The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will revolutionize the way older adults who live independently at home are monitored. According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), nearly 90% of older adults (age 65 and above) prefer to stay independently at their homes, coining the term "ageing in place". The proposed monitoring system monitors older adults in real time for changes in physical activity, falls, and loss of balance. These parameters can indicate changes in frailness in older adults which if addressed early can extend their period of independent living. The system will monitor blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, and common cardiac conditions that often accompany loss of balance or falls, which can trigger early and more informed intervention that will allow issues to be addressed before a more serious injury occurs due to a fall. Current industry solutions rely on reactively initiating assistance after a fall is detected, which are usually too late to reverse the age-related deterioration and are ineffective at extending independent living. Ability of living independently longer for older adults will translate into significant savings in cost of care and will also improve their wellbeing.
The proposed project will develop an end-to-end monitoring systems for older adults living independently at home consisting of: 1) Development of a small wearable device for measurement of Heart Rate, Pulse Oximetry, Blood Pressure, and ECG; 2) Development of activity monitoring system and classification of activities that can be used in tracking frailty of a monitored older adult. Changes in frailty can be observed remotely, allowing for early intervention and potentially the ability to reverse physical or mental degradation. In addition, the system can assist in the decision when the older adults need a full-time caregiver to remain at home, which is difficult and usually preceded by some serious accident or medical emergency, such as a fall resulting in hospitalization or a serious illness. Such delayed decision can have serious life-threatening consequences. The advancements will be made in activity monitoring, non-invasive continuous blood pressure monitoring to track changes in blood pressure, and integration of anomaly detection into ECG waveform analysis to provide additional information when loss of balance or fall occurs. Such real time monitoring will tax the battery of the wearable device and will be addressed by exploring anomaly-based energy management to prolong battery life.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
