Medforall Sleep and Safety Study 2024
This report outlines Medforall's DODD-funded project on thermal sensor monitoring for nighttime safety. It highlights our mission to enhance care for people with disabilities through privacy-first technology that preserves dignity and reduces caregiver stress.
Executive Overview - Advancing Nighttime Safety Through Innovation
Nighttime often brings anxiety for people with complex medical needs and their families due to staffing shortages and preventable tragedies. Our project developed a privacy-first thermal sensor system, awarded in March 2024 and running through January 2025. Deployed in 15 sites, it showed strong performance and acceptance.
Moving forward, we plan a pilot deployment covering an additional 100-200 beds across homes and community-based care facilities. This will validate the system's effectiveness at scale, enhance features like advanced event detection, and pave the way for statewide adoption.
- Advanced Hardware Compact, robust sensors with versatile mounting.
- Tailored AI Privacy-focused algorithms for posture detection and tracking.
- Integrated Platform Edge-cloud infrastructure with intuitive iOS app for real-time alerts.
- Protecting Vulnerabilities Rapid detection for immediate intervention.
- Empowering Peace of Mind Reliable insights to reduce caregiver anxiety.
Imagine a future where technology ensures restful nights, preventing emergencies and fostering independence for vulnerable individuals.
Real-World Validation - From Concept to Care: A Look Inside Our Pilot Sites
Technology is only as valuable as its real-world impact. To prove our system's effectiveness, we partnered with 15 diverse care sites, seamlessly integrating our thermal sensors into the unique living spaces of individuals. The following gallery provides a transparent look at these deployments, showcasing the system's adaptability and our commitment to enhancing safety while respecting the sanctity of home.
Key Achievements - Project Accomplishments
Our team achieved key milestones in building a reliable, privacy-centric monitoring solution.
- Reliable Event Detection Pipeline Secure infrastructure for data labeling, validation, and real-time thermal data analysis.
- Privacy-First Design Thermal-only imaging ensures complete anonymity while enabling critical event detection.
- Advanced Sensor Hardware Durable, versatile sensors with fixed and adjustable mounting for diverse environments and future upgrades.
- Robust Algorithm Training Validated AI for accurate detection of nuanced postures and movements.
- Comprehensive Integration Scalable platform for secure real-time data handling, notifications, and enhancements.
- Deployment Insights Enhanced versatility with multiple orientations, privacy covers, and modular components for safety and cost efficiency.
Innovation - Technical Achievements
Innovative advancements in app, hardware, AI, and updates drove the project's success.
- Thermal Insight App Secure in-house tool for data management, human review, and AI training, maintaining integrity and security.
- Hardware Innovations Reduced instability by 30%, added flexible mounting, and ensured backward compatibility for seamless updates.
- AI Advancements Privacy-focused algorithms using thermal data for accurate posture and event detection without compromising anonymity.
- Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates Remote capabilities for quick feature, security, and performance improvements across deployments.
Study App Demo
See our privacy-first thermal monitoring system in action. This demo showcases the intuitive interface that enables caregivers to monitor, annotate, and share insights. Users can interact with annotations from researchers and other caregivers, creating a collaborative care environment.
Problem Solving - Challenges and Opportunities
We overcame obstacles to create a more robust and user-friendly system.
- Sensor Reliability Addressed early crashes with firmware refinements, reducing issues by 30% across sites.
- High-Concurrency Streaming Optimized code and infrastructure to cut latency by 20%, enabling near real-time monitoring.
- Installation Barriers Designed adjustable mounts and privacy shutters for adaptability in varied setups.
- Privacy Preservation Balanced safety and anonymity using thermal imaging and focused algorithms.
- User-Centric Design Developed an intuitive app with advanced features for caregivers of all technical levels.
Future Vision - Use Cases and Next Steps
Our solution offers immediate benefits and exciting future potential, helping users envision a safer tomorrow.
Immediate Use Cases:
- Secure real-time live viewing for caregivers.
- Annotated recordings and sharing for medical documentation.
- Health reports on sleep trends and patterns for proactive care planning.
Future Enhancements:
- Auto-compiled event summaries (e.g., seizures) for physicians.
- Integrated secure sharing with healthcare providers.
- Remote monitoring integration to reduce cognitive load and automate documentation.
Next Steps
Pilot deployment for 100-200 beds, validating scalability and features for statewide adoption.
Impact - Results
The project delivered tangible outcomes and positive user feedback.
- Companion App Enables secure real-time viewing and feedback to enhance accuracy.
- Thermal Insight Supports post-processing of sensor data for review and model training.
- Data Collection Optimized pipelines improved AI performance and system reliability.
- User Reception Positive responses from all 15 sites, with families expressing readiness for broader adoption and noting "peace of mind we never thought possible."
Summary - Conclusion
This project demonstrated that innovative, privacy-first technology can transform overnight care. Successful deployments at 15 sites provided reliable real-time insights, preserved dignity, alleviated anxiety, and improved safety. These achievements lay the groundwork for broader adoption, fostering a future of safer, more compassionate support for vulnerable populations.
This system has given us peace of mind we never thought possible.