Student job at smartQare: developing viQtor and yourself!

“The research I did perfectly matched my studies”

Simone de Jonge, student Mechanical Engineering

Our team is constantly refining and developing the medical technology behind viQtor. In this process, we also receive support from students. For example, last year Frank Boon, Head of Research, could count on Simone de Jonge, a student at the Technical University in Eindhoven. She did the research for a new measurement within our 24/7 monitoring solution.

Simone earned a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from TU/e, a study focused on developing medical engineering solutions for healthcare. She then chose a master's degree in mechanical engineering. "There are many work environments where mechanical engineering has to do with medical applications. It is an enormously fascinating and versatile field. When I started my master's in 2021, I started working at smartQare in addition. For me, that was the ideal side job: the work perfectly matched my studies. Moreover, the company is super flexible in when and how much you work."

Literature review

Simone worked under Frank Boon on the research and development of a new feature of viQtor: measuring respiratory rate. "I did a lot of literature research on respiration and how to measure that with a wearable device," Simone says. "Respiration is generally extracted from an ECG, but we are exploring the possibility of doing that through the PPG sensor technology that is already in the device. Monitoring respiration is important for all wearers and there are many disease states that can affect respiration. Think, for example, of people with COPD or sleep apnea. When viQtor can early detect abnormal respiration, a signal is sent immediately and intervention can be made."

Validate and certify

In the roadmap for development outlined by smartQare, adding the respiratory rate (RR) feature is one of the first goals. Simone: "Now that we are working on it with a larger group, things are moving fast. We are already seeing good results and are now going to work on validating them so that we can really demonstrate that what we are measuring is correct. It is expected that this feature can be added and certified during 2023."

Drive to get started

After more than a year, Simone is now saying goodbye to smartQare again: "In two weeks I'm going to do an internship and start my graduation. That leaves no room for work on the side for a while. Working at smartQare was a great experience for me. I was given a lot of freedom to do things and research. And I also had nice, fun colleagues. Every morning we started the day with a stand-up meeting. You then hear what needs to be done that day and get an update on how far everyone has got. That really gives you a drive to get to work. The past year was very valuable for me, I look back on it with great pleasure."

Make an appointment for a demonstration

Would you like to learn more about viQtor, our solution for 24-hour monitoring? Make an appointment for a demonstration and find out what viQtor can do for you.