The novel coronavirus epidemic has now spread to the world more than 200 countries and regions. The World Health Organization defined the situation as “pandemic” and governments around the world have taken several quarantine measures.
At present, all quarantine personnel and those arriving via the Hong Kong International Airport must pass the test and have a negative result before returning to the community for quarantine inspection.
A company under the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park’s bio-pharmaceutical technology incubation program cultivation has successfully developed the “Belling Ring Real-time Monitoring System”.
The system can monitor the wearer’s body temperature, blood oxygen content and pulse in real-time technology improves the efficiency of epidemic screening and relieves pressure on the medical system.
The Belling Ring, the technology core of the system, has been certified by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Hong Kong Hospital Authority and some hospitals in the United States are testing the system, and it is expected to be used in home quarantine and hospitals soon.
A recent WHO report noted that the oxygen content of the blood is an important indicator of the novel coronavirus. If without the aid of oxygen equipment, a teenager or adult has blood oxygen content of less than 93% or if a child’s blood oxygen content is less than 90%, it is recommended that they get medical attention immediately.
To help in this, the intelligent real-time monitoring system was developed by the firm to accurately measure the real-time blood oxygen content. This is a very important part of prevention and control quarantine and can effectively assist in the identification of patients with asymptomatic infection.
The intelligent real-time monitoring system includes a data transmitter, worn on the arm; this is connected to the Bell Ring worn on the finger, and the body temperature sensor attached to the armpit.
The user can move normally while wearing the device and it is suitable for use by adults.
All real-time data can be directly monitored through 4G connectivity, the movable communications network transmission system sends the received data for cloud analysis processing; it is then sent to the monitoring centre terminal. The initial physical state determines the trend of the wearer.
Compared with the “instant moment temperature measurement” (using a thermometer or thermal imaging equipment), the quarantined person or patient wearing the detection instrument can inform medical staff through the system in real-time, no matter whether they are in a hospital, home, quarantine centre or anywhere. It also allows for the continuous monitoring of their physical condition.
When the wearer’s body temperature, blood oxygen content, and pulse changes are detected, the intelligent real-time monitoring system will issue an alarm at the monitoring terminal to remind the quarantine personnel to take follow-up actions, which will help the screening of new coronavirus patients and greatly improve the efficiency of epidemic prevention.
The remote monitoring function can reduce the close contact between frontline medical staff and patients, which helps reduce their risk of infection.
In addition, the system can also be used in isolation wards to continuously provide patients with dynamic physiological monitoring, effectively assisting medical staff to accurately judge the patient’s condition and make treatment decisions.
In response to the current case of Fuyang in Hong Kong, the Chief Executive Officer of the firm stated that this intelligent real-time monitoring system is also suitable for the rehabilitation of new coronaviruses, and provides efficient and accurate monitoring services for the rehabilitation population throughout the entire process.
To help respond to the epidemic, the team competed with time to complete the prototype of the product in just two weeks. The product was developed and produced locally, and the aim is to apply it locally.
At present, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority is testing the monitoring system developed by Belling, and it is expected to be applied in hospital and home quarantine to reduce the work pressure of frontline medical staff.
In addition to the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, some hospitals in the United States are also undergoing trials, which are expected to be put into practical use soon.