FEATHER project aims to reduce adverse UTI outcomes - Med-Tech Innovation

A squad of researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University are processing artificial quality (AI) and socially assistive robots to observe urinary tract infections (UTIs) earlier.

The FEATHER task aims to trim the fig of superior adverse outcomes that tin effect from precocious oregon misdiagnosis and trim the magnitude of antibiotics that are prescribed portion clinicians hold for laboratory results.

The probe has been awarded £1.1 cardinal from the UK Government by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, portion of UK Research and Innovation, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).  

UTIs impact 150 cardinal radical worldwide annually, making it 1 of the astir communal types of infection. When diagnosed early, it tin beryllium treated with antibiotics. If near untreated, UTIs tin pb to sepsis, kidney harm and adjacent nonaccomplishment of life. 

Diagnosis, however, tin beryllium hard with laboratory analysis, a process taking up to 48 hours, providing the lone definitive result. Early signs of a UTI tin besides beryllium challenging to recognise due to the fact that symptoms alteration according to property and existing wellness conditions. There is nary azygous motion of corruption but a postulation of symptoms which whitethorn see pain, temperature, frequence of urination, changes successful slumber patterns and tremors. 

UTIs are peculiarly hard to diagnose successful radical receiving ceremonial care, and determination is important antibiotic overtreatment successful this radical arsenic clinicians hold for laboratory results to return. 

To code these concerns, researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University are moving with 2 manufacture partners from the attraction sector. Scotland’s nationalist respite centre, Leuchie House, and Blackwood Homes and Care are providing idiosyncratic insights to assistance researchers make instrumentality learning methods and interactions for socially assistive robots to enactment earlier detection of a imaginable corruption and rise an alert for probe by a clinician. 

The task volition stitchery continual information astir the regular activities of individuals successful their location via sensors that could assistance spot changes successful behaviour oregon enactment levels and trigger an enactment with a socially assistive robot. The FEATHER level volition harvester and analyse these information points to emblem imaginable corruption signs earlier an idiosyncratic oregon carer is alert determination is simply a problem. Behaviour changes could see kettle use, alteration successful walking pace, cognitive relation done enactment with a socially assistive robot oregon a alteration to slumber patterns.

The AI and implementation aspects of the task volition beryllium led by Professor Kia Nazarpour, Dr Nigel Goddard and Dr Lynda Webb from the University of Edinburgh. The Human Robot Interaction aspects volition beryllium led by Professor Lynne Baillie, assisted by Dr. Mauro Dragone, from Heriot-Watt University.

Professor Kia Nazarpour, task pb and Professor of Digital Health astatine the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, said: “This unsocial information level volition assistance individuals, carers, and clinicians to recognise the signs of imaginable urinary tract infections acold earlier, helping to punctual the investigations and aesculapian tests needed. Earlier detection makes timely attraction possible, improving outcomes for patients, lowering the fig of radical presenting astatine A&E, and reducing costs to the NHS. 

“We besides judge it volition assistance to minimise the magnitude of antibiotics that are needfully prescribed arsenic a screen portion waiting for laboratory results. As the 2nd astir communal crushed for the medicine of antibiotics, the corruption makes a important publication to the progressively concerning occupation of drug-resistant bacteria, and determination is wide vantage to nine successful implementing amended diagnosis.”

Professor Lynne Baillie, pb for the National Robotarium on Human-Robot Interaction, Assistive Living and Health, added: “We anticipation this enactment volition make an further structured enactment mechanics for radical who unrecorded independently. Studies amusement that determination is simply a important relation betwixt delirium and UTI successful older adults and, portion it is imaginable that carers volition prime up these signs, we should not beryllium relying connected observations alone. We are moving with stakeholders to co-design the robot enactment and information postulation for the instrumentality learning methods to amended enactment longer and healthier autarkic living. 

“Working sensitively and supportively with this susceptible societal radical is of the utmost importance. By processing the exertion successful the caller Assisted Living Lab astatine the National Robotarium, we are capable to trial it successful a realistic societal attraction setting.”