01/07/2013

Fujitsu Collaborate With Three Irish Research Groups

Fujitsu, the global ICT giant, has announced a collaboration with three Irish research groups to work on KIDUKU, a sensor based healthcare project to help prevent falls in the elderly and gain a better understanding of chronic lung disease.

The new wearable healthcare sensors will monitor biological, physical and social aspects of a patient's environment, in a home or community setting, enabling health care professionals to detect the early onset of disease, prescribe appropriate treatment regimes and drive down costs.

The project will also seek to maximise the benefits of remote healthcare technology by improving communication among all parties involved in eldercare, including elderly patients, family members, primary care providers, and health care professionals.

"The overall aim of this research is to enhance the care and empowerment of those living with a range of health conditions through the effective use of technology," said Regina Moran, CEO of Fujitsu Ireland at the launch of the research initiative. "Fujitsu Laboratories is very experienced in harnessing technology to deliver solutions to address human challenges and by working with medical experts and the three research organisations we will be creating a unique business opportunity in a market area that is estimated to have a world-wide value of $17bn by 2017."

The Fujitsu KIDUKU project brings together three Irish based groups - CASALA based at DKIT which provides a unique highly sensed Great Northern Haven living laboratory in Dundalk; CLARITY, a DCU group which leads the field in the analysis of contextual audio and visual data; and TRIL (UCD) which researches the application of sensory technology within medical environments.

The multidisciplinary team will be complemented by leading Irish medical consultants including Dr Dermot Power, Gerontologist at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital who said: "With an aging population right across the world, there is a significant requirement to utilize ICT to enable patients to be cared for remotely. This research will assist clinicians in delivering effective medical care while maintaining patient independence. KIDUKU will provide the basis for a real world solution where technical and medical know-how meet to deliver better quality of life and empower patients to manage their healthcare needs."

The project, which commences in June 2013, will last for three years.

(CD/JP)

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