Prevention with Intelligent Mattresses Biosensors Preventing Bedsores

Almost one in three nursing home residents are affected by bedsores, a result of long periods lying down. However, bedsores in patients in hospitals and in care homes are to become a thing of the past. In the future, sensors on patient mattresses will be able to determine whether a patient is susceptible to developing bedsores.

Within the framework of the Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM), a group of scientists lead by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Dietmar Henrich from the Department of Medical Technology together with the Softline Foam company in Storkow are developing a mattress with integrated biosensors. This will recognize the areas of the body where an ulcer might develop, as well as how much body weight is concentrated on this point. The air cushion of the mattress corrects this by means of an innovative control algorithm activated by the pressure of the body on the surface and the hardness of the surface at the contact points. Depending on the situation the mattress will become harder or softer at this point.

In addition, innovative new pressure sensors made of conductive material identify the vulnerable areas of the body, that have been immobile too long and where the oxygen supply to the subcutaneous tissue has been interrupted. Information about the capillary pressure within the blood vessels of the patient can be ascertained from the pressure of the body on the mattress. On the basis of the derived sensor data the contact pressure on the different areas of the mattress will be adjusted continuously by a microcontroller, in the same way as a healthy person would automatically adjust their position while asleep.

There are currently expensive, maintenance-intensive systems with noisy pumps on the market. The system developed in this project is inexpensive, it allows for automatic pressure balancing and it automatically generates a data log.