Hospital home to tech trial

A MEDICAL device currently being trialled by Bendigo Health is aimed at improving prevention of pressure injuries among patients.

The Pressure Injury Management System developed by medical technology company Lenexa Medical uses a fabric based sensor to monitor a person’s position while in a hospital bed.

Clinical director of integrated care services at Bendigo Health, Professor Marc Budge, said the injuries could cause many issues despite being avoidable.

“Pressure injuries can develop quickly, be associated with significant pain and prolonged hospital inpatient stays with ongoing negative consequences; all of which are potentially preventable,” he said.

“Bendigo Health’s new hospital and residential care facilities are ideally placed to host this initial state-of-the-art technology trial.

“The trial aims to maximise the clinical usability of the Lenexa Medical smart sheet system whilst optimising its integration into the clinical workflow in ICUs, hospital wards and in residential care.”

The device gives clinicians information in real time to help with personalised prevention of pressure injuries in individual patients.

Lenexa Medical CEO, Ajit Ravindran, said the system was aimed to be the “first of its kind”.

“Partnering with Bendigo Health has been a great opportunity for us to demonstrate feasibility of our device with real patients in a real-world setting and helps to bring our solution closer to market,” he said.

“Trials will be extended to other major hospitals as well as to aged-care settings, where pressure injury prevalence is high and particularly costly.”

The system can also be used by Australian healthcare providers after it was recently listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.