SINGAPORE – A finger-sized device attached to adult patients’ diapers could help prevent skin conditions while freeing up nursing staff from checking on patients multiple times throughout the day.

The device, developed by South Korean health tech company Monit, is connected to a 20cm-long strip with sensors. It is currently being tested at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) in a two-month-long trial.

The device aims to reduce cases of incontinence-associated dermatitis, such as inflammation, rashes or more serious skin conditions, caused by patients lying in soiled diapers for prolonged periods.

It can also relieve nurses from having to check diapers six times or more a day, a practice that can feel intrusive, the hospital said in a statement.

Patients with difficulty communicating or mobility issues stand to benefit the most from this innovation.

Monit’s monitoring sensor is attached to the outside of the diaper using an adhesive. It detects the presence of urine or faeces in the diaper by monitoring factors such as temperature and humidity.

The sensor can be cleaned and reused when the diaper is changed.

Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), the sensor analyses data to determine how badly soiled the diaper is and conveys the information in real time, translated into a colour-coded system on tablets the nurses carry, said KTPH general surgery senior consultant Clement Chia.

Ms Cherie Koh, senior nurse manager at KPTH, said this allows nurses to prioritise which patient needs to be attended to first, if multiple patients have soiled diapers.

In 2024, KTPH saw 33 patients with incontinence-associated dermatitis, Dr Chia said, noting that less mobile patients are at greater risk of infection since they may not be able to move to ventilate the area.

While the dermatitis in most cases result in irritation for patients, which can be resolved with basic skin care, more serious cases can lead to infections, requiri...