Abstract

If not treated immediately, decubitus (also known as bedsores or pressure ulcers), a common skin condition especially experienced by bedridden patients (e.g. patients who suffer from immobility etc.), can cause serious complications, such as infections, tissue damage and more. This condition develops as a result of persistent pressure on specific body parts, which reduces the flow of nutrients, as well as oxygen and can lead to skin death. Due to the severity this condition can lead to, it is crucial to detect and treat decubitus as early as possible. In general, the detection and positioning of patients is a regular routine embedded in the care protocol in most clinics to enable the patient’s comfort, safety, and overall health. However, despite improvements in medical and technological treatments, many patients continue to experience decubitus due to a lack of continuous, contactless monitoring capabilities and underlying informal feedback loops which could be tailored to this condition. The conditions occurrence rate is additionally aggravated by a shortage of skilled and experienced labor in the clinical, as well as nursing context, necessitating the use of assistive solutions to support medical professionals. In this situation, the use of appropriate sensor technology could support patients, caregivers and informal caregivers (e.g., relatives, friends etc.) by assisting in the early detection and prevention of decubitus. The proposed solution for preventing and detecting decubitus therefore represents a novel approach to the aforementioned problem. The system’s design aims to develop an unobtrusive, continuous, and contactless pressure sensing system that would generate an embedded pressure mapping matrix. The monitored data could be visualized in a user-friendly interface that would showcase the pressure-areas, send alerts to remind caregivers to position patients, and subsequently give them real-time information on the overall patient’s condition. The system is also designed to be modular, making system development relatively affordable and reducing e-waste by allowing the modules to be reused. The suggested system could be used in a clinical and eventually an Active/Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) home or domestic setting.

Results/Implementation/Project Description

Conclusion

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