Massachusetts-based startup Dynocardia has developed ViTrack, a cuff-less, wearable device that allows for direct, continuous, non-invasive measurement of blood pressure.
Around 80 million people in the United States suffer from hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. The condition increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, many people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels.
Read more Aktiia Raises CHF 6 Million in Funding to Market its Cuffless Optical Blood Pressure Monitor
Currently, there is no standalone, wearable, continuous, non-invasive blood pressure monitor (cNIBP) available. Consequently, accurate hypertension diagnosis and management and assessment of 24-hr blood pressure parameters and nocturnal blood pressure have remained elusive.
Traditional method of blood pressure monitoring uses a cuff device that you wrap around your arm. It uses the oscillometric technique, in which the cuff measures one value (mean arterial pressure) and an algorithm calculates systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.
ViTrack is a direct, continuous, yet non-invasive way of measuring systolic and diastolic blood pressure, reports MedGadget.
“We built a unique optomechanical sensor which captures the spatiotemporal force information in real time — that’s the proprietary methodology. We [then] came up with specific optical signatures that directly correspond to systolic and diastolic blood pressure. And since we’re looking at spatiotemporal information, we can do it continuously,” said Mohan Thanikachalam, Founder and CEO of Dynocardia.
ViTrack provides true measure of blood pressure by tracking blood pressure over multiple respiratory cycles and during sleep. Additionally, ViTrack can monitor heart rhythm and respiratory parameters. Since the device can be worn 24 hours-a-day, it provides real-world actionable data for better blood pressure control and thereby prevent 100,000 strokes and heart attacks per year in the US.
Read more SunTech and Valencell Partner Up for New Blood Pressure Measurement Solutions
“ViTrack will also contribute to management and prevention of a broad spectrum of other diseases by virtue of effective BP monitoring, such as the 1 billion adults who live with sleep apnea and the 50 million adults with dementia worldwide,” ViTrack said in its website.
