A Novel Device for Surveillance of Vascular Access Sites for Bleeding

A stand-alone disc-shaped device (approximately 5 cm in diameter and \<1 cm thick) which can be placed over dressings. Once switched on and put in place, continuous monitoring for bleeding takes place. Detection occurs in 2 phases. First, the system monitors for the appearance of fluid in the dressing by detecting a change in capacitance. Next, a light sensor differentiates blood from other fluids by detecting that a unique spectrum of light (525nm) is absorbed, a property unique for hemoglobin. The presence of fresh blood triggers a loud alarm, alerting medical staff to attend to the patient. The device can be used over transparent plastic dressings and does not require direct contact with blood.