Digital plaster 'could save lives'
The new plaster will monitor vital signs and alert doctors to any changes.
A plaster which monitors a patient's vital signs and alerts doctors to changes in condition is being tested in the UK.
At the size of a mobile phone, the lightweight bandage, called the Sensium Digital Plaster, is designed to provide round-the-clock monitoring of patients.
The disposable plaster, which includes silicon chip sensors, including a thermometer and electrocardiogram pads to track heart activity, motion sensors to monitor breathing and semi-conductors to measure blood pressure, can be worn for a few days at a time.
During the trial, currently taking place at St Mary's Hospital in London, vital signs will be monitored on volunteers and patient groups, who will be able to remain mobile because the plaster is wireless.
Dr Stephen Brett, consultant in intensive care medicine at Imperial College London, who is leading the trials, believes the technology has the potential to improve the capturing of patients' vital signs, as well as providing the minimum inconvenience to patients, who will no longer need to remain connected to immobile equipment.
"This raises the possibility of technology improving hospital safety systems enhancing the efficiency of adding vital sign data to patient records and potentially freeing valuable nursing staff time for other patient care responsibilities," he added.
The plaster was initially developed by a research team, led by Chris Toumazou, at Imperial College London. Mr Toumazou has since set up Toumaz Technology to prepare the digital bandage for clinical use.
Tests, which are being conducted in three phrases, will involve non-patient volunteers, followed by those recovering from surgery and patients with specific medical conditions in general wards.
Initial results are expected by the end of December 2009.
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