Image: ITS Biomedical Engineering students present Hi-Me!, a smart mirror that integrates eight vital sign checks into one system.
Surabaya, F-ELECTICS ITS – Innovation in health technology has once again emerged from the ITS. A team of students from the ITS Biomedical Engineering Department has developed Hi-Me!, a smart mirror based on multisensors and artificial intelligence that can screen eight health parameters in just three minutes. This innovation is designed to streamline healthcare services while reducing the burden on medical staff during initial examinations.
The team, which calls itself Tim Masuk Surga, consists of 2022 Biomedical Engineering students Nehemy Davis Suryanto, Wean Harmiwan Bontong, and Andi Lisnaini Ramadhani, with the guidance of lecturer Nada Fitrieyatul Hikmah, S.T., M.T. Davis explained that each member has a complementary role. “In developing the Hi-Me! innovation, we divided the roles, particularly in the mechanical and electrical hardware, software, and administration and writing, such as the final report and paper. Each member has their own skills so that the work process can run more effectively and efficiently,” said Davis.
The idea for developing Hi-Me! came from discussions and brainstorming sessions with the supervising lecturer. According to Davis, the conventional health screening process at health facilities generally requires many different tools and a considerable amount of time.
“We want to bring innovation that can integrate the entire initial health screening process into a single tool that can be used independently by users. The hope is that this can help ease the burden on healthcare workers in the initial stages of service,” he explained.
Technically, Hi-Me! works by integrating various biomedical sensors, signal processing, and artificial intelligence. This device is capable of capturing electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals, which are then processed using biomedical signal processing algorithms. This process yields various health parameters, such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation. In addition, the team also developed a CNN-BiLSTM-based deep learning model to estimate blood pressure and blood sugar levels non-invasively from PPG signals. Other parameters, such as weight, height, and body temperature, are obtained through related sensors attached to the device.
Image: Visualization of health data on the Hi-Me! screen during the screening process.
Hi-Me! is capable of monitoring eight health parameters, namely weight, height, body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. Davis said that these parameters were chosen because they can describe a person’s overall health condition and are commonly used in initial health screening in hospitals. “We also included blood sugar levels due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes and the potential complications it causes,” he added.
To ensure that the measurement results remain medically relevant, the team has conducted a series of laboratory-scale tests. Measurements from Hi-Me! were compared with commercial standard devices such as oximeters, Holter monitors, digital sphygmomanometers, and glucometers. “The testing was conducted on subjects with ethical clearance that we had obtained. In the future, further development is still needed, including clinical trials, so that this device can operate accurately, reliably, and consistently in a clinical environment,” explained Davis.
Image: The process of testing the Hi-Me! prototype in detecting vital signs.
During the development process, the biggest technical challenge was integrating various sensors into a single device. Wean revealed that each sensor has different positioning and measurement requirements. “The placement of sensors must be truly optimal so that the data produced remains accurate. In addition, improving the accuracy of each parameter also requires a process of calibration and signal processing that is repeated,” he said. From a non-technical perspective, the main challenge arises in the process of testing and validating the device, which requires many subjects and comparison with commercial devices as the gold standard, thus demanding considerable time and resources.
Hi-Me! is intended for the general public as an initial health screening tool, especially in health care facilities such as community health centers, clinics, and hospitals. According to Wean, this device is best placed in waiting rooms and integrated with patient registration systems. Thus, vital sign measurements can be taken simultaneously with the registration process, and the results can be immediately used by health workers for further decision making. The main advantage of Hi-Me! lies in its ability to measure eight health parameters using a single device in a short time. Additionally, blood sugar level measurements are performed non-invasively, making it more comfortable for users. “From registration to vital sign checks, everything can be done on the same device,” explained Wean.
The team plans to further develop the mechanical, ergonomic, and feature aspects of the device. Andi explained that the design will be improved with sensors and adjustable handles to accommodate variations in user posture, stronger frame materials, and an ergonomic design for use in a sitting position. “We also plan to develop an ECG sensor feature to detect the risk of heart disorders such as Premature Ventricular Contraction (PVC), which patients are often unaware of,” he said.
Regarding collaboration, Davis mentioned that the development of Hi-Me! to the next stage requires synergy with various parties. “Of course, collaboration with health institutions and industry is very necessary and can be discussed further,” he said.
More than just an early detection tool, the team hopes that Hi-Me! can make a real contribution to improving the efficiency of healthcare services.
“With the integration of patient registration and vital sign checks in one device, Hi-Me! is expected to speed up the service flow and ease the burden on healthcare workers so that they can focus more on further clinical treatment,” concluded Andi.
Surabaya, F-ELECTICS ITS – Innovation in health technology has once again emerged from the ITS. A team of students
Surabaya, F-ELECTICS ITS – While financial auditing is often associated with numbers, regulations, and accounting backgrounds, a group of
Surabaya, F-ELECTICS ITS – Another proud achievement has been made by students of the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS)