I-Corps: A Mobile-Based Opioid Overdose Alerting System

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种智能可穿戴监护仪，能够提供临床级别的肺功能测量(例如潮气量、用力呼气量、分钟通气量等)。然而，虽然适合医院内护理，但目前的解决方案在提供远程护理和自我管理方面存在缺陷。该项目的价值主张是为患有急性或慢性呼吸道疾病的人提供一种非侵入性的连续肺功能监测仪，以自我管理、监测或防止病情恶化。这种监测器将作为一个可伸展、可穿戴的传感器来实现，它可以根据呼吸来估计胸腔大小的变化。这种技术的开发在减少致命的阿片类药物过量、哮喘和COPD相关的急诊科就诊以及支持通过远程医疗提供的肺康复方面具有巨大的潜力。这个i-Corps项目旨在探索无线单频可伸展硅胶传感器的商业潜力，当佩戴在胸部周围时，它能够测量潮气量，根据潮气量可以得出其他肺功能指标(例如，用力呼气量、分钟通气量等)。目前，肺功能检测、肺活量测定、二氧化碳分压测定、呼吸感应体积描记和脉搏血氧饱和度测定是生命监测和肺功能评估的临床标准。到目前为止，呼吸感应体积描记监测仪是最不具侵入性的潮气量监测技术，它需要两个频带-胸部佩带和腹部佩带。脉搏血氧饱和度在早期发现呼吸窘迫(俗称呼吸短促)方面是一项较差的技术，因为氧合变化需要时间。相比之下，例如，通过潮气量的变化可以快速检测到呼吸抑制。然而，能够监测潮气量的二氧化碳测定仪和呼吸感应体积描记仪都很笨重，不适合在临床以外的环境中使用。新的证据表明，通过测量胸腔周长的变化，你可以使用能够向身体确认的可伸展传感器来高保真地估计潮气量。将这种传感器技术集成到带有无线传感器模块的可穿戴设备中，有可能开启远程健康监测和交付的新途径。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to develop a smart wearable monitor capable of delivering clinical-grade measurements of lung function (e.g., tidal volume, forced expiratory volume, minute ventilation, etc.). However, while suitable for in-hospital care, the current solutions present drawbacks in the delivery of telecare and self-management. The value proposition of this project is to present a non-invasive continuous pulmonary function monitor for persons with an acute or chronic respiratory illness to self-manage, monitor, or prevent exacerbations of their illness. This monitor would be implemented as a stretchable, wearable sensor that estimates changes in the size of the ribcage from breathing. The development of such a technology has significant potential for reducing fatal opioid overdoses, asthma- and COPD-related emergency department visits, and support pulmonary rehabilitation delivered via telemedicine.This I-Corps project aims to explore the commercial potential for a wireless single-band stretchable silicone sensor, which when worn around the chest is capable of measuring tidal volume from which other measures of lung function can be derived (e.g., forced expiratory volume, minute ventilation, etc.). Currently, lung function testing, spirometry, capnometry, respiratory inductance plethysmography, and pulse oximetry are the clinical standard for vital monitoring and assessing lung function. Until now, respiratory inductance plethysmography monitors, which requires two bands – a chest-worn and abdomen worn band, is the least invasive technology for tidal volume monitoring. Pulse oximetry is an inferior technology for the early detection of respiratory distress (or colloquially, shortness of breath) because changes in oxygenation take time. In contrast, for example, respiratory depression can be quickly detected by changes in tidal volume. However, capnography and respiratory inductance plethysmography monitors, which are capable of monitoring tidal volume, are cumbersome and ill-suited for use outside a clinical setting.New evidence has now demonstrated that by measuring the change in circumference of the ribcage, you can estimate tidal volume with high fidelity using a stretchable sensor capable of confirming to the body. Integrating this sensor technology into a wearable device with a wireless sensor module has the potential to unlock new avenues for telehealth monitoring and delivery.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.