PneumoRator: from NASA technology to helping detect sepsis earlier
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A new wearable device that continuously monitors breathing rate could help identify changes that may indicate the onset of conditions such as sepsis.
PneumoRator is a low-cost respiration sensor being developed through a collaboration between the University of Southampton, University Hospital Southampton, Nottingham Trent University and medical technology design and consultancy firm Zelemiq.
The technology is being showcased as part of a series of videos led by Professor David Bream from the faculty’s School of Healthcare Enterprise and Innovation, highlighting medical research and innovation taking place across the university and the expertise behind it.
At the University of Southampton, Professor Neil White, Professor of Intelligent Sensor Systems and Director of the Centre for Healthcare, worked with UHS Consultant Anaesthetist Dr Harry Akerman to investigate the potential of the technology in a clinical setting.
Sepsis is one of the biggest challenges faced in intensive care, with between 40 and 50% of intensive care patients experiencing problems related to the condition. Around a quarter of a million people develop sepsis in the UK each year, and around 20% die.
Complications can develop in a matter of hours or even minutes, making early identification and treatment crucial. Respiratory rate is one of the most sensitive measures for patients who are deteriorating towards sepsis, but on hospital wards it is commonly measured manually every four to six hours.
PneumoRator could enable breathing rate to be measured accurately and continuously over long periods, allowing small changes and trends to be identified and potentially enabling earlier intervention.
And there’s an unexpected story behind the technology, as the sensor was originally developed by NASA. Researchers investigated whether it could detect tiny changes in the properties of the skin as it stretches, allowing breathing rate to be measured without the sensor needing to be directly attached to the skin.
With the cost of sepsis to the UK economy estimated at more than £15 billion a year, the potential impact of this technology is significant, but most importantly, it could help save lives.
Thanks to support from the Cataylst Programme and NIHR funding, PneumoRator is now being spun out as a commercial enterprise.
Innovations such as PneumoRator demonstrate the kind of pioneering, multidisciplinary research that the Institute for Medical Innovation (IMI) will help accelerate, bringing together researchers, clinicians and industry partners to translate discoveries into real-world healthcare solutions.
Watch the video below to find out more about PneumoRator and the people working to bring the technology into the real world.
