Other implantable hemodynamic monitors
Numerous other implantable pressure sensors are in development for management of heart failure, including other pulmonary artery pressure sensors as well as left atrial pressure monitors.
“You’re going to hear a lot more about this field of implantable hemodynamic monitors in the future,” the cardiologist predicted.
Dr. Abraham was also a coinvestigator in an observational study of a wearable sensor based upon radar technology developed for the military and subsequently applied to rescue searches through rubble for earthquake survivors. This remote dielectric sensing (ReDS) technology has been miniaturized, with the sensors embedded in an FDA-approved vest. The heart failure patient dons the SensiVest for 90 seconds once per day for measurement of the absolute amount of fluid in the lungs. The data is automatically transmitted to a secured site in the cloud, where the physician can review the results and adjust medications in response to early evidence of fluid buildup.
“The normal lung is composed of 20%-35% fluid. So when that fluid content is elevated, patients with heart failure have wet lungs and they’re decompensating. You increase their diuretics to bring it back down into normal range,” he explained.
In the observational study, conducted in Israel, hospital readmission rates were reduced by 87% through the use of ReDS-guided patient management using the system marketed by Sensible Medical Innovations. Dr. Abraham and his coinvestigators are now seeking to confirm those results in the prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled U.S. SMILE study.
Dr. Abraham reported serving as a consultant to Abbott Vascular, Medtronic, Novartis, and St. Jude Medical.
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