Blood vessel stiffness has been proven to be a highly powerful indicator of cardiovascular issues and ageing of the heart. Accurate measurements of changes in arterial dimensions and blood pressure are necessary for determining arterial stiffness. Modern techniques carry out this measurement using specialised ultrasound imaging apparatus. Widespread application of image-based arterial stiffness monitoring is constrained by the need for expensive equipment and high levels of technical skill to operate that equipment. A low-cost, simple-to-use technology that can be widely used with little training is required.
The ARTerial Stiffness Evaluation for Non-invasive Screening (ARTSENS) test was created by HTIC (Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre, an R&D centre of IIT Madras and Department of Biotechnology, GoI). ARTSENS uses a specially created ultrasonic probe along with patented intelligent signal processing to analyse artery anatomy, record vessel wall dynamics, and determine clinically recognised stiffness parameters non-invasively. Within 30 seconds after placing the probe on the neck, the device directly produces the stiffness measurement. Based on ARTSENS technology, a portable cardiovascular screening tool is currently being created.
The in-vivo measurements made using ARTSENS in comparison to a traditional ultrasound imaging system were validated in a pilot study on over 100 participants carried out in partnership with MediScan Systems, Chennai. The Thambiran Heart and Vascular Institute in Chennai used the ARTSENS device to evaluate the arterial stiffness of about 50 patients over the course of around 4 hours during a vascular screening camp. These pilot experiments showed that ARTSENS could quantify arterial stiffness in real-world situations.
More than 5,000 people have been used in the device’s evaluations. In the US, the European Union, and India, the technology has already been granted five utility patents, ten design patents, and 28 patents are still pending in other jurisdictions.
After comprehensive testing, the product is prepared for technology transfer and commercialization. This will be used by the IIT Madras team to do more than a million vascular screenings annually.
Dr Jayaraj Joseph, assistant professor in the department of electrical engineering at IIT Madras, oversaw the study. Dr PM Nabeel, Lead Research Scientist, HTIC-IIT Madras, V Raj Kiran, PhD scholar, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, and Dr Joseph co-authored the article in the Journal of Hypertension.
The leading cause of death worldwide remains heart and blood vessel-related disorders, which can be prevented with early discovery and prompt intervention.
According to a press release, Dr Joseph said, “Reliable assessment of vascular health requires a measurement to be made directly on the blood vessel walls and not on the skin surface. Our ARTSENS technology measures the material property in a fully non-invasive and precise manner, allowing us to evaluate the impact of molecular and protein level changes in the vessel wall brought on by illness and ageing.”
At AIIMS New Delhi, a comprehensive clinical investigation is in progress, where researchers are trying to comprehend the physiological underpinnings of arterial ageing in various disease conditions. Researchers at Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands are using it to investigate the relationship between arterial age, physical inactivity, and cardiovascular events.
Prof Dick Thijssen of Radboud UMC in the Netherlands, who also worked on this experiment, emphasised the device’s clinical usefulness. “We have employed the most recent ARTSENS gadget in our recent clinical investigations on more than 600 participants. Large-scale research projects using portable, simple-to-use equipment make it possible to fully comprehend vascular ageing.”
The likelihood of cardiovascular problems rises when the artery stiffens and matures prematurely. Central blood pressure is yet another indicator of cardiovascular disorders.
Dr Dinu S Chandran, Department of Physiology, AIIMS New Delhi, a different collaborator on ARTSENS, stated: “The ability of ARTSENS to assess both local and arterial stiffness along with central blood pressure, all in a single test, makes it extremely useful in estimating vascular health status as an early marker in multiple disease conditions.”
Arterial stiffness and central blood pressure are both simultaneously monitored by ARTSENS. A probe is placed on the surface of the neck to locate the carotid artery, and pressure cuffs are attached at the upper arm and thighs. It assesses the three crucial cardiovascular health indicators of carotid arterial stiffness, aortic pulse wave velocity, and central blood pressure.
The IIT Madras team carried out basic scientific research as well as engineering and technological development for prototypes that had undergone clinical validation. To demonstrate effectiveness and meet the criteria required of biomedical diagnostic equipment, simulation studies and randomised experiments were carried out on both human and animal subjects.
