Electronic Bracelet Alerts of Epileptic Seizures

A novel electronic bracelet detects when the wearer begins to suffer a dangerous epileptic seizure by identifying associated characteristic limb movements.

The EpiLert bracelet is designed to respond to the needs of epilepsy patients, their caregivers, and their families, by improving the quality of patient care and reducing the anxiety of all involved by assuring a prompt alert as soon as an attack begins. The EpiLert bracelet is based on a sensor that uses a proprietary algorithm to detect limb movements. The small sensor, which can be worn on the wrist or ankle, detects and processes movements and vibrations specific to epileptic seizures, and transmits the signals to the remote alert unit.


Using existing communication infrastructures--such as cellular phones, a landline telephone, internet, etc.--the alert unit will also deliver an alarm to destinations beyond the boundaries of the house, alerting the parent, caregiver, or medical assistance service within 20 to 30 seconds of the onset of a seizure. The reasoning behind the device is that prolonged seizures must be terminated as soon as possible to prevent the possibility of brain damage or even death. An added benefit is that the device also aids in the monitoring and treatment of patients by providing recordings of epileptic events and seizures data. The Epilert bracelet is under development by Biolert (Even Yehuda, Israel).

"Although there have been many attempts in the past to develop an alert of this kind, the biggest challenge has always been to find a system that could distinguish between ordinary daily movements and those movements unique to an epileptic seizure,” said Amos Shaham, MSEE, CEO and cofounder of BioLert, the company developing EpiLert. "Our breakthrough was in devising a technology that produces virtually no false alarms.”

The company also stated that follow up models will enable outdoor mobility, utilizing cell phone and global positioning system (GPS) infrastructure networks that will enable the sending of an alert together with location data to caregivers or medical emergency services (EMS) in the vicinity. In the future, it is also foreseen that the EpiLert will control the application of drugs to stop the seizure.

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Biolert