LAUSR

: LAN.014 Distributed Thermistor for Continuous Temperature Monitoring of Malnourished Infants at Risk for Hypothermia M. David, A.A. Muelenaer, P. Muelenaer, J. Bird, S. Vespa, A. Yarrabothula, L. Cashman; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, Virginia, USA, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, USA, Cardinal Mechatronics, Blacksburg, USA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, USA Program/Project Purpose: Severe acute malnutrition affects around 19 million children under 5 years worldwide, and kills 400,000 of them each year, according to the WHO. Hypothermia and hyperthermia, two clinical effects of malnutrition, often lead to death in lowand middle-income countries (LMIC) where understaffed hospitals are unable to continuously and simultaneously monitor the temperature of malnourished infants. A low-cost device that can collect temperature data of patients and wirelessly transmit this data to a single source for nurses would significantly alleviate the strain on human resources and decrease infant morbidity/mortality. Structure/Method/Design: Since 2014, preliminary prototypes for this wireless thermistor device have been created and tested, specifically in hospitals inMalawi. The final design consists of a silicone armband, a thermistor, and a circuit board with a rechargeable battery, microcontroller, A-D converter, and antenna. The armband attaches to the child’s upper armwith the thermistor situated in the axilla.Temperature data is transmitted via Bluetooth to an Android device. The device is reusable, low-cost, user-friendly, and easily sanitized, attributes wellsuited for use in LMIC where malnutrition is widespread. Outcome & Evaluation: Researchers traveled to Malawi in the summer of 2015 to introduce the design to hospitals and perform preliminary testing of communications. Nursing staff were enthusiastic about the device and could clearly grasp its function and use. The range for data-transmission was tested, and it was found that the device worked successfully at all distances within and around the hospital. This experience defined final improvements of the device before implementation, including band design and mobile application development. Going Forward: A wireless thermistor device has the potential to permit more efficient and effective use of human resources, while reducing infant deaths due to hypothermia in LMIC. A simple interface and sustainable design is ideal for remote hospitals that suffer from this problem. With improvements to the band design and mobile application development, the device will be ready for implementation in Malawi hospitals by the summer of 2017. Source of Funding: Pediatric Medical Device Institute.