Analytical techniques used to spot missiles traveling at the speed of sound may be able to help clinicians identify cases of sepsis in hospitals.
Security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) worked with experts in the medical field to apply its signal processing and data analytics technology to diagnostic tools. The company has developed a predictive formula that it says can detect sepsis based on patients’ vitals and lab data as many as 16 hours earlier than current technologies.
“Vitals and lab data are, essentially, continuously updated streams of information – just like missile signals detected by our defense systems,” said Melanie Lang, a business development lead at Lockheed Martin, in a statement.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Sepsis is a bloodstream infection that’s one of the top causes of death in U.S. hospitals. If not detected and addressed early enough, it can lead to shock, organ failure or death. The recognition of sepsis as a driver of preventable deaths and costs has driven a number of commercial efforts to develop better diagnostics and treatments.
Lockheed Martin says the advantage of its Sia technology, which is commercially available now, is a reduced rate of false alarms and high rate of detection. In a pilot study at the University of Pennsylvania last year, it detected 90 percent of sepsis cases in 4,500 patients and incorrectly identified less than one percent of the patients as potentially septic, the company said.
In the future, the company thinks the same technology could have applications in predicting heart attacks, blood clots or the onset of diabetes.
[Image credit: U.S. Navy]
