eWEAR: Implantable sensors to monitor arterial health
Meeting Reports
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Aug 3, 2022
Health conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis can induce abnormal blood flow rate and blood pressure, leading to peripheral vascular disease, heart attack and stroke.
The ability to monitor arterial health after a vascular surgery is key to prevent premature deaths from abnormal blood flow and blood pressure. For instance, after a vascular surgery, a doctor might want to know whether blood flow through an operated artery is normal again or whether there are new occlusions in the operated artery. However, most existing devices to monitor arterial health make use of external sensors that cannot capture signals from specific arteries with enough accuracy. Blood flow sensors directly implanted onto arteries could better monitor the health of specific arteries, such as those involved in vascular conditions.
In a recent paper published in iScience, a team of researchers led by Professor Zhenan Bao and Dr. Sara Ruth in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, and Professor Paige Fox at the Stanford School of Medicine invented an implantable sensor for wireless, battery-free monitoring of arterial blood pressure across a wide range of artery sizes and types.
“Our motivation for this work stemmed from the need for continuous long-term monitoring. We were looking at improving patient outcomes by facilitating early signals of deteriorationwhether it is short or long-term progression,” says Ruth.
Health conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis can induce abnormal blood flow rate and blood pressure, leading to peripheral vascular disease, heart attack and stroke.
The ability to monitor arterial health after a vascular surgery is key to prevent premature deaths from abnormal blood flow and blood pressure. For instance, after a vascular surgery, a doctor might want to know whether blood flow through an operated artery is normal again or whether there are new occlusions in the operated artery. However, most existing devices to monitor arterial health make use of external sensors that cannot capture signals from specific arteries with enough accuracy. Blood flow sensors directly implanted onto arteries could better monitor the health of specific arteries, such as those involved in vascular conditions.
In a recent paper published in iScience, a team of researchers led by Professor Zhenan Bao and Dr. Sara Ruth in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, and Professor Paige Fox at the Stanford School of Medicine invented an implantable sensor for wireless, battery-free monitoring of arterial blood pressure across a wide range of artery sizes and types.
“Our motivation for this work stemmed from the need for continuous long-term monitoring. We were looking at improving patient outcomes by facilitating early signals of deteriorationwhether it is short or long-term progression,” says Ruth.
