Infrared Monitoring of Oxygenation Process Generated by Robotic Verticalization in Bedridden People

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Technology
• Patient Monitoring

Background:

• Long-term care for bedridden individuals at home presents challenges beyond primary pathologies.
• Maintaining patient wellness and psychological state is crucial in chronic care settings.
• Technological solutions are needed to improve the daily lives and conditions of immobile patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a polyfunctional, robotic bed in managing conditions of bedridden patients.
• To investigate the impact of varied body postures on physiological parameters in a long-term ALS patient.
• To assess the potential of robotic bed technology in mitigating disease progression and improving patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A three-year monitoring study of an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient utilizing a polyfunctional, robotic bed.
• Measurement of physiological parameters, including body temperature variations, during positional changes induced by the robotic bed.
• Utilizing an infrared camera to analyze biomechanical effort and oxygenation levels associated with different body positions.

Main Results:

• Specific body positions facilitated by the robotic bed were correlated with varying levels of physical effort and oxygenation.
• The study demonstrated that changes in body posture could influence physiological responses.
• The variation of posture using the robotic bed showed a positive effect in delaying the increase of pathological signs.

Conclusions:

• Polyfunctional robotic beds offer a viable solution for improving the care and wellness of bedridden patients, particularly those with progressive neurological conditions like ALS.
• Regularly changing patient posture through robotic assistance can positively impact physiological parameters and potentially slow disease progression.
• This technology supports home-based long-term care, reducing hospital congestion and enhancing patient quality of life.