https://goo.gl/grSxG9
Ostomy is a procedures that is implemented to treat several conditions, including cancer, trauma and inflammatory bowel disease. The therapeutic approach can be either temporary or permanent, and as normal bowel function is interrupted, it creates many challenges. While the purpose is to treat and reduce patients’ pain and discomfort, it often leads to suffering, including pouch leakage, offensive odor, reduction in pleasurable activities and depression/anxiety. As a result, there is a huge unmet need for solutions that help control complications and improve quality of life.
The London-based startup 11 Health is determined to help ostomy patients, and is developing a device called Ostom-i that alert patients when their ostomy pouch is at a point where it should be emptied. The device clips to the outside of the ostomy pouch and uses Bluetooth technology to send a signal to a complementary app on a smartphone that alerts the patients that the pouch is filling up. The app can also create reports on the timings and volume of output, which can help clinicians predict dehydration or blockage potentially leading to readmissions. In addition, the startup has developed an app specifically for healthcare providers that automatically alert nurses when the bag is filling up, to help with care and management of patients. The software provide doctors with quantitative data that can assist in the treatment of patients and could potentially lead to earlier hospital discharge.