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 to 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 research was led by Jayaraj Joseph, assistant professor, IIT-M Department of electrical engineering.