Alarm and Medical Monitor «AMON»
Customer: European Commission, 5th Framework Project (FP5)
«AMON» is a wearable medical monitoring and alert system targeting high-risk cardiac respiratory patients. The main objective of the AMON project was to research, develop and validate an advanced, wearable personal health system to monitor and evaluate human vital signs using advanced bio-sensors. The scientific and technological challenge was to design a wearable monitoring device that will be small, dependable and contain the necessary data for an impending medical emergency.
The system developed includes continuous collection and evaluation of these vital signs, intelligent multi-parameter medical emergency detection and transmission of the data to a remote telemedicine centre, for further analysis and emergency care using a GSM/UMTS cellular infrastructure. The development & testing of the on-line Telemedicine Centre was conducted in parallel, including system testing, validation & assessment by end-users in hospitals around Europe. Using «AMON», patients who are not confined to hospital (including the high risk and elderly) are able to continuously monitor and analyse their vital signs, providing care at the point and time of need, increasing freedom of movement and enhancing overall quality of life.
The wrist mounted monitoring device (WMD) developed includes algorithms and sensors to monitor human vital health parameters such as heart rate, heart rhythm, 2-lead ECG, blood pressure, SpO2 blood saturation, skin perspiration and body temperature. Applying aggressive low-power design techniques enabled the whole system to be integrated into a wrist-worn device, continuous long-term monitoring without interfering with the patients’ everyday activities or restricting their mobility.
Our Contribution
- system design
- sensor control and sensor electronics
- control and data evaluation software
- device enclosure & integration of partner supplied sub-systems & sensors
- blood pressure measurements using mechanical parts from commercial wrist device
Asset Surveillance and Protection «ASAP»
Customer: European Commission, 5th Framework Project (FP5)
The objective of the «ASAP» project was to introduce a new concept for an affordable, accurate and user-friendly asset surveillance and protection system in Europe. The scientific and technical challenge was to research, develop and evaluate a designated wireless, info-mobility system that includes end units, system infrastructure and inter-connection databases.
«ASAP» provides a comprehensive smart tracking and protection system by integrating data with existing information databases of the transport operators; enabling the user to track, locate and monitor in real time, all types of freight, including hazardous materials, as they are transported across Europe. Capable of monitoring the state of the freight online, the end unit includes sensors for various applications, such as temperature for freezer containers, gas sensors for bromide transporters and sensors for the surveillance of container doors. Sensors provide valuable add-on information on freight status and can communicate critical situations quickly and efficiently to emergency forces, helping to reduce risk and subsequently insurance premiums, e.g. in case of a leak from a hazardous material, or other problems, the «ASAP» system will notify the transportation company, operating company and if required, the relevant environmental authorities.
Omnipresent and seamless access can be made available to customers, transportation operators, insurance companies and other involved parties, with location and status information accessible to both the mobile user and via the Internet.
Our Contribution
- unobtrusive installable IP65-proof housing
- sensors & their interface to the communication unit
Early Diagnosis of CVD «PHOCNOSIS»
European Commission, Horizon 2020 Project
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the European Union accounting for 1.9 million deaths, i.e. 40% of all deaths in the EU each year. Despite costs of almost €196 billion per year, CVD can be successfully treated and managed – if detected early. The goal of the «PHOCNOSIS» project is the development and pre-clinical validation of a nanotechnology-based, handheld point-of-care testing (POCT) and analysis procedure and device, for fast and early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
The «PHOCNOSIS» consortium |
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Our Contribution
Art of Technology is responsible for the design and development of the electronics, mechanics, software and system integration of the POCT device. Using new nano-photonic sensing techniques developed by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, it should be possible using only a few drops of the patient’s blood, to measure and evaluate the concentration levels of different markers for cardiovascular disease in less than 10 minutes.
EUROPRACTICE – MCM
European Commission, 4th Framework Project (FP4)
The rapidly changing market for embedded and portable computing exhibits a steadily growing demand for improved reliability and increasing processing performance in progressively smaller form factors. A Pentium® based Multi-Chip-Module (MCM) was designed and manufactured during the 4th Framework project «EUROPRACTICE-MCM». The main scientific and technical challenge of the project was to develop a technology demonstrator to show the potential of High Density Packaging (HDP) technologies.
