Credit: Changi General Hospital
Changi General Hospital and Singapore University of Technology and Design have developed a sensor that detects real-time bleeding from wound sites after invasive medical procedures.
HOW IT WORKS
The Blood WArning Technology with Continuous Haemoglobin (BWATCH) sensor is a lightweight monitoring device placed over a patient's bandage. By combining the light absorption properties of haemoglobin with a moisture-detecting sensor, the device can differentiate blood from other bodily fluids and in turn detect bleeding episodes.
BWATCH has been tested and validated in an observational clinical trial involving 250 patients at CGH. The findings of the trial were published in the journal, Scientific Reports. The developers have also patented the device in Singapore and the United States.
CGH and SUTD develop lightweight monitoring device to detect real-time bleeding from wounds
Changi General Hospital (CGH) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have developed the Blood WArning Technology with Continuous Haemoglobin (BWATCH) sensor, a lightweight monitoring device placed over a patient's bandage that detects real-time bleeding from wound sites following invasive medical procedures.
BWATCH was tested and validated in an observational clinical trial involving 250 patients at CGH with a dialysis catheter inserted or removed. The device was securely placed over their dressing for at least six hours. During the trial, 36 episodes of bleeding occurred and the sensor detected all instances of early bleeding. The blood loss detected in the bleeding episodes was minimal and the bandages were only partially stained.