Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) have created a unique, non-invasive tool to evaluate the condition and age of blood vessels and enable early screening for cardiovascular illnesses.
Its name is ARTSENS, and it was created so that even non-experts may use it to evaluate and forecast vascular health during normal medical examinations. It was created by the Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC) at IIT Madras and is powered by a unique non-imaging probe and intelligent computing platform.
More than 5,000 people participated in the device’s evaluations. In the United States, the European Union, and India, the technology has already been granted five utility patents, ten design patents, and 28 further patents in other jurisdictions are still pending.
After comprehensive testing, the product is prepared for technology transfer and commercialization. This will be used by the IIT Madras team to do more than a million vascular screenings annually.
More than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles have previously reported the technology and field outcomes of this device. Both the reputable, peer-reviewed Journal of Hypertension and the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology published the most recent research publications.
Dr.Jayaraj Joseph, an assistant professor in the department of electrical engineering at IIT Madras, oversaw the study. Dr. P. M. Nabeel, Lead Research Scientist, HTIC-IIT Madras, V. Raj Kiran, PhD Scholar, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, and Dr.Jayaraj Joseph co-authored the article in the Journal of Hypertension.
The leading cause of death worldwide remains heart and blood vessel-related disorders, despite significant advancements in therapies and interventions. The secret is early discovery and prompt intervention.
Clinical trials for ARTSENS have been given go-ahead in the US, Europe, and India. At AIIMS New Delhi, a comprehensive clinical investigation is in progress. Researchers at AIIMS New Delhi are using it to study and comprehend the physiological underpinnings of arterial aging in various disease conditions, and researchers at Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands are using it to investigate the relationship between arterial age, physical inactivity, and cardiovascular events.
Arterial stiffness and central blood pressure are both simultaneously monitored by ARTSENS. A probe is placed on the surface of the neck to locate the carotid artery, and pressure cuffs are attached at the upper arm and thighs. It assesses the three crucial cardiovascular health indicators of carotid arterial stiffness, aortic pulse wave velocity, and central blood pressure.
Highlighting the unique features of ARTSENS, Dr Joseph said, “Reliable assessment of vascular health requires a measurement to be performed directly on the blood vessel walls and not on the skin surface. Our ARTSENS 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.”
Source: Express Healthcare