essential for diagnostics and medical research.

Each of our medical devices contains a wide range of sensors. Below are some examples of key sensors used in various systems:

Optical

Optical sensors enable precise alignment and real‑time monitoring in our CT scanners for accurate imaging with every scan. Courtesy of Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Germany.

Every device as a sensor, with a network of sensors inside

When we look at advanced imaging systems like MRI machines, CT scanners, and C-arms, we can think of each device as one large, highly sophisticated sensor. Its purpose is to capture patient data with maximum precision. At the same time, every system is built from a multitude of specialized sensors that all work together. 

Here is an overview of how many sensors are approximately integrated into our photon-counting CT system, NAEOTOM® Alpha:

Why is sensing key to digital twins?

Digital twins are virtual representations of devices, processes, or even patients. They enable predictive insights and automated planning along the entire treatment pathway. To create digital twins, we need accurate real-time data from multiple sources ‒ and this is where sensing becomes indispensable. Sensing provides the “senses” that capture multimodal information: physiological signals, imaging data, environmental context, and device status. The goal is to collect data from various sources in real time. 

What is smart sensing?

Smart sensing filters the relevant information from the raw data and makes it usable for medical decision-making processes. By filtering and structuring the raw data, smart sensing transforms it into actionable inputs for AI-driven models. With sensing as the foundation, we can even move closer to our vision of a digital patient twin.

What is a digital patient twin?

The digital patient twin is a digital representation of an individual patient, built on biophysiological data models and algorithms. It is designed to simulate the patient’s health status, continuously update it, and predict future developments.
Read more

What are future trends in sensing?

Medical devices ‒ especially advanced imaging systems such as CT and MRI scanners ‒ will increasingly rely on higher levels of automation. Our long‑term vision even includes scenarios where patients perform certain scans independently. As routine tasks are gradually automated, healthcare professionals can focus more on interacting with patients and making clinical decisions. A key driver of this development is sensor fusion: the intelligent combination of multiple sensing modalities to create a robust, comprehensive understanding of the environment, the system, and the patient.  

Autonomous functions demand not only more sensors, but also integrated, multimodal sensing architectures that merge data from optical, acoustic, electromagnetic, and mechanical sensors. This enables capabilities such as collision avoidance, patient monitoring, precise patient positioning, and patient identification. Below you will find an overview of current research trends in sensor technology.

What are vision-language-action models?

Vision-language-action models (VLAMs) are a new chapter in the integration of sensing and artificial intelligence. VLAMs connect image data from cameras and other sensors with language models. This enables medical devices to not only perceive their environment but also understand complex instructions and autonomously derive actions from the data. This technology is a key building block for the next generation of autonomous systems and robots in healthcare. Siemens Healthineers is closely monitoring and testing VLAM approaches to unlock new possibilities for greater safety, efficiency, and automation in medical technology. Although VLAM technology is still in its early stages, it is considered a clear trend for the future and will significantly shape the development of smart, self-learning devices.

What is quantum sensing?

Quantum sensors could be a promising future trend in medical technology. These advanced sensors, which include quantum magnetometers, have the potential to measure magnetic fields and even gravitational fields with unprecedented precision. For Siemens Healthineers, quantum sensing could possibly become a valuable complementing technology, e.g. to existing MRI scanners, enabling new possibilities in sensing and diagnosing disease. While the technology is still in its early phase and concrete applications are yet to be explored, our teams are already in dialogue with researchers and collaboration partners about this emerging domain.

Discover some of our current research projects in the field of sensing:

The angiography lab of the future
Angiography visualizes blood vessels and the C‑arm provides X‑ray imaging in real time. The “Angiography lab of the future” project aims to enhance workflow and patient care using digital twins.
  1. The presented information is based on research results that are not commercially available. Future realization and availability cannot be guaranteed.  
  2. The product names and/or brands referred to are the property of their respective trademark holders. The products/features mentioned herein are under development and/or are not commercially available in all countries. Their future availability cannot be guaranteed.
  3. Patient Twinning: Personalization of diagnosis, therapy selection and monitoring, aftercare, and managing health.
  4. Patient Twinning is currently under development. It is not for sale. Its future availability cannot be guaranteed.