Fecal-Incontinence Monitor

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to develop a sensor system for fecal-incontinent patients to alert the individual, or send a signal to their health-care attendants, of a bowel movement and that attention is required. The objective is to ultimately produce a small portable battery operated optical| sensing system that can be worn by the incontinent patient. The system will employ a disposable sensor placed in an individual's undergarment, which will act, like a "sniffer" and respond to odor associated with defecation. Specific aims and the research of Phase II encompass the following: Wearable fecal monitoring systems with electronic reporting/data logging capability will be designed and fabricated. These will be initially used to actively sense within briefs worn by incontinent patients, obtaining tracking data yielding information about background signal level that are typically encountered day-to-day within an elderly population in a convalescent care facility. This continuous monitoring data will be used to refine sensor signal discrimination schemes designed to define the system's "alarm triggers" indicating a fecal event. After programming sensors for discrimination, clinical trials with incontinent patients will sere to establish the sensitivity and selectivity of the fecal monitoring system. Additional patient trials will demonstrate medical and psychological benefits of fecal monitoring to incontinent patients through long-term clinical crossover study. Reduction of the duration of patient exposure to fecal matter is the critical health-care benefit this monitor provides. By reducing exposure time, there should be direct medical benefits of reduced frequency, severity, and associated cost of treating fecec-skin contact related skin infections, sores, and urinary tract infections. In addition to improving the quality of life and dignity of the incontinent, monitoring is expected to help prolong independent living, with significant reduction in health-care dollars spent, because incontinence is a major factor contributing to the decision to enter an assisted care facility.