Smart solutions for pressure ulcers; smart pad & smart sheet

Motivation; Pressure ulcers usually develop over a bony prominence as a result of pressure in combination with shear stress and/or friction. Pressure ulcers also can occur secondary to diabetic neuropathy in diabetic patients. Additional contributing factors include; immobilization and neuropathy for both of these groups. There is a direct impact of pressure ulcers on the quality of life of these patients and their caregivers, because they increase the hospitalisation frequency and they extend the hospitalisation period. Besides, they may be physically and psychologically exhausting for the patients/caregivers due to their chronic course. They may be extremely excruciating so that it can be treated by amputation of their extremities or they may even be the cause of the patient's death. In addition, there are high expentidures arising from the extension of hospitalisation frequency/ period and the treatment itself, as in the United States, where an average of $11 billion is spent annually. In order to minimize these risks and morbidity, preventive methods are applied. For prevention of pressure ulcers , we have produced smart sheet and smart pad using technological advances. Background and state of the art ; Micro force sensing resistors can detect the pressure, weight or force applied on them with fallibility to near zero. Using these sensors and a motherboard with a wireless transmitter, we produced smart sheet and smart pad. The transmitter transmits the information received from these sensors to a computer. Then an interface software were created and patents were taken for these two products. In literature, weight bearing areas and most likely areas for the development of pressure ulcers were defined and investigated. Critical pressure thresholds were defined for each area which were prone to formation of pressure ulcer. Smart sheet was created with these informations and design. In the prototype, 33 sensors and a mainboard with a wireless transmitter were used. Sensors were placed to the weight bearing areas and most likely areas for the development of pressure ulcers. Sensors could detect the pressure applied on them and evaluated these pressures with smart sheet's software. Each smart pad was designed with five micro force sensing resistors and a mainboard with a wireless transmitter. Five weight bearing reginons were defined in the literature and the sensors were placed on these main regions on the foot pad. Sensors could detect the pressure applied on them and evaluated these pressures with smart pad's interface software. Data Collection and Monitoring; In order to measure pressure over the entire body, pressure sensors are distributed over the bed's surface according to risky areas.. With these innovations we emphasize an evidence based platform for pressure ulcer monitoring and prevention. Our protypes has been successfully tested using prerecorded data and favorable performance and accuracy have been observed. Each prototype has different interface software. Entire body in supine or lateral decubitis position and plantar weight bearing areas can be evaluated and be monitored for development of the pressure ulcers by means of these software interfaces. Results; The focus of this paper is to develop a software-hardware platform that addresses one of the most costly, most challenging and acute health conditions: pressure ulcers. Prevention is the gold rule in the treatment of pressure ulcer. Avoiding the formation of pressure ulcer is crucial. These products collect information from various sensors incorporated into the bed/sheet and foot-pad, analyze the data to create a time-stamped, whole body and foot pressure distribution map, and guide the patients' caregivers to give position to the patient and to redistribute pressure over the entire body periodically. These sensors, software, sheet/pad and pressure distribution map are combined to form a cognitive support system, that augments the ability of a care giver, allowing them to provide better care for more patients in less time.