Fiber technology senses how patients lie in bed and prevents a lot of complications: Jettie Hoonhout (VitalWear)

VitalWear is an Eindhoven startup developing fiber-optic sensing technology embedded in bed sheets, intended to detect early signs of pressure ulcers. Jettie Hoonhout discusses the technology and its intended use in patient care settings. Technology that can help the hospital staff by early signalling of potential risks. Making it "nurse-proof" became a key success factor.

Stay tuned for our chat with the Eric Thelen CEO and co-founder

VitalWear discovers vital information by embedding optical fiber sensing technology in textile materials, to create innovative sensor surfaces and, ultimately, sensor clothing, for non-invasive medical applications.

VitalWear’s prime application prevents pressure ulcers. These often occur for immobilized patients or patients with reduced sensory function of the skin when skin cells under pressure die due to mechanical stress or due to restricted blood supply. Pressure ulcers are very painful for the 2.5 million patients they affect every year in the United States alone – and they even lead to the death of 60,000 of them. Pressure ulcer prevention and care are very time consuming for nurses, due to the current best practice of frequently repositioning at-risk patients. Consequently, pressure ulcers inflate healthcare costs, annually by more than $ 26b in the U.S. alone.