Shimmer3 EBio

We are proposing the collection of a COVID-19 biometric outcome data set to better understand the progression of COVID-19 in patients. Advanced data analysis techniques will be performed on the dataset to answer such questions as (not limited to):

• What levels and combinations of biometrics offer early indication of disease progression requiring aggressive treatment?
• What biometrics are associated with recovery
• What biometrics are associated with advanced treatment and recovery

The problem we are addressing is that science does not understand the progression of COVID-19 and how to use biometric data to determine the level of treatment individuals need.

Impact:

• Better prioritization of limited hospital resources (ventilators)
• Earlier detection of negative disease progression
• Reduction in spread of COVID-19 due to the remote monitoring capabilities of the technology
• Allow for in home patient monitoring with biometrics to determine, if and when, they need to go to hospital for more advanced treatment

The problem is that science does not understand the progression of COVID-19 and how to use biometric data to determine who requires aggressive treatment, who requires minimal treatment and who should be recovering in their homes.

Managing the huge influx of patients in hospitals is one of the most critical challenges of the current pandemic. Because COVID-19 attacks the lungs, measurements such as respiration rate, respiration volume, and fluid in the lungs, can provide clear indications of the progression of the disease. This information can be used in many ways, including:

• Monitoring patients remotely at home to determine if, and when, they need to be admitted to hospital
• Monitoring patients in a hospital to determine when they need more aggressive treatment (e.g., ventilators)
• Enabling the earlier release of non-acute patients because of the ability to monitor at home Adjusting the treatment depending on the rate of progression of disease

This affects every single one of the millions of people globally who have been infected with the virus.

The Shimmer3 EBio sensor was introduced in 2014 and has been used successfully in literally thousands of studies in over 70 countries.

The Shimmer3 EBio system uses any standard ECG electrode to capture the ECG and/or bioimpedance signal. Data can be collected at a variety of sampling rates, from 1Hz to over 1kHz. Data can be either stored on board or else wirelessly transmitted via Bluetooth. At 200Hz, the sensor has onboard storage that will last 29 days. For the remote monitoring application, data can be stored on the device and uploaded upon return to the site. 

In addition to ECG and bioimpedance data, the sensor can simultaneously collect 9 degrees of freedom IMU data (3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyro, and 3-axis magnetometer). This provides important contextual information, such as the posture of the patient (supine or upright) as well as activity levels. These signals are also important in identifying periods of motion artifact.

The battery will provide the needed energy to run the equipment for 2+ days without recharging in the local data storage mode. In the streaming mode, the battery life is 8+ hours.

Shimmer is aiming to meaningfully improve the lives of all of those who are infected with the virus, those who are on the front lines treating people with the virus and all of those who are at risk to contract the virus. 

This solution addresses the needs of the aforementioned groups by allowing medical professionals to understand the level of treatment individuals need. This not only ensures that individuals who are having a more severe reaction to the virus get more attention, and thus, give them a better chance of surviving, but also helps manage the flow of patients into hospitals and more efficiently prioritizes the use of limited medical equipment.

"MIT Solve is seeking tech innovations that analyze data that informs decision making."

The above sentence is where Shimmer's solution primarily aligns with this challenge. The Shimmer3 EBio provides biometric data that allows medical professionals to understand the level of treatment needed by patients (i.e. who needs more care), how to manage patients being admitted into hospitals, and how to prioritize the use of medical equipment. These are all important decisions that need to be made and the data Shimmer's solution provides allows these decisions to be made in a more efficient manner.