The Biomedical Engineering Expertise Group, School of Electrical and Information Engineering (STEI), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) has developed a device to detect cardiovascular disease.
According to a recent press release, the Non-Invasive Vascular Analyzer (NIVA) is a device that uses both a PPG sensor (photoplethysmograph) and blood pressure sensor to analyse the blood vessels in the human body.
Background
The tool is designed to measure Vascular function for 6 parameters, and Vascular risk level for 5 parameters simultaneously.
Prof.Dr.Ir. Tati Latifah Erawati Rajab Mengko, who led the research on NIVA, explained that research on the tool began in 2013.
Research made use of the National Strategic Excellence Research fund from the Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture for three years.
The idea for the research can be attributed to a request made by a doctor to develop a device that is capable of detecting symptoms of blockage in the blood vessels early.
The Problem
Blockage in blood vessels usually occurs because there are plaques in the blood vessels, which are caused by the lack of Nitric Oxide (NO).
Nitric Oxide is instrumental in maintaining the level of flexibility of blood vessels. Plaque is formed when blood vessels are not slippery enough.
In addition, as people get older in age, it also affects the production of NO in the endothelial layer, which is the innermost layer of human blood vessels.
This also causes a decrease in the flexibility of blood vessels, which results in an increase in blood pressure or hypertension.
It is very expensive to treat blood vessels and keep them healthy. Thus, NIVA can help in detecting the risk of stroke and heart disease.
The Solution
The equipment is capable of detecting the disease from the onset. Doctors can look at the parameters from the tool and identify whether they are good or not.
If they are bad, then the doctors can prescribe medication immediately to prevent something worse from happening.
The device, which can be useful for many people, is ready for mass production.
At present, NIVA has been tested and used in two hospitals, one in Jakarta and another one in Bandung.
Three more hospitals will test the device in the future.
Benefits of Non-Invasive Vascular Analyzer (NIVA)
- The development of NIVA, an integrated solution to measure blood vessel health, was made possible through collaboration with industry. Working with industry helped in reducing the costs of production.
- It is an effective screening device that will aid in reducing the number of cardiovascular disease patients in need of medical treatment.
- Lastly, the device will also contribute to the goal of reducing imports as well as boosting the ability of the domestic industry in producing medical equipment.
