A wearable microwave instrument can detect and monitor traumatic abdominal injuries in a porcine model

Abstract

Abdominal injury is a frequent cause of death for trauma patients, and early recognition is essential to limit fatalities. There is a need for a wearable sensor system for prehospital settings that can detect and monitor bleeding in the abdomen (hemoperitoneum). This study evaluates the potential for microwave technology to fill that gap. A simple prototype of a wearable microwave sensor was constructed using eight antennas. A realistic porcine model of hemoperitoneum was developed using anesthetized pigs. Ten animals were measured at healthy state and at two sizes of bleeding. Statistical tests and a machine learning method were used to evaluate blood detection sensitivity. All subjects presented similar changes due to accumulation of blood, which dampened the microwave signal (p<0.05). The machine learning analysis yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.93, showing 100% sensitivity at 90% specificity. Large inter-individual variability of the healthy state signal complicated differentiation of bleedings from healthy state. A wearable microwave instrument has potential for accurate detection and monitoring of hemoperitoneum, with automated analysis making the instrument easy-to-use. Future hardware development is necessary to suppress measurement system variability and enable detection of smaller bleedings.