Fully Disposable Wireless Patch Sensor for Continuous Remote Patient Monitoring

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Wearable Technology
• Remote Patient Monitoring

Background:

• Continuous remote monitoring is crucial for early detection of patient deterioration.
• Wireless biosensors offer a convenient solution for unobtrusive patient care.
• Existing solutions require validation for accuracy and reliability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the VitalPatch, a novel disposable wireless biosensor.
• To evaluate the performance of VitalPatch through bench testing and laboratory validation.
• To assess the clinical acceptability of VitalPatch for continuous patient monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Bench testing using ECG databases for QRS detection.
• Laboratory validation in 57 subjects measuring heart rate (HR), respiration rate (BR), and skin temperature.
• Actigraphy metrics including step detection, posture detection, and fall detection.

Main Results:

• VitalPatch demonstrated high accuracy in QRS detection (>99% positive predictive value).
• Bench testing showed low Mean Absolute Error (MAE) for HR (<5 bpm), BR (<1 brpm), and skin temp (<1°C).
• Laboratory testing confirmed accurate HR (2.2±1.5 bpm) and BR (1.7±0.7 brpm) measurements, with high accuracy in step (4.7±4.6%) and posture (96.4±3.1%) detection. Fall detection showed 100% sensitivity and 93.8% specificity.

Conclusions:

• The VitalPatch biosensor provides clinically acceptable accuracy for vital signs and actigraphy.
• This disposable wireless sensor is suitable for continuous, unobtrusive patient monitoring.
• VitalPatch supports early detection of patient deterioration and enhances patient care.