Rose-Hulman Students Develop Neonatal Sensor Patch
A senior design team created a wearable monitor to automate vital sign collection for infants in intensive care.
Updated on Oct. 25, 2026 in Children’s Health
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On May 6, 2026, four Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students presented the PneumaNode, a sensor patch designed for neonatal intensive care unit patient monitoring. The device was developed as a senior design capstone project at the request of Indiana-based ResperCare LLC.
Why it matters
The PneumaNode aims to reduce nursing workloads by automating routine vital sign checks while ensuring continuous monitoring. By eliminating the need for frequent manual intervention, the device also minimizes disruption to infant sleep and improves patient comfort.
The PneumaNode integrates a MEMS microphone and a PPG sensor to track heart rate, blood oxygen levels, temperature, and respiratory sounds. The system processes this data through an ESP32-S3 microcontroller before transmitting information via Bluetooth Low Energy.
The players
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
A private college in Terre Haute, Indiana, that specializes in undergraduate engineering, mathematics, and science.
ResperCare LLC
An Indiana-based company that collaborates on medical device development.
The details
The device utilizes a stick-on sensor patch connected to a printed circuit board that integrates sensors, a battery, and a microcontroller. The project team has already filed a provisional patent application for the technology.
Timeline
May 6, 2026: The student team presented the project at the Rose Show.
The Big Picture
The project aligns with the FDA's Class II medical device classification protocols for neonatal monitoring hardware. It follows a pattern set by emerging wearable technologies aimed at meeting these rigorous regulatory safety benchmarks.
This technology could eventually lead to less invasive monitoring options for infants in local neonatal units. Parents may see a shift toward continuous, automated tracking that reduces the frequency of physical check-ins during rest periods.
The takeaway
Innovation in neonatal care continues to focus on balancing clinical accuracy with the comfort of fragile patients. Developers looking to implement similar solutions should prioritize low-power connectivity and compact, non-irritating materials.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Children’s Health.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Times of India.
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