Wearable device for caregivers of subjects suffering from epilepsy

Data di pubblicazione

27-09-2017

Codice

DE.17.022.A

Stato

Disponibile

Data di priorità

24-05-2017

Titolare

Politecnico di Milano

Dipartimento

Department of Design

Autori

Marco Ronca, Sara Colombo

Descrizione

EPTIME is a wristbandaimed at helping the supervisors of subjects suffering from epilepsy to manage the crisis by monitoring and communicating information about ongoing seizures like its duration, seriousness and the need of administering drugs. The device is particularly suitable for the parents or caregivers of epileptic children. The bracelet is composed of a hypoallergenic wristband and a case containing the electronic components. When the seizure starts, the caregiver can activate the bracelet just by pressing it. Information about the duration of the seizures is delivered through the surface of the device, because the color and the area of the enlightened part of the bracelet change with time. When the critical duration of the crisis is reached (typically about 5 minutes, according to the suggestions of the clinicians), the surface of the device turns red, the light starts pulsating and the bracelet starts vibrating to warn the caregiver to administerthe drugs to the patient. The caregiver has to record the end of the seizure by pressing the wristband for a second time. After the recording, the device gives a feedback to communicate how serious the seizure was (using different colors according to its duration). All the information recorded by EPTIME is sent to a digital online diary embedded in a mobile application, which registers the details about the crisis, its geo-localization, the drug administration and the timing of the events.

Campo di applicazione

The market of EPTIME is in the field of wearable medical devices for e-health dedicated to epileptic patients, either adults or pediatric. The device is specific for families of epileptic children, but it could be used also by other supervisors, such as teachers or trainers, and employedin schools and associations forchildhood epilepsy.

Vantaggi

Innovative elements and advantages of EPTIME are: - The possibility to monitor the duration of the seizures and to remind the caregiver when to administer the drug. - The possibility to record the start, duration and place of the seizure, and to sendsuch data to a mobile application, thus automatically filling in a detailed diary of the seizures. - The system is easy to use, avoiding problems related to the accuracy of the sensors and reducing the cost of the device, with respect to the products available on the market that monitor the biomarkers of the patient to identify the beginning of a seizure and to send an alert to the caregiver. - The creation of an emotional and sensorial interaction with the caregiver through light and color, which do not require a cognitive effortbutdeliver the information in an immediate and implicit way.

Stadio di sviluppo

There is a working prototype of the device and the inventors have already performed a simulation of the mobile application.

Contatto

licensing.tto@polimi.it