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Boy invents device to send an alert when a patient get out of bed, inspired by his grandfather

Shared by Patricia Pereira on 2015-02-15 12:40

About the solution

When Kenneth Shinozuka was six years old, a family friend fell down in the bathroom. The friend was ok - but the incident inspired him to design a motion detection system that could be embedded in bathroom tiles. He never actually made one in real life, but he was hooked on both the promise of invention and the potential of technology.

Since then, Shinozuka has designed smart devices for his grandfather, who has Alzheimer's disease and a dangerous habit of wandering off at night. Kenneth was 15 years old when he came up with a way to keep him safe - and help his aunt who looks after him: SafeWander, a wearable sensor designed to send an alert to a caregiver if a patient gets out of bed. A flexible film that contains a wireless circuit about the size of a quarter is attached to any piece of clothing and via Bluetooth, it connects with a smartphone app (which Shinozuka also designed), setting off a sound, alerting his aunt when his grandfather gets out of bed.

Kenneth is one of the 2nd Patient Innovation Awards winners.

More info: http://www.safewander.com/

https://youtu.be/yBolcUx2KwU

This solution shall not include mention to the use of drugs, chemicals or biologicals (including food); invasive devices; offensive, commercial or inherently dangerous content. This solution was not medically validated. Proceed with caution! If you have any doubts, please consult with a health professional.

DISCLAIMER: This story was written by someone who is not the author of the solution, therefore please be advised that, although it was written with the utmost respect for the innovation and the innovator, there can be some incorrect statements. If you find any errors please contact the patient Innovation team via info@patient-innovation.com

About the author

Kenneth Shinozuka, from USA, created SafeWander, a device to alert a caregiver when a patient is out of bed. Kenneth was inspired by his grandfather, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

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