Available Technologies

Technology

Precise assessment of hydration with a single measurement is hard, even for laboratory settings. Very few assessment methods have been validated to accurately measure fluid compartments in the body. Methods measuring bioimpedance (the measure of how well the body impedes electric current flow) have been used to assess Total Body Water (TBW) and Extra Cellular Water (ECW) for over 30 years. These methods typically require special setups or equipment, however new technology poses exciting opportunities for more natural, day-to-day analysis of hydration.

Researchers at UAH have developed several methods to detect hydration by applying sensors into objects of everyday use. One method uses a photoplethysmorgraphic sensor (PPG) into a smart water bottle to measure bioimpedance. An alternative method uses an osmotic sensor on the spout of the smart water bottle. The next method proposes an automatic analysis of urine color using a wireless device attached camera embedded into the user’s toilet seat. Further methods propose integration of a smart weight-scale that provide bioimpedance measurements through the user’s bare feet. The last method combines the smart water bottle with an integrated optical heart rate sensor to detect Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) that can be used to assess blood pressure in relation to dehydration.

Dehydration is under-recognized and poorly managed in community-based and hospital care. It is estimated that dehydration is the trigger for half of all hospital admissions for the elderly. Preventable hospitalizations are estimated to be 1,395 hospitalizations per 100,000 adults, and avoiding these hospitalizations through early detection could have saved as much as $1.14 billion. This sort of seamless monitoring of hydration status can be implemented across hospitals and specialty-care facilities, and it can even be applied to kidney patients and heart patients.