A device for monitoring heart failure patients

Project summaryAbout five million patients currently suffer from heart failureHFin the USresulting in about one million hospitalizations annually and a yearly cost of andgtbillion USDThe long term objective of this project is to develop an innovative technology to assist HF outpatient managementThe proposed device will be used by health care providers to detect HF deteriorationwhich may facilitate early therapeutic interventionand possibly reduced hospitalizationmorbiditycost and potentially mortalityThe project is an important step in later building a follow up device for in home monitoringThe technology relies on detecting changes in low frequency chest wall vibrations due to heart contractionThese sub audible vibrations can be detected and analyzed with appropriate sensors and digital signal processing methodsThe proposed first generation novel device is not intended for initial diagnosis of HF patientsi edistinguishing normal from abnormal subjectsrather it is intended for early ambulatory detection of changes in chest wall vibrations that may be associated with clinical changes in HF individualsThe proposed device would be non invasivesafeand require brief measurement timeminutesonce a week or as neededAll objectives of Phase I were met or exceededDuring Phase IIcertain device enhancements will be implemented and a first generation prototype will be builtThe device will be tested in HF subjects during hospitalization and post dischargeThese human studies will help delineate chest vibration correlates of HF status changesIf the project is successfulthe proposed novel technology would be used by healthcare providersand later by HF outpatients at homeas a rapid assessment and monitoring tool during healthcare provider visitsIt is expected that the envisioned device would be compacteasy and comfortable to userapidinexpensive and safe Project NarrativeThis project proposes to develop a device to help improve monitoring and treatment of out patients with heart failure by alerting them and their providers to worsening diseaseThis will allow improved early therapeutic interventionwhich should result in reduced hospitalizationsillnesscost and potentially deaths