STTR Phase I: Advanced analytics for health progression monitoring and fall detection in a novel home health monitoring system

这一小型企业技术转移第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力将包括为在家中独立生活的老年人(通常患有严重慢性病并产生巨额医疗费用)提供负担得起的联网家庭护理，从而显著提高医疗质量并减轻现有医疗资源的负担。该项目不仅将减轻家庭照顾者的负担，他们经常放弃工作，在家中为老年人提供免费护理，还将允许退休社区、记忆护理单位和辅助生活设施等组织远程监控多名患者，从而减少对过度工作的专业照顾者的需求。该项目还旨在克服当前家庭健康监测技术存在的缺陷，通过使用先进的分析和尖端的传感器技术提供更全面的预防保健，所有人都可以负担得起和获得。拟议的项目旨在克服许多发达国家和新兴国家面临的紧迫社会挑战(迅速增长的人口老龄化)，包括美国(婴儿潮一代老龄化)和中国(由于以前的独生子女政策，反向的4-2-1家庭金字塔)。尽管健康状况每况愈下，但大多数老年人更喜欢在家中独立生活，因此当前医疗技术的重点已从传统的临床护理转向针对老年人的“居家”护理。拟议的项目将为老年护理开发一个技术和服务模式独特的智能互联家庭监测系统，包括：(1)负担得起、非侵入性的基于家庭的移动健康技术，具有可穿戴的人类和物体活动传感器，用于监测与健康相关的运动和日常活动，以及使用BLE(蓝牙低能量)和3G通信的经济高效的预配置家庭网关；(2)先进的移动健康分析算法和警报，用于跌倒检测、健康进展监测和患者健康异常检测；以及(3)全面的患者健康活动门户网站，支持报告用户活动和健康状态以及与家人互动。总体目标是让老年人在家中更容易、更便宜、更安全地老龄化。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will include providing affordable connected home care for senior citizens (often with severe chronic conditions and incurring significant medical expenses) living independently at home, resulting in significant improvements in healthcare quality and a reduced burden on existing healthcare resources. This project will not only decrease the burden on family caregivers, who often give up their jobs to provide free care for senior citizens at home, but will also allow organizations such as retirement communities, memory care units and assisted living facilities to monitor multiple patients remotely, thus reducing the need for overworked professional caregivers. This project also aims to overcome deficits present in current home health monitoring technologies by taking a more holistic approach to providing preventive care by using advanced analytics and cutting edge sensor technology that is affordable and accessible to all.The proposed project aims to overcome a pressing societal challenge (the burgeoning aging population) facing many developed and emerging countries, including the U.S. (the aging baby boomers) and China (the reverse 4-2-1 family pyramid due to the former one-child policy). Despite failing health, most senior citizens prefer to live independently at home and hence the focus of current healthcare technologies has shifted from traditional clinical care to "at-home" care for senior citizens. The proposed project will develop a smart and connected home monitoring system for senior care that is unique in its technology and service model including: (1) affordable and non-invasive home-based mobile health technology with wearable human and object activity sensors for monitoring health-related motion and daily activities and a cost-effective pre-configured home gateway using BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and 3G communication; (2) advanced mobile health analytics algorithms and alerts for fall detection, health progression monitoring, and patient health anomaly detection; and (3) a comprehensive patient health activity portal and support for reporting user activity and health status and engaging with family members. The overall goal is to make aging at home easier, less expensive, and safer for senior citizens.