The development of St Petersburg University medical students to assist patients with Alzheimer’s disease in simplifying routine tasks such as taking medication, eating, and monitoring their condition
The project, created by the team, which comprised four students from St Petersburg University and a student from ITMO University, has been recognised as the best at the hackathon held during the St Petersburg International Health Forum.
The team included St Petersburg University students Daniil Sidorov, Alina Shegai, Alina Roi, Ekaterina Isaeva. Bekhit Mohammed Makhmoud, a student from ITMO University, was the fifth member of the team.
The Alzhelper gadget consists of a phone application, a smart bracelet, and a chest device. The device will remind users when it is time to take medication or have lunch. In addition, Alzhelper is equipped with a wide-angle smart camera that recognises typical human movements and body positions. In the event of danger, such as if the patient falls, the gadget will notify the patient’s relatives. It is important to note that the sensors monitor the main indicators of the patient’s health, including blood pressure, temperature, oxygen saturation, and heart rate. The gadget is also capable of calling an ambulance if necessary.
Alzhelper is designed to assist the relatives of Alzheimer’s patients in maintaining their own lives while remaining in contact with their loved ones via smartphone, without the fear of leaving them alone at home.
"The average care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease takes five hours a day. The primary aim of our team was to create a product that could assist patients with Alzheimer’s, enhancing their self-service skills and enabling them to live independently from their relatives," explained Ekaterina Isaeva, a student from St Petersburg University.
The team plans to introduce a sensor capable of detecting blood glucose levels through sweat, which is of utmost importance for patients with diabetes mellitus.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for approximately 60 to 70% of cases. Dementia is a syndrome that can be caused by a number of diseases that gradually destroy nerve cells and damage the brain, typically resulting in a decline in cognitive function. Dementia ranks seventh among the leading causes of death worldwide and is one of the primary causes of disability among older individuals, leading to their dependence on external assistance.