Sensors are commonplace in most advanced hospital wards, but an Israeli startup believes that its latest device can provide welcome additional insights in the intense environment of the ICU ward.

The platform, developed by ART MEDICAL, comes with sensor-based smart tubes that collect a range of patient data in order to reduce the risk of complications by adjusting to the individual needs of each patient.

Smarter tubing

Patients on the ICU ward typically have numerous tubes providing them with help eating, breathing and urinating, but it’s almost impossible for staff to know whether those tubes are experiencing any complications.  The only way to gather such information is to perform constant manual checks, which can easily be rushed or performed badly in such a high pressure environment.

The system is designed to continuously monitor for a range of common complications, including gastric reflux, saliva and urine output, with nursing staff alerted automatically if any abnormalities are detected.

“One of the challenges for the ICU staff is patients’ prolonged length of stay and mortality from complications which are unrelated to the original reason of hospitalization,” the company say. “Aspiration of foreign materials is a major risk for intubated patients and technology is what is needed to solve this problem. We are confident that ART MEDICAL has the solution.”

The system collects a range of patient-related data, including things such as their feeding needs, saliva secretion and urine output.  The system is also capable of controlling the feeding process as a result of this data, with real-time information fed back to staff, including not only the feeding itself but also the exact location of the tube.

By providing earlier detection of potentially life-threatening problems, the team hope that the system will prove invaluable in ICU wards around the world.