Korean researchers have developed a wireless device transplanted into the bodies of cardiovascular disease patients to measure pressure, flow rate, and temperature in their cardiovascular systems in real-time.
A research team, led by Professor Kwon Kyung-ha of the Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), said Monday that his team developed a wireless implant system that diagnoses cardiovascular pressure, flow rate, and temperature in real-time without a battery.
Currently, physicians measure arterial pressure and blood flow rate by inserting a tether and sensor connected to a bedside monitor. However, a wired interface risks cardiovascular damage or infection, and it is difficult to measure precisely, so it is used temporarily for patients who do not move.
The research team manufactured portable devices that operate wirelessly without batteries and measured the pressure, flux, and temperature in the pulmonary artery of pigs and the artery and left ventricle of sheep, finding they showed similar performance to existing devices.
“This technology measures hemodynamic function objectively and accurately and has the potential to improve heart patients’ treatment and their quality of life,” the team said. “Mobile monitoring will become possible at home or hospitals anytime without restricting patients’ activities.”
Professor Kwon said, “It will be used in various clinical areas, such as gradient and other effluent tests after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), measurement of internal pressure and flow rate of flow transducer for cerebral artery, endoscopic monitoring of thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) and indolic monitoring.”
The technology, jointly developed by Professor Kwon’s team and Dr. Kim Jong-wook of the Northwestern University of the United States, was published in the Nature Biomedical Engineering on April 11 with the title “A battery-less wireless implant for the continuous monitoring of vascular pressure, flow rate and temperature.”