Ambulatory Temperature Tracking Device
NCIIA Grant Proposal
Nashville Health
Vanderbilt University
Caitlyn Ambrose - Biomedical Engineer
Dale Deas – Biomedical Engineer
Salman Mukhi – Biomedical Engineer
Fang-Wen Shen – Biomedical Engineer
Abstract
Nashville Health aims to build a device to remedy a problem that plagues pediatric
infectious disease physicians: the inability to properly record with accuracy and consistency a
child’s temperature over time while away from the hospital. These physicians need to know the
pattern and cadence of fever over time in order to properly diagnose the child. Patterns in fever
are often indicative of certain diseases, thus this information is crucial to diagnosis and
treatment. In order to determine this pattern, a consistent and persistent temperature reading is
needed over a period of days and potentially weeks. This is impossible for parents to do on their
own for multiple reasons: it is unreasonable for a parent to wake their child up multiple times
during the night to determine temperature, parents are often unreliable in taking temperatures
regularly, and parents often are not consistent in the method of taking a child’s temperature.
Thus, a bracelet that tracks temperature and wirelessly transmits this data for the physician to
utilize will help in a quicker and more accurate diagnosis of the patient.
Given the problem above, we plan to design, manufacture and market an ambulatory
temperature tracking device called AccuTemp to be utilized by physicians and primary
caregivers of children with infectious diseases. The device takes the form of a bracelet, which
will be worn by the child at all times. The bracelet will record the patient’s temperature at
defined intervals and wirelessly transmit this information to an Android app for analysis. Our
main objective in the design and manufacture of this product has three components:

Bracelet’s Hardware: Must record and wirelessly transmit the patient’s temperature every
15 minutes to an Android app

Android App: Must store all of the transmitted data and visually represent this data in
both list and graphical format

Physical Design of the Bracelet: Must be ergonomic, fashionable, water-proof and
tamper-proof
The bracelet will be marketed and sold to hospitals, private practices and families with sick
children. This device will allow physicians to learn about the cadence and patterns of fevers in
infectious diseases. This knowledge will aid the physicians in the diagnosis of disease and in the
formulation of a treatment plan for their patients.
Proposal
The Ambulatory Temperature Tracking Device needs to monitor and record the body
temperature of a child at defined intervals. A 15-minute sampling frequency of the device is
crucial, as this information will provide physicians with ample data to categorize or recognize
the traits of a particular disease or health abnormality. This information then needs to be
wirelessly transmitted to an Android phone or other data storage device. This device needs to be
child-proof, fashionable, ergonomic and water-proof. The thermometer also needs to be accurate
enough so that the physician may track the pattern of the patient’s temperature over time. We
have determined two possible thermometer types that can be integrated into our device. These
thermometers are an infrared sensor and a digital thermometer. An infrared sensor measures
infrared radiation that is given off from a patient’s body. This type of sensor does not need
direct contact with the skin to take measurements, however it is not as accurate as the digital
thermometer. The digital temperature sensing device utilizes a thermistor and is more accurate
than the infrared sensor. However, this device must be touching the patient’s body to take an
accurate temperature measurement. With both of these temperature sensors, a core body
temperature is needed to increase temperature accuracy. In order to do this, the bracelet must
either be worn on the upper arm, or an algorithm is needed to associate the temperature at the
wrist and ambient temperature to the temperature at the core. Further investigation is needed to
determine which temperature sensor is best suited for our project to optimize temperature
sensitivity and patient preferences. Lastly, in order to wirelessly transmit the data to the Android
app or other storage device, we have chosen RF over Bluetooth. RF utilizes radio waves to
transmit data over large distances. This is inherently better than Bluetooth for our project given
that a pediatric patient is unlikely to carry an Android device. Thus, the short range limitations
of Bluetooth make it unsuitable for this device. RF will be able to carry the data from the
bracelet, worn by the child, to the parent and/or physician who may be miles away.
Thus far, we have identified the needs of our client and the patients who will be the
recipients of this device. We have also begun to learn how to write code to produce an Android
app that will store and visually present the data to both the parents of the patient and his or her
doctor. We have also developed a schematic (see appendix) that illustrates our plans to construct
a physical prototype.
Our primary market will be children in clinical care units. We will begin our outreach by
contacting local hospitals and initial investors through education about the purpose of our
product. Our target customers will be insurance companies, as well as clinics and hospitals. Our
secondary target will be to sell and market to patients.
