Bridget Klebaur 06.13.13
FlexTech Alliance announced the completion of its 154th technical project, FlexTech Alliance Project 154: A Flexible Medical Triage Bandage that Displays and Communicates Vital Signs to Handheld Communications Device, the creation of a flexible medical triage bandage which monitors vital signs.
The project was carried out by Physical Optics Corporation and E Ink Corporation. The project team has successfully designed and developed a medical triage bandage that incorporates flexible technology with a broad array of functionality. The bandage consists of a printed circuit board (PCB), low power microcontroller, flexible display, energy harvesting, a Bluetooth wireless interface and a complete suite of physiological sensors. The sensor suite includes ECG, skin temperature, and respiration rate.
Initial feedback from project sponsors and others who assess and treat patients in triage situations has been extremely positive and useful in next generation product design and plans for commercialization of the product.
“This device will dramatically increase the ability of medical personnel in the field to treat patients more quickly and effectively,” said John Bell, research scientist at POC. “Ultimately these monitoring systems will save more lives. Long term benefits will be improved quality of care for the general population and lower healthcare costs. The wireless interface will facilitate the constant monitoring of the medical status of a large group of triage patients.”
“This project is the launching point for an integrated platform that enables next generation physiological monitoring and typifies our focus on collaboration,” said Michael Ciesinski, CEO of the FlexTech Alliance, “Our job is to identify technology gaps, develop underlying supply chains, and partner to provide pilot manufacturing sites. The partnership between FlexTech, POC and E Ink encompasses that philosophy. It’s a project that demonstrates the viability of commercial flexible technology with almost immediate commercial implications.”
“E Ink is pleased to have had the opportunity to support this project with E Ink flexible plastic display technology that combined with the other compact sensors help to enable this medical triage bandage’s compact size that can conform to the shape of the patient,” said Michael McCreary, deputy chief technical officer of E Ink. “The reflective display enables at-a-glance evaluation of the patient and the ultra-low power requirements increases the operational lifetime of the device.”
The project was carried out by Physical Optics Corporation and E Ink Corporation. The project team has successfully designed and developed a medical triage bandage that incorporates flexible technology with a broad array of functionality. The bandage consists of a printed circuit board (PCB), low power microcontroller, flexible display, energy harvesting, a Bluetooth wireless interface and a complete suite of physiological sensors. The sensor suite includes ECG, skin temperature, and respiration rate.
Initial feedback from project sponsors and others who assess and treat patients in triage situations has been extremely positive and useful in next generation product design and plans for commercialization of the product.
“This device will dramatically increase the ability of medical personnel in the field to treat patients more quickly and effectively,” said John Bell, research scientist at POC. “Ultimately these monitoring systems will save more lives. Long term benefits will be improved quality of care for the general population and lower healthcare costs. The wireless interface will facilitate the constant monitoring of the medical status of a large group of triage patients.”
“This project is the launching point for an integrated platform that enables next generation physiological monitoring and typifies our focus on collaboration,” said Michael Ciesinski, CEO of the FlexTech Alliance, “Our job is to identify technology gaps, develop underlying supply chains, and partner to provide pilot manufacturing sites. The partnership between FlexTech, POC and E Ink encompasses that philosophy. It’s a project that demonstrates the viability of commercial flexible technology with almost immediate commercial implications.”
“E Ink is pleased to have had the opportunity to support this project with E Ink flexible plastic display technology that combined with the other compact sensors help to enable this medical triage bandage’s compact size that can conform to the shape of the patient,” said Michael McCreary, deputy chief technical officer of E Ink. “The reflective display enables at-a-glance evaluation of the patient and the ultra-low power requirements increases the operational lifetime of the device.”