IITian Develops AI Based Early Warning System To Help Critical Patients; Here's How It Works

When you step into a hospital, you often notice a shortage of staff, resulting in the prioritization of critical medical tasks while non-emergency cases and procedures take a back seat. Frequently, due to this staff shortage, vital patient readings such as blood pressure, heart rate, and ECG are neglected, as nurses cannot be available around the clock.

To address this pressing issue, Gaurav Parchani, a 2013 graduate of IIT Indore, has launched a startup leveraging Artificial Intelligence to tackle the problem of staff scarcity and enhance patient monitoring. Gaurav, originally from Indore, initially worked on improving the speed of racing cars and related machinery. However, he aspired to make a broader impact by applying technology to healthcare, recognizing the similarities between health technology and racing car technology.

How Does AI-Based Early Warning System Could Help Patients?

This medical technology requires just one sensor to be affixed to the patient's bed, and it takes care of the rest. The sensor continually conducts various tests on the patient and displays the data on a nearby monitor. Simultaneously, this data is updated in the nursing station's system. Moreover, if a patient's vital signs deviate from the normal range, such as elevated blood pressure or indications of a potential heart attack in the ECG, an alert is triggered alongside the patient's data.

The sensors placed under the bed can detect blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate, while three wireless devices worn by the patient monitor oxygen levels, ECG, and temperature. This eliminates the need for patients to repeatedly call for assistance when they wish to move around in the hospital.

This AI-based technology has been adopted by several government and private hospitals across the country. Presently, it is operational in over 300 hospitals, covering approximately 8,000 beds. Hospitals such as King George Medical College in Lucknow and PGI in Chandigarh have integrated this system with sensors in their beds. Data from Chennai's Apollo Hospital and Lucknow's King George Medical College indicate that this technique has enabled them to save 80 percent of patients by detecting changes in their condition up to 8 hours before deterioration.

Once the sensor is installed in the bed, it can function for up to 5 years. This Made in India technology holds more than 15 certificates and 8 patents. While the initial cost may be high, the system's creators assert that it can save 10,000 hours of nursing work annually, ultimately saving both time for healthcare professionals and, more importantly, patients' lives.