Researchers develop sensor to detect pressure injuries

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta,  have developed a flexible, sensor-filled fabric to monitor body parts at risk for pressure injuries and automatically alert hospital staff when a patient needs to be turned. The fabric collects pressure and moisture data while a patient lies in bed or sits in a wheelchair. Researchers will use predictive analytics to study patterns indicating when a pressure injury is likely to occur and to understand how long it takes to form. With that information, the researchers will automate care recommendations. The technology is in a pilot study, and the researchers’ long-term goal is for all health systems to integrate the technology, making pressure injuries obsolete. Pressure injuries affect 2.5 million patients annually. (Newswise news release, 3/17/26)