AIIMS Nagpur develops smart wristband to track and monitor COVID-19 patients

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Nagpur partnered with IIT Jodhpur and Indian Insitute of Information Technology (IIIT) Nagpur to design and develop a smart wristband for effectively tracking and monitoring COVID-19 patients and possible cases. While the Indian government introduced had launched Aarogya Setu mobile app to tracking purpose, there are several limitations for which the wristband offers solutions.

The existing apps constantly demand the use of mobile phones and a stable internet connection, which can be a challenge for people living in remote areas. The mobile apps Global Positioning System (GPS) to track the location and movement. The use of cell tower triangulation method isn’t famous for its accuracy as it can sometimes vary up to a radius of 1-2 kilometres.

Monitoring also relies on the user’s subjective self-assessment in which they are asked about their symptoms, leaving the system completely dependent on the user’s subjective input. The developers claim to have solved all these limitations with the single solution of the smart wristband.

Provides objective data of vitals

Dr Prathamesh Kamble, Assistant Professor, Physiology at AIIMS Nagpur, said that the device can provide mobile free operation by using geofencing technology. He added that it will provide a real-time alert on any breach in the quarantine zone. The major addition to the wristband is that it can provide real-time, objective and reliable data of vitals like the temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate and the oxygen saturation.

Such vital information on health updates will help the quarantined person to seek early medical attention if a health alarm gets set off. All the data collected from the wristband will be archived on a cloud which will help health workers monitor patients from a distance without the risk of transmission. The technology has been developed by city-based professionals Dr Mayur Parate and Dr Ankit Bhurane, both from IIIT Nagpur. 

Read: AIIMS Delhi Holds 'e-ICU' Video Consultation Program With 43 Institutions In The Country

(With inputs from ANI | Representational Image: Pixabay)