October 1, 2020: HealthSonar project has officially commenced. It is a novel, non-invasive system that aims to monitor elements of the individual's daily life, such as mobility, sleep, falls and activities. Its innovation lies in the detection and study of different scales of radio systems and different types of movements, depending on the position and the configuration of the system.
Operation with low power radio wave technologies
The operation of the HealthSonar device is based on three levels:
- Very low power radio waves will detect both the movement of a body in space but also the very subtle movement of a body caused by functions like breathing and the heart function
- An intelligent unit will analyze the data and export sleep and gait parameters, and detect falls
- A mobile application (app) will connect to the HealthSonar device and manage/present system data.
Detection and study of each movement
HealthSonar aims to detect different types of movement such as micro-movements, medium-distance movements and longer-distance movements. Micro-movements at close range contribute to the study of respiration and heart rate on which sleep analysis is based.
Medium distance movements with good accuracy help in the study of gait based on clinical tests (Timed 25 feet, Walk feet) and free gait. Finally, longer distance movements with lower resolution provide data for the study of falls and activity when the user is in specific areas.
The Design Engineer of PDNeurotechnology®, Dr. George Rigas, stated:
"Modern society is facing the challenge of active aging of the population and at the same time the increase of neurological and motor disorders of the elderly, resulting in the need for significant changes in health and care services. PD Neurotechnology® strives to be a pioneer in the use of new technologies that can be easily integrated into the daily living of the individual, allowing the monitoring of activity and symptoms with precision but also respect for safety and privacy. The HealthSonar project and the partnership with important Greek technological institutes and other institutions is a very important step in this direction."
A significant consortium with PD Neurotechnology® as a coordinator
The development of HealthSonar is part of the operational program "Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship, Innovation" - EPAnEK (2014-2020).
The HealthSonar consortium has already begun its proceedings with PD Neurotechnology® as a coordinator and important partners from the research and business world:
- FORTH-IESL & ICS (Foundation of Research and Technology Hellas – Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser & Institute of Computer Science)
- NKUA (National Kapodistrian University of Athens)
- FORTH – IMBB (Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology)
- University of Patras
- Medis
About PD Neurotechnology®
PD Neurotechnology Ltd is a high-tech medical device company, founded in London, UK in 2015, by a team of experts in patient monitoring systems for movement disorders. The R&D, Production, Support, Clinical Trials, Warehouse and Distribution departments are in Ioannina, Greece, and Sales and Marketing are based in Athens, Greece. The company is certified with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 και ISO 13485:2016 by DQS MED Germany, while its first product, PDMonitor® has been certified with the CE Certificate, Class IIa since June 2019.
