This project will design, fabricate, and test a portable device that provides a training and monitoring system to train wheelchair users to relieve pressure intermittently, thus preventing ulcer formation and reducing the danger of infection of the ulcer which can lead to amputation and possibly death. The Pressure Relief Reminder and Compliance System is a capable of monitoring and warning of prolonged periods of unrelieved pressure which can result in pressure sores. Although similar devices have been developed, none are capable of providing compliance monitoring by storing events of interest for the physician or therapist to examine. This data can be later used by the clinician to monitor the compliance of the patient in terms of usage of the devices, the number of alarms received and the response or lack of by the user. The data also helps the clinician to determine whether the treatment strategy yields the expected result and whether the prescribed time limits are appropriate for pressure sore prevention. A reduction in the number of pressure ulcers due to prolonged periods of unrelieved pressure would save on the order of several hundred million dollars per year in the U.S. alone. The Pressure Relief Reminder and Compliance System would also decrease the amount of emotional stress on the wheelchair users and their families, and eliminate further loss of mobility and productivity which results from amputation.
In addition to being used to provide a training and monitoring system to train wheelchair users to relief pressure intermittently, the device can be used to remind care givers to turn individuals restricted to bed. This bed compliance system provides a quality assurance device for hospitals and nursing homes.
