SCH: EXP: Collaborative Research: Design of a wearable biosensor system with wireless network for the remote detection of life threatening events in neonates

SCH：EXP：协作研究：设计具有无线网络的可穿戴生物传感器系统，用于远程检测新生儿危及生命的事件

• 批准号: 1664815
• 负责人: Premananda Indic
• 金额: $ 14.48万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Tyler
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-09-01 至 2018-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1664815&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SCH; EXP; Collaborative; Research; Design

In the United States, one in eight infants is born prematurely. These high risk infants require specialized monitoring of their physiology not only in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) but also in home environments. They are prone to apnea (pause in breathing), bradycardia (slowness of heart) and hypoxia (oxygen de-saturation), which are life threatening. This project aims at developing a biosensor system with wireless network for the remote detection and anticipation of such life threatening events in infants. The proposed research goes beyond traditional health monitoring systems by incorporating body sensor networks (BSN) along with advanced signal processing approaches, tailored specifically to an individual infant's physiology, to accurately detect and anticipate precursors of life threatening events. The proposed research can have a significant impact on non-intrusive ambulatory health monitoring for infants through a wireless biosensor system that integrates lightweight sensor solutions into the sensing, communication, and computing for monitoring physiology. The system framework, theories, models, and code developed by this project can be used by researchers as well as engineers to evaluate the performance of infant monitoring applications. The project also includes: (1) disseminating the project information and knowledge to the academic community and industry; (2) engaging undergraduate, graduate and medical students, especially women and minorities, into the proposed research; and (3) developing new courses and revising the existing courses. The current physiological monitoring systems used in NICU consist of relatively large sensors attached to the infants, which are then connected to a data acquisition system with multiple wires. These sensors along with the wires are a hindrance to the clinical care. In addition, the existing system cannot be used for home environments because of the size and cost. While there is an abundance of physiological signals streaming across NICU monitoring systems, it is challenging for clinicians caring for preterm infants to determine pathological states, as there is no method available to translate these signals into validated indices to define pathology. The primary objective of this proposed research is to explore whether a dedicated compact device with wearable biosensors along with wireless networks can be built for the detection and anticipation of life threatening events in infants in both NICU and home environments. The secondary objective is to explore whether computational tools that provide real-time indices of cardio-respiratory risk can be developed to assist clinicians for neonatal care. Specifically, the project is to develop a comprehensive system, involving four important components: (1) development of miniature biosensors that can be attached to infants who are very small and vulnerable; (2) development of wireless devices with efficient communication protocols that can transmit the physiological signals from the biosensors; (3) development of efficient signal processing algorithms that can extract useful information from the biosensor data for risk stratification and anticipation of life threatening events (data to knowledge to decisions) and (4) testing and validation of the systems in real life environment at NICU. The proposed approaches in the project can eventually lead to a medical device for the remote detection of life threatening events in infants and also provide guidelines for the design of wearable wireless biosensor systems for healthcare monitoring applications in general.

在美国，八分之一的婴儿过早出生。这些高风险婴儿不仅需要在新生儿重症监护病房（NICU），而且还需要在家庭环境中进行专门监测其生理学。它们容易出现呼吸暂停（呼吸中的暂停），心动过缓（心脏缓慢）和缺氧（氧气去饱和），这是威胁生命的。该项目旨在开发具有无线网络的生物传感器系统，以远程检测和预期婴儿中这种威胁生命的事件。拟议的研究超越了传统的健康监测系统，通过将人体传感器网络（BSN）与高级信号处理方法（专门针对个体婴儿的生理学量身定制），以准确检测和预测危及生命的事件的前体。拟议的研究可以通过无线生物传感器系统对婴儿的非侵入性门诊健康监测产生重大影响，该系统将轻质传感器解决方案集成到监测生理学的传感，通信和计算中。研究人员以及工程师可以使用该项目开发的系统框架，理论，模型和代码来评估婴儿监测应用程序的性能。该项目还包括：（1）将项目信息和知识传播给学术界和行业； （2）与拟议的研究一起参与本科，研究生和医学生，尤其是妇女和少数民族； （3）开发新课程并修改现有课程。 NICU中使用的当前生理监测系统由附着在婴儿的相对较大的传感器组成，然后将其连接到带有多条线的数据采集系统。这些传感器以及电线是临床护理的阻碍。此外，由于尺寸和成本，现有系统不能用于家庭环境。虽然在NICU监测系统中流动了大量的生理信号，但对于照顾早产儿就确定病理状态的临床医生挑战，因为没有方法可以将这些信号转化为经过验证的指标来定义病理。这项拟议的研究的主要目的是探索是否可以建立具有可穿戴生物传感器以及无线网络的专用紧凑型设备，以检测和期待NICU和家庭环境中婴儿的威胁生命事件。次要目标是探索是否可以开发出提供心呼吸风险实时指标的计算工具来帮助临床医生进行新生儿护理。具体而言，该项目是开发一个综合系统，涉及四个重要组成部分：（1）开发微型生物传感器，这些生物传感器可以附属于非常小且脆弱的婴儿； （2）开发具有有效通信协议的无线设备，可以从生物传感器传输生理信号； （3）开发有效的信号处理算法可以从生物传感器数据中提取有用信息的风险分层和预期威胁生命的事件（数据到决策的数据），以及（4）在NICU现实生活环境中测试和验证该系统。该项目中提出的方法最终可能会导致医疗设备，以远程检测婴儿的生命危险事件，还为设计可穿戴的无线生物传感器系统设计指南，用于医疗保健监测应用程序。