The team members of Nashville Health include: Caitlyn Ambrose, Dale Deas, Salman
Mukhi and Fang-Wen Shen. Caitlyn Ambrose is a Biomedical Engineer with extensive research
experience and experience in dealing with clients and customers. She will be in charge of
quality assurance. Dale Deas is a Biomedical Engineer with experience in clinical research
involving vascular surgery. He will be in charge of instrumentation development. Salman
Mukhi is a Biomedical Engineer with experience in coding and has been acquainted with the
inner-workings of technical medical equipment. He will be in charge of information technology.
Fang-Wen Shen is a Biomedical Engineer with extensive research in cellular culture and industry
experience in coronary stent projects. He will be the market advisor of this team. Our outside
advisor is Doctor Kalpana Manthiram. She is a pediatric infectious disease fellow at Vanderbilt
University Medical Center.
Through the utilization of this device, we hope to learn more about the temperature
patterns in children with infectious diseases. We hope that these patterns will aid physicians in
diagnosing patients and formulating a treatment plan. This product will be attractive to hospitals,
private practices, insurance companies and families with sick children. Thus, we hope to design
and commercialize this product with these customers in mind. The insurance companies will
find the reduced cost and easy maintenance of the product attractive. The hospitals, private
practices and families will find the reliability and information obtained from the device
attractive. Therefore, the insurance companies are less likely to reject claims based on this
product, and the private practices, hospitals and families are more likely to recommend and/or
purchase this product.
The processes we have followed thus far have been based on the following design steps.
We defined the problem and made needs assessments. We brainstormed several solutions. We
evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of those solutions. Once a protocol is developed, we
can begin testing and modifying device components. Once we have a final product, we will
begin writing our technology strategy.
At the end of the grant period, if the project is successful, certain members of the group
will continue to innovate and market the device. They will also increase and diversify our client
base. This device will be successful after the grant period because it is useful to not only
children with infectious diseases, but also has the extensibility to offer help to other patients with
differing ailments. Thus, the device can be marketed and sold to a diverse clientele.
The work plan we will follow to design and manufacture our device is demonstrated in
the following Gantt Chart:
The exact dates that correspond to the above Gantt Chart are as follows:
Develop Initial Ideas and Brainstorm
10/27/13 – 12/31/13
Create Project Webpage
10/27/13 – 11/5/13
Create Sketches
10/27/13 – 12/31/13
Research on Existing Temperature Tracking Devices
10/27/13 – 12/31/13
Learn and Implement Coding
10/27/13 – 4/21/13
Begin Listing Device Components
12/15/13 – 1/15/14
Order Necessary Parts and Device Construction
1/15/14 – 4/21/14
The success of our device will be determined by how efficiently and accurately our
bracelet measures and transmits the temperature of our patient to an Android phone or other data
storage device. Success will also be determined by the Android app’s ability to store and
visually represent the data for analysis. At each interval of development, we will test each
component of our device to ensure its accuracy and compliance. These components include: app
coding, wireless transmission, hardware of the bracelet, reliance and durability.
Appendix
Budget Template and Justification
Electronic Transducers, Sensors, Circuit
Components Needed for Construction of
Hardware
Software Design Program Needed for Coding
of the App
Computer Aided Design Program Needed for
Design of Bracelet
App developer
$50-$200
$50-$200
$150-$1,500
$50-$100/hour
Products Already Available on the Market
1) http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Thermometer-Temperature-ContinuousPressure/dp/B00ASC7L48
2) http://www.bmedical.com.au/shop/activity-heat-research/equivital-system-ID85.htm
3) http://www.win-health.com/wireless-thermometer-wireless-body-temperaturemonitor.html
Fang-Wen Shen
Current Address:
fang-wen.shen@vanderbilt.edu
2301 Vanderbilt Place
(484) 636-7786
Nashville, TN 37235, PMB 356417
EDUCATION________________________________________________________________________________________
Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, Class of 2014, GPA 3.716
ACADEMIC & INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE______________________________________________________________
Summer Tenure Fellow, Vanderbilt University: School of Engineering
Ɔ Researched “Inflammatory Cell Response to Degradation Products of Polymeric Vascular Stent”.
