Non-Invasive, Private and Ultra-Low Cost 24/7 Health Care Monitoring for the Elderly Community: HomeSafe

Programme(s)
H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies

Topic(s): EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020 - SME instrument

Call for proposal: H2020-SMEInst-2018-2020-1

Funding Scheme: SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

Grant agreement ID: 854352

Project description
Innovations in remote health monitoring for the elderly
The elderly value their privacy and independence just as much as anyone else, but many require round-the-clock healthcare observation. Current health monitoring systems in the home involve push-button alerts, invasive cameras, or wearable devices that can delay intervention or cause discomfort. The EU-funded HomeSafe project will conduct a feasibility study to promote an innovative health monitoring system for the elderly based on a single radar sensor. This sensor gathers patients’ vital medical data that are then electronically and securely transmitted to healthcare providers for evaluation. Future upgrades will enable the device to collate data to follow patients’ history and detect anomalies. Ultimately, it will provide enhanced medical care for the elderly.

Objective
HomeSafe will conduct a feasibility study for the development of a Non-Invasive, Private and Ultra-Low Cost 24/7 Health Care Monitoring System for the Elderly Community based on Ultra-Wide Band Sensing. In few words, advances in radar-based sensing are enabling disruptive applications in various sectors. In HomeSafe, one such sensor can be placed in a home to monitor the status and conditions of persons within it for the cost of one Euro per day. The approach to use just one sensor and at such a low cost is radically different than competing alternatives. This sensing capability is integrated into a cloud-based health care monitoring and alert system. No images are attained and nothing is worn by individuals assuring dignity, privacy and use with confidence. With respect to competing systems (push button alerts, sensorised individuals or homes), the advantages are compelling and there is a clear innovation potential for future IP development that tracks a person's condition state over time and conducts data fusion (combining a person’s gait, heartbeat, breathing patterns, reactions to events or medication to see cause and effect relationships or response to treatment). Commercialisation potential is also clear since stakeholder wishes, value proposition, viable business models have been defined as well as progressive multi-stage market uptake over time is envisioned. The workplan is structured to reduce technical, market and ethical and regulatory risks associated with a product launch and immediate EU expansion via distributor networks. The feasibility study will provide us with the opportunity to engage targeted stakeholders across Europe, deepen our market knowledge and assure our value proposition fit. Pisga is perfectly positioned to develop, commercialise and internationally scale the HomeSafe product and service. It has already secured an exclusive contractual alliance with the patent holder to foster its ambitions.Ten-fold growth projections are envisioned.