H.15A Improving hospitalization quality by managing patients’ circadian rhythm at the hospital.  

Studies have shown that patients’ circadian rhythm is significantly affected when they are admitted to the hospital, especially in the intensive care unit. When hospitals apply interventions to support patients circadian rhythm, they notice significant improvement in hospitalization quality and patients mental health. The goal of this project is to develop a tool (hospital pillow/a device that can be inserted into patients’ bed) than can monitor patient sleeping patterns and apply interventions to sustain a normal circadian rhythm, especially in patients in the intensive care unit. Interventions can include projecting light at the moment when patient should wake up (typically REM sleep and avoid waking up during deep sleep), vibrations to slowly wake up the patient, white noise to help them sleep, all guided by sleep cycle monitoring with a device/tool imbedded in their bed/pillow. Just like any other vital sign, sleep cycle should also be monitored to prevent awakenings during patients deep sleep stages. Many patients in the hospital would benefit from this intervention, which would significantly increase the quality of their hospitalization and sometimes improve their health outcomes.