The Sens4Care project aims to design a ground-breaking system for surveillance and infection control targeting Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDROs) in hospitals.

Sens4Care will be able to:

• detect most common MDROs in critical hospital settings;
• support health care professionals and managers to improve hygiene and better control environment;
• train staff, patients and visitors on behaviour.

The ultimate goals of Sens4Care are to

• improve the quality of care processes in hospitals,
• reduce costs and operational impact of infections caused by MDROs,
• improve appropriateness of antimicrobial medicine usage, and reduce community and social care impact of MDROs acquired in hospitals.

S4C will be an active medical device, designed as a modular solution including:

• 1.A novel sensors network able to detect Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) of the target microorganisms without the use of any intrusive or invasive sampling.
• 2.A modular ICT (client and server) platform for managing the related alerts system (allowing the geo-localization, the time-stamping, and the characterisation of each alert) and supporting the health practitioners in the management of the sensors-enhanced screening protocols.
• 3.A (local) server-based interoperability module allowing S4C to store data in an easy-to-use format and integrate with the patient Electronic Health Record including the patient history (previous infections, hospitalizations, etc.); the Laboratory Information System; existing electronic hygiene control systems and other indication-relation control systems sending the screening outcomes and alerts on detections.

A novel sensors network able to detect Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) of the target microorganisms without the use of any intrusive or invasive sampling. Our VOC detector is composed by two parts, connected by an optic and electric link. A transducer with a little electronic components and a micro-controller and microcomputer. The dimensions of the VOC sensor are: 15x15x15 cm approx for the Transducer and 20x13x6 cm for the Electronic and micro-controller.

The VOC sensors screening devices will be based on Raman technology and a detailed study of the particle matter (PM) in the air sample via machine learning algorithms which will be able to detect both Clostridium difficile spores and/or microorganism; Klebsiella pneumoniae and MRSA.

The VOC sensors have also the potential to detect antibiotic resistances in Clostridium difficile (Toxins A and B, and Binary toxin (transferase)), Klebsiella pneumoniae (carbapenem & ESBL production), and additional Gram-negative pathogens and resistances (even if in an initial stage we might require to combine our VOC sensor with a Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) system, to increase the performance of our test against these specific targets.