Research Assistant, Vanderbilt University: Combinatorial Biomaterials & Biointerface Laboratory
Ɔ Prepared industry reports on in-vitro coronary stent experiments for REVA Medical.
Ɔ Established cellular tri-culture protocol.
Histology Assistant, Vanderbilt University Medical Center: Center for Bone Biology
Ɔ Wrote and performed micro–optical coherence tomography scan programs.
Ɔ Established reference point indentation (RPI) protocols for histology sections of diabetes patients.
Sales Associate, at American Eagle Outfitters
Ɔ Sales team made over 100 sales.
(2013)
(2011-Present)
(2011-2012)
(2011)
LEADERSHIP & SERVICE____________________________________________________________________________
Student Teacher, of Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science
(2011-2012)
Ɔ Taught science lessons and demonstrated laboratory experiments to middle school students.
Student Services Committee Representative, of the Vanderbilt University Student Government
(2010-2011)
Ɔ Organized and publicized undergraduate student services (Holiday shuttles and career development fairs)
Chapter Founder and Treasurer, of Vanderbilt University Young Americans for Liberty
(2010-2011)
Ɔ Drafted Constitution, organized meetings, and acquired funding for the organization.
Patient Escort, at Paoli Memorial Hospital
(2008-2011)
Ɔ Held the responsibility to discharge healthy patients safely and to transport sick patients to various testing centers.
AWARDS & HONORS________________________________________________________________________________
Research Fellowship Certificate of Achievement: Vanderbilt University: School of Engineering
Ɔ Project Title: “Inflammatory Cell Response to Degradation Products of Polymeric Vascular Stent”
Dean’s List
(2013)
(2010-2013)
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS_______________________________________________________________________
Zachman AL, Tucker-Schwartz J, Shen F-W, Guelcher SA, Skala M, and Sung HJ- “Peptide-Functionalized Scaffolds
Regulating Angiogenesis And Inflammation In Peripheral Artery Disease”- Annual Meeting of the Tissue Engineering
Society, Atlanta, GA.
(2013)
SPECIAL SKILLS____________________________________________________________________________________
Ɔ Skilled at:
§ Primary Human Cell Culture: (Endothelial, Smooth Muscle, Macrophage)
§ Microscopy: (Confocal, Fluorescence, and Scanning and Transmission Electron)
§ Non-Invasive Imaging: (Optical Coherence Tomography and Laser Doppler Perfusion Imaging)
§ Polymer Synthesis, Polymer Characterization, and Immunohistochemistry as well as Diamond Saw Cutting and
Three-Point Bending Techniques
Ɔ Experience in animal care, handling, and surgery: (Subcutaneous Scaffold Implantations as well as Subcutaneous and
Intramuscular Injections).
Ɔ Experience in MATLAB, JAVA, CAD, including statistical analysis (Excel, ImageJ, R)
MISCELLANEOUS___________________________________________________________________________________
Ɔ
Ɔ
Exceptional in Chinese and understands basic elements of French.
Plays violin and flag football and has 3 years of self-taught acoustic and electric guitar playing experience.
Caitlyn Ambrose
caitlyn.m.ambrose@vanderbilt.edu
(817) 909-9906
Current Address:
Vanderbilt University, PMB 350529
Nashville, TN 37235
Permanent Address:
