Top innovation in blood pressure measurement received a $1 million greant from the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF gave the grant to Dynocardia. It develops blood pressure monitoring technology of a new kind.
Innovation in blood pressure measuring: how it works
Dynocardia’s ViTrack does not need a cuff. It uses an optomechanical sensor to measure systolic and diastolic blood pressure for each heartbeat. It tracks skin movement over the radial artery. ViTrack also measures heart rate, respiratory rate, and other vital signs.
The funding will improve motion-artifact mitigation in this innovation of blood pressure measurement. The technology ensures accurate blood pressure readings even with patient movement or vibrations, like in ambulances. Motion artifacts have long been a problem in blood pressure monitoring.
In 2021, NSF helped Dynocardia develop motion-artifact mitigation for ViTrack. The system was tested in ICUs. It was compared to arterial-line readings and gave accurate data, even during movement or irregular heartbeats.
The new grant will expand the use of ViTrack. It will support use in ambulances, hospitals, and homes. The technology could help millions of critically ill patients and 1.5 billion people with hypertension.
Innovation in blood pressure measuring: experts say
“Outside operating rooms and intensive care units, continuous non-invasive blood pressure monitoring could potentially improve perioperative care,” noted Dr. Bernd Saugel, Professor of Anesthesiology, Vice Chair Department of Anesthesiology, Center of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany. “Potential uses include ambulatory preoperative monitoring to establish baseline blood pressure and continuous vital sign monitoring for post-surgical patients on general wards.”
“The need for technology that reliably measures over 24 hours across various care settings is critical and must be addressed,” commented Dr. Kazuomi Kario, Chairman of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine at the Jichi Medical University School of Medicine (JMU) in Japan. “Beyond use in the ICU and pre-hospital settings, the potential for home use, especially for patients with nocturnal hypertension and sleep apnea syndrome, could be significant.”
Dynocardia: experienced player on the market of blood pressure innovations
Dynocardia started in 2018 with support from Tufts University and MIT. Its ViTrack device offers cuff-less, continuous BP monitoring. It is not yet available in the U.S. and is awaiting FDA approval. Visit www.dynocardia.com for details.
Dynocardia CEO Mohan Thanikachalam said the NSF grant shows confidence in their technology. He stressed its value in preventing cardiac arrests, strokes, and heart attacks by providing accurate 24-hour blood pressure data.
