Ugandan innovator constructs 'Smart Jacket' to detect pneumonia

Reports according to UNICEF show that, pneumonia kills half a million children under five in sub-Saharan Africa every year, with the region accounting for half of all global deaths from pneumonia of children under five.

After Brian watched his grandmother suffer with pneumonia, he began researching methodologies for diagnosing the disease [pneumonia] and its treatments. During his research, he discovered that the illness affects far more children than it does in adults.

The Ugandan graduate then designed a biomedical “smart Jacket” to quickly and accurately diagnose pneumonia.

he “Mamaope’’ or “mother’s hope” jacket distinguishes pneumonia’s symptoms- temperature, breathing rate and sound of the lungs and is three to four times faster than a doctor, eliminating most human error.

“Mamaope” was named so in reference to the 27,000 children who die of pneumonia in Uganda every year.

How it works
A modified stethoscope is put in a vest. It is linked to a mobile phone app which records the audio of the patient’s chest. Analysis of that audio can detect lung crackles, and can lead to preliminary diagnoses, BBC reports

Turyabagye said that most of the deaths are due to misdiagnosis, stating that in villages and remote areas children fall sick and are treated for malaria instead of pneumonia since the signs are similar.

Turyabagye began designing a biomedical smart jacket that would distinguish pneumonia’s symptoms and eliminate most human error.

Currently a prototype, the Mamaope jacket will undergo an official national medical examination in January.
Certification for use in health centres and hospitals is expected by spring.

Source: BBC / CGTN Africa