© John Patrik Nilsson 2014

ZENS – RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL

Surveillance system for pressure ulcers within the health-care sector.

The project goal was to find novel applications for the high-tech textile ElekTex™ that enables real time pressure sensoring. After intensive research I ended up working with pressure ulcer prevention.

 

CONCEPT

Pressure ulcers develop easily and are hard to acknowledge at an early stage. Treatment are often put in to late when the ulcers has already developed. This is where the qualities of ElekTex™ is of use. It is a soft and durable fabric that can register a force in 3 coordinates. This mean that it can not only locate a point of pressure, but also its movement and relative force.

By integrating ElekTex™ sensor technology into mattresses, a point of pressure on the patient can be monitored in order to locate risk areas for pressure ulcers. So proactive action can be taken. The product may direct attention to staff or gear automatic pressure conduction mattresses. The aim is to provide a tool that facilitate patient monitoring and creating a more efficient prevention/treatment.

 

BA project made in Spring 2006.

3 ALERT STAGES

Stage 1: A flashing light sends the first notification to the patient to move (if possible).

Stage 2: A a sound alarm is triggered to further alert the patient.

Stage 3: At high risk and with no prior improvement a message is sent to the staff on watch. This is indicated to the patient through a second light indicator.
THE ElekTexTM SENSOR

The mattress is divided into 5 separate sensor zones. Each represented on the Zens display.

Each sensor zone can identify one risk spot. By using several sensor zones multiple risk spots can be registered simultaneously.

Risk-spots are indicated as a red-light on the display. A clock will also show the period of time for which the point has been under pressure.



SENSING RISK

A risk assessment is achieved through measuring pressure and movement over a period of time. If the pressure has been high on a specific spot for a long period of time with no movement, it will become a risk-zone. Special designed software process this information and communicate this through the display and trigger alarms.
RESEARCH AND WORK PROCESS

Pressure ulcers is an acknowledged and vast problem within the health-care sector today. It is mostly a problem for persons with low blood circulation or immobility such as old or paralyzed patients, for instance patients in wheelchairs. It is also a significant problem after long operations, where patients who would have left the hospital after 3 days, may have to stay several weeks for treatment of pressure ulcers.

Visits and research was made at the local hospital to get insight to the problem area and daily routines of treatment and preventive actions. I also conducted a series of interviews with experts within the field.