A growing role for 'smart' sensors.

Dr. Ghasson Shabha, senior lecturer at the integrated Design and Construction Centre at the School of Engineering and the Built Environment at Birmingham City University (BCU), and associate professor, Chris Conway, associate professor and the Centre's acting head, explain their recent work to investigate 'the latest development' of incorporating smart sensor technology (SST) to monitor and detect airborne infection in British hospitals. Here they set out why they believe effective incorporation of such technology in healthcare facilities in this digital age is the sine qua non for an effective infection control strategy to mitigate against this 'endemic problem', and ask whether such smart sensors can indeed be the 'panacea for hospitals' ills'.