Biovitals Analytics Engine - Altitude Study

Overview

Unexpected adverse health events resulting in a hospital admission can be potentially avoided by leveraging novel physiological sensors combined with advanced computational techniques to predict changes in physiology prior to the onset of symptoms. In other words, significant improvement in the prevention of avoidable hospitalization can be achieved via early detection and actionable insights of clinical deterioration at the individual patient level as they go about their normal day to day activities. Physiological changes can be a warning sign that a person's health is deteriorating and as such is an important component of an early detection tool. The Biovitals Analytics Engine (BA Engine) is intended to be used with data from already validated sensors measuring physiological parameters, including heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and activity in ambulatory patients being monitored in a healthcare facility or at home. The device provides a continuous output- Biovitals™ Index (BI) which indicates whether the relationships among the patients monitored vital signs change from those measured at baseline (derived from measurements previously obtained during daily routine activities). The BI is based on an integrated computation evaluating changes in the parameters and their relationship to each other. As part of the clinical validation of the BA Engine, it is important to first undertake an analytical validation to demonstrate that the BA correctly processes the physiological data for which it is designed, and generates an accurate detection of physiological change. In order to generate a measurable physiological change, subjects will move from sea level to an altitude environment which is known to cause increases in HR and RR.

Subjects will wear one armband linked biosensor: the Everion® CD, to capture their HR, RR and activity levels, continuously for 4 days. Measurements will be taken at sea level (baseline), during controlled rest and normal day-to-day activities without exercise for the first 3 days to establish an individual's physiological baseline. On Day 4 subjects will be monitored for another period of controlled rest followed by 2 hours in a simulated altitude (intervention) chamber with an altitude change of 3000 meters. At the chamber site, the subject will rest quietly for 1 hour outside the chamber prior to entering the chamber for 2 hours. In the chamber, subjects will be asked to remain seated. At the completion of the chamber run, subjects will hand back the device and smartphone and complete a user experience survey. A follow-up phone call to check on subjects will then be done on day 5 before closing the study.