Wireless Monitor to Prevent Bed Sores in Nursing Homes

We will develop low cost, wireless instrumentation to monitor the frequency and duration ofbody turning by elderly nursing home residents who are bedfast and clinically at risk for the developmentof pressure sores. This instrumentation should facilitate both the better diagnosis of 'at risk' residentsand the improved management of a turning program once initiated for those residents deemed most atrisk. During Phase I, we will validate the effectiveness of a research-grade, wristwatch size, patientworn telemetry system to detect nursing home resident body turns during the night -- both turns initiatedspontaneously by the residents and those initiated by nursing aides as part of intervention programs.We will also continue investigating whether our instrumentation can distinguish between residents whotruly need turning intervention to prevent the development of skin ulcers and those for whom suchprograms are wasteful or counterproductive. Also during Phase I, we will develop a prototype low costsensor for the commercialization of the wireless sensor telemetry system. We will refine a list offeatures needed for a pre-commercial system to be tested in Phase II and solicit invitations to test thistechnology if Phase II is approved.