106 Mill Wood Dr.
Colleyville, TX 76034
EDUCATION
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Bachelor of Engineering, Expected Graduation May 2014
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Cumulative GPA: 3.278/4.00; Major GPA: 3.34/4.00
Nolan Catholic High School, Fort Worth, TX
High School Diploma, Graduated May 2010
Honors: Graduated in top 10% of class – Summa Cum Laude
Amon G. Carter Scholar
Awards
Dean’s List Fall 2012
RELEVANT COURSEWORK
Applied Behavioral Science
Organizational Behavior Analysis of Biomedical Data
Introduction to Biomechanics
Biomedical Materials
Physiological Transport Phenomena
Biomedical Instrumentation
Systems Physiology
Nanobiotechnology
Introduction to Tissue Engineering
Therapeutic Bioengineering
WORK EXPERIENCE
Nordstrom, Nashville, TN
Sales Associate, August-October 2011
Babysitting, Southlake and Colleyville, TX
Nanny, August 2007-Present
Undergraduate Research, Nashville, TN
Research Assistant, December 2012-Present
SyBBURE, May 2013- Present
LEADERSHIP/ ACTIVITIES
Zeta Tau Alpha, Vanderbilt University
Director of Philanthropy, 2012-2013
Alumni Relations Chair, 2013
Fort Worth ISD Transition Center, LIFT Program
Teacher’s Assistant, January-May 2010
Habitat for Humanity Build Project
Carpenter, April 2011
Nashville Humane Society
Caregiver, November 2012-Present
SKILLS
Experience with Mathematica, MATLAB, R
Experience with Lab Work
Salman Mukhi
Salman.S.Mukhi@Vanderbilt.edu
(281) 935-5648
4639 Meadow Green Dr Sugar Land, TX 77479
(During School Year) PMB 355683 2301 Vanderbilt Place Nashville, TN 37235-1234
EDUCATION
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Bachelor of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering
Minor: Engineering Management
May 2014
Hightower Highschool, Missouri City, TX
High School Diploma
Honors: Graduated rank 9 of 616 students (Magna Cum Laude)
EXPERIENCE
Resident Adviser at Vanderbilt University
Aug. 2011-Present
 Provide relevant, student specific programming for first-year students
 Facilitate a collegiate atmosphere through community building
 Manage administrative duties and provide a safe environment for firstyear students
Intern for Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Program
 Facilitated scholarship selection process as lead scholarship officer’s assistant
 Created data-specific dossier that included applicant summaries for the final
selection panel
Intern at MD Anderson Cancer Care Center
Oct. 2009-Feb. 2010
 Assisted the MRI technician at the MRI Unit
CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT
Sigma Nu Fraternity Inc.
 Served on the New Member Education Committee which ensured that the
process for membership is successfully achieved in accordance with the
Fraternity’s by-laws
 Provide weekly programming dedicated to Leadership Ethics
Achievement Development
Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
ACHIEVEMENTS
Boy Scouts of America
 Achieved Eagle Scout
 Served as Junior Assistant Scoutmaster
May 2007
Aug. 2009-Jan. 2010
National AP Scholar
SKILLS


Experience with Microsoft Office, MATLAB and Java
Fluent in Urdu and some French
July 2009, 2010
Dale Shelton Deas
444 Elmington Avenue
Apartment 227
Nashville, TN 37205
251-635-2279 │ dale.s.deas@vanderbilt.edu
EDUCATION
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
B.E. in Biomedical Engineering
Expected May 2014
 Overall GPA: 3.40 / 4.00 BME Major GPA: 3.46/4.00
 Honors: Dean’s List Fall 2011, Dean’s List Spring 2012
 Relevant Coursework: Design of Biomedical Engineering Devices and Systems I,
Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, Physiological Transport Phenomena, Biomedical
Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Instrumentation with Lab, Biostatistics, Tissue
Engineering, Systems Physiology, Biomaterials, Biomechanics, Circuit Analysis with
Lab, Organic Chemistry with Labs, Physics with Labs, Chemistry with Labs, Computer
Programming, Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations with Linear Algebra,
English Literature and Poetry
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
General Biology Scholar
Summer 2012
 Overall GPA: 3.33 / 4.00
 Took a course in General Biology with Labs. This course fulfills the requirement of two
semesters of biology needed for admission to medical school.
WORK & LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, TN
Research Assistant, Division of Vascular Surgery (Dr. Raul Guzman) December 2011 – Current
 Publication In Progress: Effect of Tibial Artery Calcification in Restenosis After
Vascular Intervention
 Publication In Progress (First Author): Association between Serum Calcium and
Phosphate Levels and Tibial Artery Calcification
Vanderbilt University’s Undergraduate Honor Council
Nashville, TN
Vice President
November 2012 – Current
 Chairing panels, leading the Recruitment Committee and overseeing the internal election
process of Vanderbilt University's Undergraduate Honor Council.
 Helping to enforce and protect the Honor Code and to inform members of the Vanderbilt
community about the Honor System.
SKILLS, ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS
Technical Skills: proficient in MATLAB and Mathematica programming
Activities: student volunteer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Shade Tree Clinic (free
health care provided), Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Delta Medical
Society, Biomedical Engineering Society, V-Squared Engineering Mentor Program
Interests: running, sports clay shooting, golf
Additional Supporting Documents
Nike Fuel Model
Wristband Model
Watch Model
Android App Interface
Android Settings Interface