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| A GE researcher demonstrates the imaging capabilities from the handheld probe for bed sores.--Courtesy of GE Global Research |
As the med tech industry turns its attention to devices that can treat and prevent bedsores, a team of GE ($GE) researchers is developing an innovative handheld probe that can prevent the sores, or pressure ulcers, from forming during hospital stays.
Scientists from the company's GE Global Research technology development arm, along with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Center for Innovation, is testing a device that combines sensing and analytical features, motion analysis, thermal profiling, image classification and 3D object reconstruction to monitor and assess the progression of bed sores. An estimated 2.5 million patients develop the sores each year, and 60,000 individuals end up dying from the disease and its complications; the probe could help prevent the condition in hospitalized patients, Ting Yu, principal investigator on pressure ulcer prevention and care program, said in a statement.
"The device we have developed integrates multiple sensing and data analysis capabilities to help detect the earliest signs of ulcer formation," Yu said. "It also provides a more objective and comprehensive assessment of the wound to understand its progression."
GE Global Research is testing the device with the VA at the Augusta, GA-based Charlies Norwood VA Spinal Cord facility, enrolling 18 patients to evaluate the probe's multisensing capabilities to see how well it measures pressure ulcer formation and determines if a formed ulcer is healing. The device includes a thermal sensor that measures the temperature profile within and around the ulcer, a 3D sensor that allows scientists to track wound dimension changes over time, a situational awareness sensor that continuously monitors patient positions in bed, and decision support that allows clinicians to easily read out reports on the ulcers.
But GE Global Research is not the only one developing next-generation products for bedsore monitoring. In October, Leaf Healthcare revealed promising clinical trial results for its wearable sensor system at the American Nurses Credential Center National Magnet Conference in Dallas, TX. The Pleasanton, CA-based company found that its product helped increase hospital compliance with a standard method to prevent pressure ulcers from 64% at the beginning of the study to 98% by the end.
Engineers at the University of California at Berkeley and San Francisco are also hard at work on a smart bandage for the early detection of bedsores. The bandage uses electrical currents to monitor changes that occur when a healthy cell starts to die, and can identify the condition before the damage reaches the surface of the skin.
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