Smart patch offers potential for remote monitoring of Covid-19 patients

Global adhesive provider, Henkel, has developed an innovative smart health patch that allows continuous, remote, and wireless monitoring of the respiration, heart rate and soon temperature of patients.

Henkel has developed this technology alongside six other medtech companies including Byteflies, Melexis, Quad Industries, Televic, Z-Plus and the Belgian department in Nitto.

Together the organisations have developed a 15 cm long adhesive patch, which can be easily applied to the left side of the chest. The patch has been developed to be skin-friendly, for medical use, and to contain high-tech electrodes and conductive inks which can register vital signs. A ‘sensor dot’ located in the centre of the patch collects the patient’s vital signs and sends all the data to the cloud wirelessly. There are plans for a mini temperature sensor to be integrated soon. The patch can be used for up to five days.

Stijn Gillissen, global head of printed electronics at Henkel, commented: “The innovative smart patch demonstrates the huge potentials of printed electronics applications and the power of collaborative approaches in the market.”

“At the moment most Covid-19 patients’ vital signs are recorded manually. The staff in hospitals and care homes need to take these vital signs several times a day and then process the data manually. Our system has the potential to save them a lot of time and reduce the amount of times they are exposed to possible infection.”

The system shows potential for monitoring patients who are either in quarantine within their own homes or in care homes. This is because the technology is able to take and send measurements automatically through constant monitoring via the smart patch. Therefore, if necessary, appropriate action can be taken quickly and an appropriate healthcare professional can be contacted immediately.

Clinical trials for the 'Covid-19 smart patch' which was initially set up to monitor the vital functions of patients with heart failure and epilepsy, are set to take place in The Oost-Limburg Hospital in Belgium. The hospital will test the patch for on 20 of its patients over the next few weeks. There are then plans to roll out the system across other hospitals and care homes within the upcoming months, however, this will depend on the results of the initial trial.