Students Design New Neonatal Monitoring Patch

The prototype aims to help NICU infants by automating vital sign checks to minimize sleep interruptions.

Updated on Oct. 25, 2026 in Children’s Health

Students Design New Neonatal Monitoring Patch

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Four Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students designed a wearable sensor patch to automate vital sign monitoring for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This student project, developed for the Indiana-based firm ResperCare LLC, seeks to improve monitoring continuity without disturbing newborns.

Why it matters

Continuous monitoring is essential for NICU patients, but manual checks can interrupt rest and cause discomfort. By automating routine measurements, this technology aims to reduce nursing workloads while potentially improving patient comfort.

The student team developed this device as a senior capstone project, which was one of 130 projects presented at the Rose Show. While the team successfully demonstrated the prototype, clinical efficacy data and performance in a real NICU environment have not been established.

The players

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

A private college in Terre Haute focused on science, engineering, and mathematics education.

ResperCare LLC

An Indiana-based company focused on medical technology development for respiratory and neonatal care.

The details

The PneumaNode device consists of a stick-on patch housing a printed circuit board, a MEMS microphone, and a PPG sensor to track heart rate, blood oxygen, temperature, and breathing. An ESP32-S3 microcontroller processes these signals, which are transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth Low Energy to a monitoring system. This setup is intended to replace or supplement manual vitals checks by providing constant, non-invasive data collection.

May 6, 2026: The student team presented their sensor patch at the Rose Show.

Health Landscape

This project follows a pattern set by the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology senior design capstone program, where students collaborate with industry partners to prototype medical devices. It highlights a broader industry trend toward continuous, automated physiological monitoring to minimize human interaction in delicate pediatric care settings.

This development represents a preliminary engineering stage and is not currently available for clinical use. Parents concerned about NICU monitoring procedures should consult their neonatologist or bedside nurse regarding the current standard of care and available monitoring technologies.

The takeaway

While this sensor patch remains a prototype, the development signals a growing focus on automating routine monitoring to preserve rest for fragile patients. Families interested in infant care technology can track advancements in pediatric monitoring through reputable organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics.