As highlighted by the United Nations in 2019, there is a growing proportion of the elderly population across the world, especially in urbanized countries. This rapid increase of the elderly population exerts great stress on the existing manpower-based care models. The use of AI, IoT, big data and other new smart care technologies has become an important trend in the global healthcare industry. Imedtac uses time-of-flight (ToF) sensor technology to create a new generation of smart care system. The system can not only be quickly installed for use in wards, it can also help healthcare professionals to quickly and precisely understand care recipient's current status through AI analysis.
Imedtac was established in 2016, its members come from a mix of healthcare and technology industries. Through the integration of expertise within the team, Imedtac has created the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) that best satisfies the needs of healthcare institutions. IoMT represents the exchange of information between different users and devices within each point of the system through the internet, which enables care professionals to understand patient conditions in real time. imedtac's IoMT platform is suitable for specialist clinics to large hospitals. Besides hardware, imedtac also has software and AI algorithm development teams. imedtac aims to provide smart services to healthcare professionals through the integration of software and hardware.
Chung-Sheng Miao, Imedtac' business development manager, stated that as the COVID-19 pandemic ravages the world, contactless technology can help healthcare professionals improve care efficiency and reduce infection risks. However, for existing remote healthcare platforms, the implementation stage requires frequent adjustments of the hardware and software structures, and the subsequent maintenance also has a certain degree of difficulty. Healthcare institutions often need to heavily invest in manpower and resources to ensure digital platforms' smooth operation. Imedtac's Care Recipient Monitor solution can solve all of the issues stated above.
ToF technology uses infrared rays' send-out and reflection times to calculate the distance between the sensor and the object, thereby creating a wide range of applications. For their Care Recipient Monitor solution, Imedtac installs ToF sensors on top of hospital or long-term care facility's beds to sense the distance between the sensor and different parts of the patient's body using multiple infrared beams. The AI algorithm then immediately determines the care recipient's status as either "In Bed," "Out of Bed" or "Has Fallen." If the care recipient has fallen or has left his/her bed for an abnormally long time, the system immediately alerts caretakers.
Imedtac's next generation ToF Care Recipient Monitor solves the problem of time-consuming installations of other solutions. Installation personnel only needs to install the ToF sensor on the ceiling above the patient's bed and pair it to the backend management platform to begin use. The main benefit of the sensor using distance difference of infrared rays instead of being a camera is that it does not invade the patient's privacy. The care recipient will be more receptive to this monitoring solution as they do not feel like their privacy is invaded. Through the backend care management system, doctors and nurses can remotely check the patient's status at any time. These increases work efficiency while decreasing contact and infection risks.
ToF technology has mainly been used in consumer products and automotive systems. Miao pointed out that although ToF technology is mature, implementing its benefits in a vertical field is still challenging. Imedtac leverages professionals from the healthcare field and collaboration with healthcare institutions during the product development stage to continuously enhance the solution. ToF solutions currently installed in hospitals collect large amounts of data and combined with discussions with healthcare institutions, Imedtac continuously enhances their AI algorithm. Moreover, the solution can connect with facility's Hospital Information System (HIS) to maximize the value of data, thereby creating a comprehensive solution for elder care.
Imedtac has already partnered with Taiwanese hospitals and long-term care facilities to implement the solution and is now entering international market. Currently, imedtac has successfully entered Thailand and Vietnam. On October 1, Imedtac will participate in Smart Upgrade with AI Webinar held by the Taiwan Excellence to hopefully further expand its product applications and provide healthcare institutions with a more comprehensive smart healthcare platform. The event will be held online at 2pm on October 1. Please visit the event website for details.
Imedtac's next generation ToF Care Recipient Monitoring Solution
Photo: Imedtac
Smart Upgrade with AI webinar
Photo: TAITRA
