Australian smart bedding tech earns US patent for healthcare monitoring
Scalable and accessible technology
Unlike camera-based surveillance or wearable devices, FlexiSense is integrated directly into mattress protectors. This allows non-invasive monitoring without altering residents' daily routines. Sensors are manufactured using silver and carbon ink applied to flexible polyurethane sheets. They detect changes in applied force through the piezoresistive properties of the material. The design was developed by Distinguished Professor Madhu Bhaskaran's team at RMIT. Their intelligent integration into bed systems was detailed in a joint study.
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Blood Clots and Brain Tumors Linked by Overactive PlateletsBhaskaran, who also directs RMIT's MedTech Discovery to Device prototyping facility, explained that the focus on accessibility was evident in both product compatibility and manufacturing process. „The sensors can be used on a wide range of mattress types, making the technology easier to adopt and more accessible,”she stated. „Through rigorous testing under a rolling machine, our production-ready sensors demonstrated durability, sensitivity, and robustness, accurately detecting body movement with minimal energy consumption.”Bhaskaran added that integration into a wireless electronic module enables continuous data monitoring and digital cloud logging. „It is extremely exciting to see the sensor we developed leave our lab and enter the world, to improve care for extremely vulnerable people,”she said.
Van den Dungen emphasized that the patent covers how the sensors are
Van den Dungen emphasized that the patent covers how the sensors are manufactured, not just their function. „This means we can build our first production line here in Melbourne, then replicate manufacturing in small batches near customers in markets like the US, with intellectual property and technical knowledge anchored in Australia.” A long-standing partnership The collaboration began eight years ago through an Australian Government-supported Cooperative Research Centre project. It brought together experts in sensor technology, data analysis, healthcare, and bed manufacturing. Progress moved quickly beyond the lab to a field trial in a senior care home. Six residents were monitored over more than 250 nights, generating over 6,100 hours of bed monitoring data.
The partnership has expanded into other joint projects, with Sleeptite and RMIT co-developing new applications using the Discovery to Device facility. Calum Drummond AO, RMIT's Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, stated that this collaboration exemplifies the university's commitment to working with industry.