H2020 funds mobile cardiovascular detector

Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) is celebrating success after receiving funding to develop and validate an early-stage cardiovascular disease detection platform using integrated silicon photonics.

The CARDIS project, which also includes the participation of imec (which will act as project manager), Medtronic and Ghent University in Belgium, is receiving funding from the ICT objective under the Industrial Leadership pillar. The project’s overarching goal is the investigation and demonstration of a mobile, low-cost device based on a silicon photonics integrated laser Doppler vibrometer. The concept will be validated for the screening of arterial stiffness, and detection of stenosis and heart failure in a clinical setting.

Speaking about the project, QMUL professor of cardiovascular mechanics, Stephen Greenwald, commented: “Arterial stiffness is a reliable predictor of ill-health resulting from heart and arterial disease. However, current methods for measuring arterial stiffness are time consuming, uncomfortable, and they require expensive equipment with highly trained operators.

“Because of this, arterial stiffness measurements have been confined to specialist centres and research laboratories. We need to make arterial stiffness measurement more accessible. By screening large numbers of patients in GP surgeries or clinics, we could identify the patients most at risk and reduce the need for expensive treatment before serious symptoms develop. Given the economic burden of cardiovascular disease, the social and financial benefits are potentially huge.”

The project will run for three and a half years and other industrial, academic and clinical partners are expected to bring their expertise to the project.