Short Description: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-saving therapy for cardiac failure but can lead to limb ischemia and amputations, especially in pediatric settings. LIMB is a real-time optical device that detects limb ischemia in ECMO patients by measuring oxygenation and blood flow. It enables early intervention, reducing amputations and complications. Designed for ECMO teams at CHOP and Penn, the Neurometabolic Optics Monitor (NOM) combines accuracy and practicality to improve outcomes and lower healthcare costs.
Lessons Learned: We initially believed limb ischemia outcomes were driven by unclear detection protocols and clinician awareness. Through stakeholder discovery, we learned the critical unmet need is reliable, real-time monitoring, with adoption driven by hospital leadership prioritizing workflow efficiency, reduced staff burden, cost savings, and improved patient mortality rates.
Names and Affiliation of Team members:
Elizabeth Malick, PhD Student, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Biomedical Sciences
Jennifer Lynch, Faculty, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Anesthesiology
Tiffany Ko, Faculty, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Anesthesiology
Dheepak Gobinath, Master’s Student, University of Pennsylvania, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Electrical and Systems Engineering