East Midlands designed health sensor could be a lifesaver for miners

A chance discussion between a Professor at The University of Nottingham and the managing director of a Derby company has resulted in the development of a revolutionary new technology which could help save lives in the mining industry.

Tioga, which employs 90 people at its headquarters in Derby, is a contract electronics manufacturer producing products in sectors as diverse as telecommunications, medical devices, security, mining, gaming and transport.

The University of Nottingham has, since 2008, been researching into a technology called 'Heart Light' which provides a way of continuously monitoring the heartbeat of new-born babies by attaching a small sensor to their head. This also means that doctors and midwives can perform resuscitation if needed, without having to stop to check the heartbeat with a stethoscope.

During a chance conversation between Professor Barrie Hayes-Gill of the University and Warwick Adams, the Managing Director of Tioga, the Professor mentioned the patented Heart Light work that he and his team had been involved in. As Tioga undertakes work in the mining industry, Mr Adams was curious as to whether the technology could potentially be developed to monitor the wellbeing of miners while working underground. Interestingly, the predecessor to the Heart Light was initially designed for the monitoring of workers in Rio Tinto aluminium smelting plants in 2004, so its migration to mining was a natural progression of the original purpose of the technology.

Recent mining accidents have all too clearly demonstrated the need to be able to assess the health and location of miners trapped underground. Although some mines now use RFID systems (Radio Frequency Identification Systems), many still employ the tally system, using tokens to check whether miners have returned from their shift. In addition, there are no reliable monitoring systems in place to indicate whether or not the miner is suffering from any health problems while working underground.

As Tioga were keen to explore the idea further, they signed a licence agreement with the University for the development of an optical head mounted heart rate sensor to monitor workers in high risk industrial environments, which was designed and patented by the Applied Optics Research Group at The University of Nottingham.

To undertake the research work required to design a product suitable for the mining industry, the University set up a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Tioga. A Knowledge Transfer Partnership is a relationship between a company and an academic institution which enables the transfer of knowledge, technology and skills.

The University obtained funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), to appoint a dedicated researcher, Steve Jackson, to work with Tioga to develop the technology. Steve's work with Tioga is being managed by Professor Barrie Hayes-Gill and supported by other specialists at the University.

Steve's work will involve the evolution of the initial 'Heart Light' concept into a penny-sized sensor which can reside within a miner's helmet. The solution, which is known as the Mining Industry Mobile Sensor (MiMoS), is able to detect a range of essential features for miners, including details about their heart rate, temperature, activity and respiration. The system will also reduce the risk of injury to individual miners by checking for dangerous gases, which are currently monitored on an ad hoc basis.

Speaking about the new MiMoS system, Professor Barrie Hayes-Gill said: From the work that we have done, with Tioga, it is clear that there is tremendous potential for this Mining Industry Mobile Sensor (MiMoS), in the mining industry. Not only will it be able to instantly detect serious issues with the wellbeing of miners, but it will also enable long term and detailed occupational health monitoring of each miner to take place.

In addition, it will also offer continuous gas detection technology, which will enable managers to quickly recognise potentially dangerous changes in gas levels, so that the necessary action can be taken as required.