Periwinkle Team 2017

Tyler Coleman, Uyen Sally Diep

Automated Cough Counting System

Despite being treatable and curable, tuberculosis remains one of the top 10 death causes worldwide with millions of new cases every year. Further, the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains has increased the difficulty of treating tuberculosis. In developing countries lacking in access to skilled laboratories, a lab-free tool to monitor patients for early detection of treatment success or failure will be of great benefit.

Preliminary research suggests a link between a positive response to treatment and a drop in patients’ cough rates within the first two weeks of treatment. Team Periwinkle’s mission is to develop a reliable, hands-free device that effectively monitors a patient over a 24-hour period, with the sole purpose of identifying coughs and logging the times at which they occur. It is our hope that our device will present a low-cost, reliable solution to aid these communities.

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Periwinkle Team Project Poster