Bumpe ECO: A bio-derived wearable smart garment to prevent stillbirth

Bumpe ECO：一种生物衍生的可穿戴智能服装，可防止死产

• 批准号: 10067224
• 金额: $ 7.76万
• 依托单位: NANOLAYR UK LIMITED
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10067224
• 关键词: Bumpe; ECO; bio; derived; wearable

Stillbirth affects approximately 1 in 244 births in the United Kingdom. Foetuses may exhibit signs of compromise as part of a stress response before stillbirth and a key indicator is a reduction in foetal movements.Signs of compromise often occur only hours or at best days before foetal death, so it is highly likely to be missed by current monitoring practices, which are performed intermittently and usually require a pregnant mother to alert of experiencing a reduction in movement and actively seek professional advice.It has been well documented that accurate and early identification of reduced foetal movements (RFM) and the ability to perform early clinical intervention may prevent stillbirth. Foetal movements have an important role in antenatal surveillance, but currently, there is a distinct lack of effective technology to objectively utilise this important marker of well-being in the clinical setting.Currently, the burden of identifying RFM is on the expecting mother who has to attend A&E, where an initial check is carried out and if no abnormalities are found, the patient is discharged and advised to continue to monitor movements. There is clearly a need to provide an objective measurement of RFM and reassurance to expecting mothers through a non-invasive wearable solution.Radical Fibres (RF) and KYMIRA have developed a wearable foetal movement monitoring device, BUMPE, embedded with a multi-sensor system that monitors 24-hour continuous foetal monitoring.However, the product has hit a critical standstill in its development: the active nanofibre sensor material used, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), is under threat because it is manufactured from a forever-chemical (PFAS; polyfluorinated alkyl substances). These man-made chemicals build up in our bodies and environment, they do not break down. As a result, they are being phased out and banned.This Innovate UK feasibility grant will support RF and KYMIRA to move BUMPE away from these chemicals to bio-derived alternatives. The continued success of our technology relies on redeveloping it using a suitable bio-derived material and with a sustainable lifecycle. This is a significant technological challenge, as the replacement material is required to have comparable properties.Using a wearable monitoring device for foetal movement outside of a hospital is an innovative practice that will revolutionise the way care is delivered to pregnant women who experience RFM. This is an unprecedented use of wearable technology in a clinical setting, that will remove the risk of subjective assessment and save lives.

在英国，死产大约影响每 244 名新生儿中就有 1 名出生。作为死产前应激反应的一部分，胎儿可能会表现出妥协的迹象，而一个关键指标是胎动减少。妥协的迹象通常仅在胎儿死亡前数小时或最多几天出现，因此当前的检测很可能会错过这一迹象。监测做法是间歇性进行的，通常需要怀孕母亲警惕胎动减少并积极寻求专业建议。有充分证据表明，准确、早期识别胎动减少 (RFM) 以及早期执行胎动减少的能力临床干预可以预防死产。胎动在产前监测中发挥着重要作用，但目前，明显缺乏有效的技术来在临床环境中客观地利用这一重要的健康标志。目前，识别 RFM 的负担落在了准妈妈身上。前往急诊室，进行初步检查，如果没有发现异常，患者就可以出院，并建议继续监测活动情况。显然需要通过非侵入式可穿戴解决方案提供客观的 RFM 测量并让准妈妈放心。Radical Fibers (RF) 和 KYMIRA 开发了一款可穿戴胎动监测设备 BUMPE，嵌入了多传感器系统24 小时连续胎儿监护。然而，该产品在开发过程中遇到了严重的停滞：所使用的活性纳米纤维传感器材料聚偏二氟乙烯 (PVDF) 正受到威胁，因为它由永久化学品（PFAS；多氟烷基物质）制成。这些人造化学物质会在我们的身体和环境中积聚，不会分解。因此，它们被逐步淘汰和禁止。 Innovate UK 的这项可行性拨款将支持 RF 和 KYMIRA 将 BUMPE 从这些化学品转向生物衍生替代品。我们技术的持续成功依赖于使用合适的生物衍生材料并具有可持续的生命周期对其进行重新开发。这是一项重大的技术挑战，因为替代材料需要具有类似的性能。在医院外使用可穿戴胎动监测设备是一种创新实践，它将彻底改变为经历 RFM 的孕妇提供护理的方式。这是可穿戴技术在临床环境中前所未有的应用，将消除主观评估的风险并挽救生命。