CHENNAI: Researchers at IIT Madras have developed a non-invasive device that can assess the health and age of blood vessels and can be used for early screening for cardiovascular diseases.
The device - Artsens - is powered by a proprietary non-imaging probe and computing platform developed at the Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC) at IIT-M.
Artsens simultaneously checks for artery stiffness and central blood pressure. The device is designed so that it can be even used by amateurs during routine medical examinations.
It comprises pressure cuffs that need to be attached on the upper arm and thighs and a probe applied on the surface of the neck to detect the carotid artery. It measures carotid artery stiffness, aortic pulse wave velocity and central blood pressure, all three being important markers of cardiovascular health.
The device has been assessed on more than 5,000 human subjects. The technology has five utility patents in the US, European Union and India, 10 design patents and is awaiting 28 patents in various jurisdictions, said a statement issued by IIT-M. The product is ready for technology transfer and commercialisation after extensive testing.
The research was led by Jayaraj Joseph, assistant professor, IIT-M department of electrical engineering.
"Reliable assessment of vascular health requires a measurement to be performed directly on the blood vessel walls and not on the skin surface. Our device can assess the effect of molecular and protein level changes in the vessel wall caused due to disease and ageing, by measuring the material property in a completely non-invasive and accurate manner," said Jayaraj.
Simulation studies and randomized experiments were conducted on animals and human subjects to prove efficacy and meet the standards required of biomedical diagnostic devices.