Biomedical smart jacket that diagnoses pneumonia using Bluetooth

Mwikirize Cosmas at the University of Makerere in Uganda, Turyabagye and his team created Mama-Ope, a biomedical smart jacket that rapidly increases the accuracy and speed of diagnosing pneumonia.

The technology is similar to a stethoscope. It stretches across the whole chest and the side of a patient's body. It surveys specific points on the lungs for symptoms of pneumonia, characterised by a swelling of the lungs caused by infection.

The jacket is connected to a mobile phone app via Bluetooth which sends, records and analyses the medical data, ready for a healthcare professional to make an informed diagnosis.

According to UNICEF, pneumonia kills half a million children under five each year in sub-Saharan Africa. In response, Turyabagye and Koburongo began formulating ideas about how to tackle the ongoing problem. They consulted medical experts to understand the specific symptoms of the disease.

UCJ, UNILORIN.