Wearable patch can detect early signs of coronavirus, researchers say

Early coronavirus symptoms could be detected with a wearable patch, thanks to a new development.

Researchers at Northwestern University and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago developed a wearable device and data algorithms that can catch early signs and symptoms of COVID-19 for those who wear it, according to a news release from Northwestern University.

“Capable of being worn 24/7, the device produces continuous streams of data and uses artificial intelligence to uncover subtle, but potentially life-saving, insights,” the news release said. “Filling a vital data gap, it continuously measures and interprets coughing and respiratory activity in ways that are impossible with traditional monitoring systems.”

The device is “about the size of a postage stamp,” researchers said. It is soft and flexible, and it sits below the dip at the base of the throat. It can monitor coughing, chest wall movements, respiratory sounds, heart rate and body temperatures, according to the news release.

About 25 COVID-19 patients and health care workers who are treating them began using the device two weeks ago and have generated lots of data to be used for coronavirus research, according to Northwestern.

“The most recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggest that the earliest signs of a COVID-19 infection are fever, coughing and difficulty in breathing. Our device sits at the perfect location on the body — the suprasternal notch — to measure respiratory rate, sounds and activity because that’s where airflow occurs near the surface of the skin,” John A. Rogers, who led the technology development, said in the news release. “We developed customized devices, data algorithms, user interfaces and cloud-based data systems in direct response to specific needs brought to us by frontline healthcare workers.”

The device can also monitor patients who were once hospitalized when they are home, which “gives insights into their health and outcomes that is currently not being captured or analyzed,” Northwestern said.

It can help provide early warning signs of COVID-19 for high-risk health care workers, the news release said.

“Nobody has ever collected this type of data before,” Rogers said. “Earlier detection is always better and our devices provide important and unique capabilities in that context. For patients who have contracted the disease, the value is even more clear, as the data represent quantitative information on respiratory behavior, as a mechanism to track the progression and/or the effects of treatments.”

This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 7:57 PM with the headline "Wearable patch can detect early signs of coronavirus, researchers say."