Smart Wearable Internet of Things-Based Device With a Temperature Sensor for Early Symptom Detection of Tennis Elbow

Abstract Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a musculoskeletal condition that causes pain outside the elbow. It affects approximately 1 million people in the U.S. annually. About 3% of adults over the age of 40 and up to 7% of manual laborers are affected by this condition every year. It is prevalent mainly among sports enthusiasts who engage in racquet sports such as tennis, badminton, squash, etc., and also among laborers who work with heavy instruments for lifting and gripping activities. Early detection is crucial for identifying the symptoms and inflammation contributing to poor performance and prolonged recovery. Temperature variation is one of the primary and early symptoms indicating the inflammation of the lateral epicondyle. In this work, a wearable Internet of Things (IoT)-based device was developed that integrates a temperature sensor, a Node microcontroller unit (MCU), and a notification-based alarm system. The developed system captures real-time temperature values and then securely passes them to the cloud, informing users when the temperature exceeds the threshold value. The data saved in the cloud is available for retrieval through a web interface that enables users to keep track of their condition very efficiently. Such efficient monitoring can result in the early detection of symptoms of tennis elbow, allowing individuals to take preventive steps and thereby decrease the progression of the disease.