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

该I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是减轻患者的疼痛和痛苦以及由压疮（或更常见的褥疮）引起的医疗保健系统的成本。近几十年来，与治疗压疮相关的费用显著增加。患有压力性溃疡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是向医疗机构报告的，因此是不可报销的，除了医疗质量评级下降外，临床实体还承担了所有治疗和法律的成本。该I-Corps项目将评估一次性粘性传感器的商业可行性，该传感器为护士提供关于患者皮肤状态的可操作数据，从而消除了对持续目视检查的需要。该设备使用光学传感技术来监测表面和患者皮肤下发生的结构和功能变化，以在人眼可见之前检测出压疮的最早迹象。除了探索适销性外，该项目还将收集有价值的信息，这些信息将指导潜在的产品开发，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.