Non-invasive IoT sensing and monitoring system for neonatal care

Abstract

The scientific innovation in health systems moves towards non-invasive and wearable approaches to acquire and measure vital signs. Due to its non-invasive nature, infrared (IR) thermography has become the preferred choice for monitoring physiological signals from a distance. Combining IR non-invasive monitoring with the Internet of Things (IoT), we developed a risk management system for neonatal incubators, which has the capability to inform temperature anomalies from the newborn, aiming to prevent or to have a fast-responding action to risk situations such as hypothermia and hyperthermia. With multi-area-temperature monitoring we can detect signs of hypothermia minutes before decrease in core temperature. As a result, the system can record a thermal image from inside the incubator every 0.5 seconds, upload to the cloud every 20 seconds, perform real-time data analysis, activate alarms of possible risk-eminent situations and send notifications with maximum delay of 2 minutes.