Advantages of MCM-based solutions
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Results
The Pentium® MCM was mounted on thermally enhanced Plastic-Stud-Grid-Array (PSGA), a packaging technology using plastic studs moulded to the body of the package instead of large solder balls, which provides reliable, low cost packaging of high pin-count devices. An existing Pentium® module chipset with 2nd level cache (9 chips plus SMD components), DRAM interface and PCI host-bridge was used with thin film on silicon in a PSGA housing which was significantly smaller than the original packaged Pentium® processor, i.e. 25% of the original packaged Pentium®.
The SP5MX1 is a miniaturised version of the core of a Pentium® processor based Multi-Chip-Module (MCM) which is intended as a processor subsystem for use in mobile and embedded systems. First tests were successfully carried out with Windows NT running and some benchmark programs at a clock frequency of 100 MHz.
Large Area Panel processing «LAP»
European Commission, 4th Framework Project (FP4)
Thin film High Density Integration (HDI) offers the ultimate solution for many existing and new applications requiring either high electrical performance, smaller size, or both. However, the costs of these types of substrates has always been prohibitive. The EU consortium «LAP» was formed to reduce the cost for thin-film substrates; the main goal of the project being the development and demonstration of low cost, high-density substrate manufacturing technology for first level die assemblies. i.e.
The suitability of LAP technology was further demonstrated with the commercial implementation of a Direct Broadcast Satellite Switch operating up to 2.4GHz.
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Benefits of LAP Technology
The substrate technologies developed allows for a wide range of packaging options from inserted substrates into transfer-moulded packages to integrated MCM-L/D and MCM-M/D (M=metal) area array packages. This ongoing trend towards miniaturisation, increased functionality and higher frequencies offers several significant challenges, e.g.
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Emergency Monitoring and Prevention «EMERGE»
European Commission, 6th Framework Project (FP6)
Demographic trends in most European countries are forecasting a massive increase in the elderly population and a dramatic increase in emergency situations. Elderly people living alone are especially endangered as delays in alerting medical emergency services often leads to prolonged hospital stays resulting in an increasing number of elderly people being placed in nursing homes; at significant additional cost and an unnecessary deterioration in their quality of life. It has been recognised that daily activities are an important part of the functional health status and are often influenced by habits, age, culture, day of the week and the time of year. Activities like sleeping, going to the toilet, preparing meals and general mobility, which follow certain individual stereotypes have shown to be sensitive to changes in daily routines.
Objectives
The «EMERGE» project was tasked with researching ways to improve the support of elderly people, with innovative emergency detection and prevention systems, namely:
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How does the «EMERGE» System work?
The system collects and analyses data on an on-going basis from various data sources, e.g.
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Monitoring Vital Parameters – SensoWatch
European Commission, 6th Framework Project (FP6)
Developed during the «EMERGE» project, the SensoWatch is a key part of the «EMERGE» system; an automatic monitoring device that incorporates multiple sensors into a single wrist device, enabling continuous monitoring of several important health parameters, e.g.
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User Benefits
Medical personnel are notified immediately in the event of serious or unexpected deviations, enabling them to respond appropriately and quickly. Continuous monitoring allows an alarm to be raised in the event of potential helplessness (e.g. after a fall or loss of consciousness), i.e. without active intervention by the user.
How does SensoWatch work?
Worn like a normal everyday wristwatch, the SensoWatch continuously transmits data to a base station and (if necessary) a call for help, without adversely affecting a person’s mobility, thereby greatly increasing the ability of the wearer to continue to lead an active life. Even in the absence of an impact, a no movement alarm is raised if the person is helpless. No alarm is sent if the person stands up immediately after the fall…this enables every fall to be recognised while helping to avoid false alarms. The timely provision of information to caregivers in an emergency or in the case of long term deviations or inconsistencies is an essential prerequisite for the independent life of elderly people in their preferred environment… at home!
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