The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to develop a wireless, skin-like vital signs monitor that provides clinical grade data while maximizing patient comfort and mobility. The current clinical standard for monitoring patient vital signs consists of physically tethering the patient to multiple sensors with wires connected to a bed-side monitor. These systems present a number of drawbacks for those involved in the care stream, including patients, providers, and payers. The current wired systems are not typically used for detailed monitoring at home. They are a barrier to patient mobility and lead to skin irritation and infection. The value proposition of this project is to improve quality of care and shorten hospital stays by permitting uninhibited patient mobility and preventing skin injury while providing critical data to accurately diagnose patients. Additionally, the development of a wireless system will enable flexibility in monitoring equipment for hospitals and has significant potential to improve care in low-resource or at-home settings.
This I-Corps project will further develop a flexible, stretchable wireless sensor platform which can improve monitoring of patient vital signs in a wide array of potential healthcare applications. The sensor consists of an ultrathin nanomembrane electrode supported by a soft flexible substrate. The flexible, stretchable nature of the sensor enables conformal contact with a patient's skin and high-resolution measurement of multiple vital signs to monitor heart, brain, and muscle activity. These wireless measurements can be used to monitor patients in hospital or at-home settings. Combining multiple high-resolution signal modalities will improve diagnostic accuracy as machine learning methods are implemented.
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.
