Scientists of Los Angeles have recently developed a new wearable ultrasound patch that can non-invasively monitor BP in arteries deep beneath the skin. This advance in science led by researchers of California University in San Diego - US could help people diagnose cardiovascular troubles earlier and with precision.
Applications include real-time, continuous monitoring of BP changes for patients suffering from heart or lung diseases, as well as patients with critical illness or those undergoing surgeries, as stated in the research published in the "Nature Biomedical Engineering" journal.
The patch utilizes ultrasound, so it could potentially, non-invasively be used to track vital signs and physiological signals from areas deep inside the body, according to researchers.
"Wearable devices have so far been limited to sensing signals either on the surface of the skin or right beneath it. But this is like seeing just the tip of the iceberg," said Sheng Xu, a professor at the California University in San Diego.
"By integrating ultrasound technology into wearables, we can start to capture a whole lot of other signals, biological events and activities going on way below the surface in a non-invasive manner," Xu stated.
The new ultrasound patch can continuously monitor central BP in major arteries as deep as 4 centimeters below the skin.
This technology would be very useful in various inpatient procedures, according to researchers.
"This has the potential to be a great addition to cardiovascular medicine," said Brady Huang, a radiologist at the California University in San Diego.
"In the operating room, especially in complex cardiopulmonary procedures, accurate real-time assessment of central blood pressure is needed -- this is where this device has the potential to supplant traditional methods," Huang stated.
The device measures central BP; which is different from the BP measured with an inflatable cuff strapped around the upper arm, known as peripheral BP.
Central BP is the pressure in the central blood vessels, that send blood directly from the heart to major organs throughout the body.
The medical experts consider central BP more accurate than peripheral BP and say it is also better to predict heart disease.
Measuring central BP is not typically done in routine exams, however. The state-of-the-art clinical method is invasive, it involves a catheter inserted into a blood vessel in patient's arm, groin or neck and then guided to the heart.
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