JHU Ref #: [C17108, C17833, and C17521]
Value Proposition
· Wearable, Patch-Based Technology: Designed to autonomously monitor and/or treat biological features, enabling rapid, non-invasive triage and care in emergency settings.
· Three Sensing Modalities: A handheld device collects and displays the real-time physiological data of multiple patients using three integrated sensing technologies: (1) non-contact, camera-based photoplethysmography; (2) wearable ultrasound sensors; and (3) wearable bioelectrical monitors.
· Autonomous Monitoring: Continuously tracks real-time physiological vitals including heart rate, respiratory rate, peripheral oxygen saturation, blood pressure, blood flow, tissue stiffness and temperature, ECG, breathing, and skin conductivity, eliminating the need for trained technicians.
· Patient Identification and Location Capabilities: Utilizes biometric data and GPS tracking to identify and locate patients, allowing simultaneous monitoring and/or treatment of multiple patients at scale.
· Smart Triage: Dynamically updates patient prioritization in real time based on physiological data to maximize patient outcomes.
Unmet Need
· Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) are large-scale emergencies, either man-made or natural, in which local management agencies and the healthcare system are overwhelmed. These events encompass a wide range of scenarios, including mass shootings, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, industrial accidents, transportation accidents, and pandemics. In emergency and mass-casualty settings, rapid and accurate triage is critical but limited by scarce personnel, inconsistent manual assessments, and lack of real-time physiological data. In the United States, triage during MCIs is conducted using the START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) system, which often oversimplifies patient assessment. Such triaging methods lack sensitivity and specificity, leading to over-triage, which wastes critical resources, and under-triage, which delays critical care and increases the risk of preventable negative outcomes. Thus, there exists a strong need for autonomous, continuous monitoring systems that can assess and/or treat physiological conditions and dynamically prioritize patient care.
Technology Description
· Current triage methods are limited by personnel shortages, rushed manual assessments, and lack of real-time physiological data. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed a wearable, patch-based system that autonomously monitors and treats physiological conditions, enabling continuous vital sign monitoring and dynamic patient prioritization to improve patient outcomes.
Stage of Development
· A functional prototype has been developed, as of 3/29/2023, and the technology was in the process of obtaining IRB approval for clinical testing as of 7/20/2022.
Data Availability
· Data, prototype, and video available upon request.
Publication
N/A
