I-Corps: Smart Optical Sensing Patch for Early Detection of Pressure Ulcers

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是减轻病人的痛苦和痛苦，以及由压疮或更常见的褥疮引起的医疗保健系统的成本。近几十年来，治疗压疮的费用显著增加。患有压疮的人在伤口部位发生感染的风险也会增加。值得注意的是，医院获得性晚期溃疡需向医疗保健机构报告，因此无法报销，使临床实体承担所有治疗和法律费用，并降低其医疗保健质量评级。I-Corps项目将评估一种一次性粘性传感器的商业可行性，该传感器为护士提供有关患者皮肤状况的可操作数据，从而消除了经常进行目视检查的需要。该设备使用光学传感技术来监测患者皮肤表面和皮肤下的结构和功能变化，以便在肉眼可见之前发现压疮的最早迹象。除了探索市场，该项目还将收集有价值的信息，以指导潜在产品的开发，为临床验证做准备。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to alleviate the pain and suffering to patients and the cost to the healthcare system caused by pressure ulcers, or more commonly known as bedsores. Costs associated with treating pressure ulcers have increased significantly in recent decades. Individuals with a pressure ulcer are also at an increased risk of developing an infection at the site of the wound. Notably, hospital-acquired advanced ulcers are reportable to healthcare agencies and thus non-reimbursable, leaving clinical entities absorbing all treatment and legal costs, in addition to a decrease of their healthcare quality ratings.This I-Corps project will evaluate the commercial viability of a disposable, adhesive sensor that provides nurses with actionable data about the status of their patients' skin, thus eliminating the need for constant visual inspection. The device uses optical sensing technology to monitor structural and functional changes that occur both superficially and under a patient's skin to detect the earliest signs of a pressure ulcer before they become visible to the human eye. In addition to exploring marketability, this project will collect valuable information that will guide potential product development in preparation to clinical validation.