Cuffless Amulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

Introduction

ITR VN's innovative Cuffless Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) hardware platform offers precise medical-grade Blood Pressure (BP) readings, along with accurate SpO2 and Heart Rate (HR) measurements. This cutting-edge platform is set to revolutionize cardiovascular health monitoring. The case study explores the business requirements, technical hurdles, and impressive solutions developed by ITR VN in crafting the Cuffless ABPM Hardware Platform.

Business Needs and Technical Challenges

The development of ITR VN's Cuffless Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) hardware platform was driven by urgent business needs and encountered several significant technical challenges:

Business Needs:

1. Enhanced Cardiovascular Health Monitoring: There was a growing demand for a more user-friendly and less intrusive method of monitoring blood pressure and related vital signs, such as SpO2 and Heart Rate, to improve cardiovascular health management.

2. User Convenience and Compliance: Business needs to emphasize the importance of user convenience. A wearable, cuffless solution that seamlessly integrated into daily life was sought to increase patient compliance with continuous monitoring.

3. Data Accuracy: Accurate and real-time data on blood pressure and vital signs is crucial to provide healthcare professionals with reliable information for diagnosis and treatment.

Technical Challenges:

1. PPG-Based Monitoring: Developing a PPG-based monitoring platform that could accurately and non-invasively measure blood pressure presented a significant technical challenge. Achieving precision in the readings while using PPG technology was essential.

2. Wireless Connectivity: Integrating wireless technologies, including Bluetooth LE 5.2 and LTA CAT M1 / NB-IoT, while maintaining data security and uninterrupted communication was a complex technical task.

3. Advanced Signal Processing: Implementing sophisticated algorithms to process PPG data, especially in achieving accurate blood pressure calculation, required innovation and precision.

4. Battery Life: Ensuring an extended battery life of 48 hours, despite continuous monitoring, was a technical feat, demanding efficient power management.

5. Data Analysis and Storage: Managing vast amounts of health data efficiently with 32 GB storage capacity and ensuring data accuracy and security was a complex task.

ITR VN’s Technologies and Solutions

The Cuffless Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) hardware platform by ITR VN is a technological marvel, offering exceptional features and innovative solutions:

Technical Specifications:

• Cuffless BP Reading Technology: Utilizing a Photoplethysmogram (PPG), the platform achieves non-intrusive and user-friendly continuous BP monitoring.

• Wireless Technologies: Incorporates Bluetooth LE 5.2 and LTA CAT M1 / NB-IoT for seamless data communication.
• Measurement and Accuracy:
  • Blood Pressure:
    • SYS: 100 to 180mmHg (± 5mmHg)
    • DIA: 60 – 100mmHg (± 5mmHg)
  • Heart Rate: 40 to 250 BPM (±1 BPM)
  • SpO2: 70 to 99% (±2%)
• Additional Features: Offers comprehensive capabilities such as sleep stages and sleep apnea monitoring, fall alarms, and stress level tracking.
• Data Storage: Equipped with 32 GB of storage for storing vital health data.
• Battery Life: With a remarkable battery life of 48 hours, users can rely on continuous monitoring without frequent recharging.

Our Innovations:

• Exclusive PPG-Based Monitoring: ITR VN's ABPM platform relies solely on PPG data, ensuring the least intrusive and most user-friendly method for continuous BP monitoring.
• TinyML Framework: A dedicated TinyML framework empowers machine learning (ML) algorithms on Edge devices, enabling efficient and accurate analysis of PPG features.
• RUST Integration: The utilization of RUST enhances memory safety and concurrency, allowing multiple computations to run in parallel, improving device reliability and performance.

• Cutting-Edge Technology: ITR VNleverages state-of-the-art bio-sensing solutions, wireless technologies, and miniaturization of electronics to create a comprehensive and compact solution.

The flowchart presented below depicts the steps of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) measurement. Initially, the patient's BP is calibrated at a hospital or clinic by a doctor. Subsequently, the patient wears the ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) device continuously for 24 to 48 hours during all their activities. After this period, the patient returns the device to the doctor to obtain the ambulatory BP report.

The Achievements of ITR VN’s Cuffless ABPM Hardware Platform

The cuffless BP calculation algorithm has been validated by the medical database (MIMIC) and by medical grade data collected from established hospital alliances in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 

More than 131,405 data samples were collected and utilized to validate and improve the BP reading accuracy. 

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The hardware platform demonstrates remarkable accuracy in measuring BP.

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