The shortcomings, challenges and solutions to Industry 4.

0 applications in
healthcare sector- Times New Roman -12- 1.5; Justification expected in support of
your stance/viewpoint

Industry 4.0 refers to the paradigm of leveraging the advancements of the third industrial
revolution and complementing them with smart data driven autonomous systems with the
eventual outcome as a smart factory, one where the machines are digitally connected with
one another to create more value and reduce waste production. It encompasses the practices
of data exchange in manufacturing systems, the Internet of Things and the cloud computing
frameworks to digitally transform the production systems. The figure below represents the
various components that constitute the Industry 4.0 regime.

Components of Industry 4.01

Industry 4.0 provides various advantages which include but are not limited to Enhanced
Productivity, higher levels of flexibility in the production processes, improved quality and
optimization of maintenance and operation services. It strives to cut across the supply chain
by providing a unified platform to the supplier and customer, thus reducing the inventory
space requirements and costs incurred by Just-In-Time manufacturing.
The cyber-physical system envisioned in industry 4.0 can be scaled into a virtual and
autonomous patient monitoring system that can aid real time tracking and decision making.
The predominant technologies that can be incorporated into the health care sector are those of
additive manufacturing (3D printing) for printing prosthetics/implants, big data capabilities to
analyse patients’ medical history and suggest customised interventions, connected sensors for
continuous tracking of crucial parameters and generating insights. The figure below captures
the various capabilities of the industry 4.0 paradigm.

Industry 4.0 in the Medical Field2

Industry 4.0 can provide novel opportunities for personalized and remote patient care. The
hospital management system can be integrated with state-of-art capabilities for more effective
delivery of healthcare services. Enumerated below a few applications of Industry 4.0 in the
healthcare sector:

1) Customised and smart implants- Enabling the delivery of patient specific implants at a
lower cost and in shorter period of time.
2) Precise surgical models can be developed for complex and difficult procedures using
the advancements in AI and Big Data technologies
3) Complete Monitoring of the
References for figures

1) https://www.i-scoop.eu/industry-4-0/
2) Javaid M, Haleem A, Industry 4.0 applications in medical field: A brief review, Current
Medicine Research and Practice- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmrp.2019.04.001
3)