Smart Patient Care Systems

Collection of information from the pulse oximeter (a sticky bandage placed on the finger or forehead that measures blood oxygen levels) is used in all patients admitted to the Shock Trauma Center. The pulse oximeter will be developed into a smart patient care system, with funding from the US Air Force.

How will the smart patient care system be used?

The smart patient care system will be used to identify patients who need emergency procedures done (opening of the airway, blood transfusion, heart massage, etc.) to prevent them from dying. The development of the new smart pulse oximeter system will use training of intelligent computer software to predict the need for emergency actions and improve what the existing FDA approved pulse oximeter can do.

Training

The training of the software will be done by using the vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, pulse oximeter and heart signals using 'stick-on' (no needles) equipment) to progressively make the computer software recognize patterns of information from the pulse oximeter.

Making the Pulse Oximeter System Smart

To make the pulse oximeter system smart, the information about continuous changes in pulse oximeter and other signs gathered from Shock Trauma patients during the first hour after they are admitted (when a lot of these emergency actions are taken to save lives) will be linked to the need for actions to prevent breathing, heart and shock problems.

More Information

For further information, please contact:

University of Maryland, Baltimore Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Phone: 410-706-5037
Fax: 410-706-4189
Email: hrpo@som.umaryland.edu

Or the University of Maryland Principal Investigator:

Dr. Colin Mackenzie
Phone: 410-328-8673
Email: cmack003@umaryland.edu

The official IRB identification is HR-00047488, with the title : Continuous non-invasive monitoring and the development of predictive triage indices for outcomes following trauma. The IRB has designated it as minimal risk to patients and has decided that this project does not need the agreement of individual patients.

If you want to remove your vital signs information from this study, please use the contact information shown above to submit your request. This information is also being provided in paper copy to Shock Trauma patients.